Wolverhampton's Listed Buildings

Rock House

11 Old Hill, Tettenhall


Listing: 1750s

Pevsner: "Rock House, Old Hill, a five-bay brick house with a pedimented doorway with Gothic surround".

Award:  In 1974 the Civic Trust gave a Special Commendation for the restoration and conversion of Rock House.  The owner at the time was L'Interieur (Contracts) Ltd., and others involved were Michael Phillips of Phillips Cutler, Phillips Troy, architects; Norman W. Whittall, structural consultant, James Bartlett, landscape consultant and contractor, and H. Davis & Son Ltd., contractors.  The Civic Trust commented:  "The House was built by Francis Smith around 1720-30.  In the 1920 the Annexe was donated to the Roman Catholic church for use as a chapel and community hall.  By the time it was bought by the present owner in 1970 the building had been left empty for a couple of years, was extensively vandalised and nearly derelict.  With the aid of an Improvement Grant, and by the owner and his colleagues doing much of the work themselves as a 'do-it-yourself cooperative', the building has been restored, the house itself converted into four flats and the annexe into a studio and display area for the owners' interior design business".

Comment: . Rock House is now owned by the Midland News group and used largely as a training centre. 

It is interesting to see that the Civic Trust ascribed it, without reservation, to Francis Smith and to an earlier date that the listing. We await further information on why Pevsner describes the Gibbs door to Rock House as having a "Gothic surround". But he is the expert.  It can't have been a misprint for "Gibbs", can it?

Old Hill is the original road into Tettenhall before the cutting (just off to the right in the top picture) was made as part of the Holyhead Road in about 1822.