Fascinating remnants of yesteryear are being unearthed in Wolverhampton city centre as two buildings are brought back to life.

Stafford Street is home to a three-storey Victorian Gothic building. At number 184 is a former Territorial Army HQ while next door at number 182 is the Wolverhampton School Board building, which is in the process of being turned into 12 one and two-bed flats.

The former TA base, once used by the Staffordshire Yeomanry and the Staffordshire Regiment, is 12,883 sq ft and has been up for sale for a year. It would host formal dinners and parties in a hall upstairs and has a residential block at the top.

Lower floors were occupied by Wolverhampton university until about 18 months ago. The cloakroom has about 140 pegs, giving an idea of how many people used it.

The officers’ hall has the Staffordshire sunflower emblem bordering the top of the wall, high ceilings, huge windows and spots where fireplaces used to be at either end.

Solihull-based owner Start Estates has spent around £20,000 moving interior walls and has previously worked on the Bluebrick site at the Lower Level Station.

Planning permission was gained last year for a pub, restaurant, leisure or retail space. The former drill hall room where the soldiers trained was demolished years ago and replaced by the P3 homeless shelter in Thornley Street.

Project agent Andrew Jelley, said: “We want new owners to retain the original character of the building even if alterations are made. We have had lots of different parties expressing interest.

“But the economic climate is causing second thoughts in people about borrowing money. It’s a lovely building and next door shows what it is capable of being turned into.”

The officers’ mess connects to the school building through a passage at the back. The new apartments all have a kitchen and living area, bathroom and bedrooms, each with a different layout.

The exterior has been renovated and new windows have been placed into original frames. There are hidden gems all around as a very modern kitchen is only feet away from original staircases, beautiful stained glass windows and delicate wall decorations. One apartment has a sandstone fireplace and the corridor leading to the bathroom used to house a large bank vault with a curved roof and a thick bank door, which will be retained.

“We are peeling back the layers in both buildings and have found some nice surprises as well as some rather unfortunate ones,” said Mr Jelley.

“Taking down the artificial ceiling in the old boardroom was good but we also came across a four-inch thick compressed straw wall. That was an original feature we had to take out due it being a fire hazard.”

Architect James Bavin added: “We have been working with conservationists to retain the original appearance wherever possible.”