It is not surprising if people do a double take when they spot Oak House.
Surrounded by cramped terraced houses in West Bromwich stands the beautiful half-timbered Tudor manor house.
At the moment just a few rooms are open to the public and the house’s secret possessions are kept under lock and key.
However, multi-million pound plans are in place to open up the whole house and turn it into a large tourist attraction with a park, historic gardens, cafe and classrooms.
“At the moment we have our offices where the maid’s bedroom, buttery and other room were,” said Frank Caldwell, Sandwell Council principal officer for museums arts and tourism.
“The other room was like a junk room and was filled with stuffed animals and birds and items left over from the previous owners. These items have never been seen by the public but we are hoping to get it on display.”
For the last few months a team of architects, structural engineers and archaeologists have been working on the plans.
“Our guide books are now out of date because we have found out so much about the house in the last few months,” said Frank. “We believe that Oak House was built around 1605 and the wooden beams in the attic were from trees felled in 1555.
“The study door is the oldest in the property and dates back to the 1640s.”
Almost £4 million of work that needs to be done has also been identified and this includes opening two derelict barns next door to the main building.
Frank said: “At the moment we have temporary buildings for visitor facilities, but we are planning on putting a reception, shop, cafe and new toilets in the barns and doubling the classroom space. We have also found out that one of the barns is actually a stable built in 1655 and it is the oldest in the West Midlands.”
The council is putting £1.78 million into improving Oak House and the Heritage Lottery Fund is putting forward £2 million.
“It will take £3.8 to £4.2 million for the project, so we will have enough to improve the house and barns,” said Frank.
One Comment
During the 50’s, I worked within a few minutes walk to Oak House. It has never received the publicity it deserves.
On a visit to West Bromwich a few years ago, I was thrilled to visit my old haunts and this Tudor House is a treasure. The history that it can boast of, should be taught in schools.
The news of it’s being restored is wonderful and hope it’s carried out tastefully.