HISTORIC BUILDINGS and STREETS
Despite the ravages of demolition Kidderminster possesses many fine soundly-constructed buildings of all kinds. You have to look for them because of insensitive planning and the damage to the shape of the town wrought by the ring road. (‘Ring’ road is a misnomer as it passes virtually through the middle of the town centre.) Most of the damage was done by the 1990s. In recent years the Civic Society and Wyre Forest District Council have enjoyed a more positive relationship. If you would like to help us with conservation and the monitoring of planning, please join us.
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One delightful (although not listed) survivor is French Villa situated in Comberton Road.
LISTED BUILDINGS
Depicted on the left is a portion of one of Kidderminster's Grade II listed buildings - Barton's Mill 17-20 Vicar Street.
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The upper levels of this polychromatic styled building still grace this busy street in the centre of the town.
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A very noticeable step in the brickwork was introduced to 'disguise' the join between the original 1856 building on the left with the later extension on the right, an artifice often used in such circumstances.
Accounts of some of Kidderminster’s listed buildings are available among our historical reports, including: Puxton Mill, the Piano Building, 13 & 14 Blakebrook, 16 & 17 Blakebrook, 18 & 19 Blakebrook, Elderfield House, Barton's Mill, Trimpley House, The Weavers' Cottages, Baxter Church, St John’s Church and The Mitchell Wall.
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Some images of Listed Buildings.
The Town Hall complex c1901
Left: Corn Exchange and Music Room built 1855. Right: Town Hall added in 1877
King Charles I Grammar School c1964.
Built 1848. The school closed in 1977.
Now a Dance Studio
Bewdley Road
St John's Church c1901
Consecrated 1843 - rebuilt 1904
Bewdley Road
Caldwall Tower 2002
Shortly before renovation by Richard Davies
Castle Road
Weavers' Cottages, Horsefair,
after the restoration completed
in 2017
St George's Church 1983, Coventry Street
First dedicted 1824 and re-dedicated 1925
after repairs following a major.fire.
Elderfield House c1810
! Birmingham Road
St Mary and All Saints
Parish Church of Kidderminster
Puxton Mill previously known as Townshend Mill
Mid 1800s. Unused for a number of years.
The Mitchell Wall viewed from the Ring Road near the bottom of Station Hill
BUILDINGS OF NOTE - BUT NOT LISTED
In Park Lane is the extensive Rock Works, so called because it is built into the sandstone cliffs behind. This building, shown on the LEFT (Angela Shuttes) has been unused for years. In 2020 plans were submitted to the local authority - and approved to convert the property into living accommodation.
​​Across the town there are still quite a few larger houses of quality which survive. These include French Villa shown a the top of the page and the early 19th century Leswell House (RIGHT) lying largely unnoticed in suburban Leswell Grove.
Off Churchfields, near St Mary’s church, lies the huge former Tomkinsons site, no longer producing carpets. It contained several excellent buildings of character, including the one ABOVE proudly showing its date 1902 - still visible from the ring road. (Photo John Shuttes). Now in the process of redevelopment (2021) the site retains this building only.
Another big house to escape demolition is Elderslie, Birmingham Road, built in 1874 by the carpet manufacturer William Adam, but now part of Holy Trinity School. Lying discretely in Honeybrook Lane, Franche, is Honeybrook House.
A building of great interest lies on the hospital site in Sutton Road, close to the junction with Bewdley Road. It is the only remaining part of the Union Workhouse at 1 Sutton Road. Sadly it is unused but the roof was recently renovated (c2019) so it would seem it is not in imminent jeopardy. The upper floor was the Guardian's Boardroom and the ground was a reception area for vagrants.
EXAMPLES of KIDDERMINSTER STREETS
Many fine streets survive from the Victorian period in Kidderminster. They can be found situated in the inner suburbs of Kidderminster including ordinary terraced houses built for the working population. Our Historical Building Reports provide detailed descriptions of a number houses in these streets.
One example, shown below left, is Leswell Place (2006) in Leswell Street built in 1851 as part of The Leswell Land Club initiative. Below central are houses tucked away in Findon Street also created by a land club and below right shows 55 and 56 Farfield (2007).
Land Clubs played a significant role in the development of housing for the working classes in Kidderminster. Nigel Gilbert has written extensively about the Land Clubs of Kidderminster. Probably the earliest active Land Club in the town was that which developed Summer Place on the edge of Blakebrook Green.