Molineux Hotel renovation comes to fruition

Renovation work on the landmark Molineux Hotel in Wolverhampton is bearing fruition, as our video team discovered.

Wendy Lloyd was given a guided tour to see the progress up close.

From an elegant Georgian home, then housing scores of visitors to Wolverhampton before becoming a fire-ravaged shell of its former self, the Molineux Hotel has certainly seen some good and bad times.

But now it is being lovingly restored to its former glory and the Express & Star has been given a behind the scenes glimpse of how the transformation of the Grade II listed building into a new home for the city’s archive service is taking shape.

The hotel is believed to have originally been erected around the early 18th century but it has additions from the 18th and 19th century.

Originally a home for the Molineux family it became a hotel before its closure in 1979. Since then it has been targeted by vandals and has fallen into disrepair.

And in 2003 its future looked bleak after a blaze almost wrecked the building. The roof and floors were destroyed and the walls were left in a dangerous condition.

But over the course of the last couple of years work has been carried out to make it safe again after it was bought by Wolverhampton Council.

The prominent clock tower was added in the 1880s but was destroyed in the fire and replaced by a replica.

Last May contractor company Linford, began work on building a 10,000 square foot extension while completing an interior restoration of the landmark property.

Once it is finished, hopefully by the end of the year, the building will have a new lease of life as home to the city archives and local studies service.

It is envisaged the purpose-built extension will house the historic documents, some of which date back hundreds of years and the restored building will provide both educational space and areas where residents can read up on the city’s history.