So here it is, my current blog offers you an insight into my
latest ‘Fitness Challenge’

On the first weekend in June 12 fellow gym enthusiasts and I
(plus a dedicated driver) embarked on our charity adventure. The Three Peaks
challenge… described as one of the UK’s ultimate challenges which involves
trekking to the top of the three highest peaks in England, Scotland and Wales
in just 24 hours!

After many years of regularly attending Topnotch gym, Quarry
Bank I’ve been meaning to get around to moving the goal posts, pushing myself
outside of my comfort zone and getting involved in a personal challenge. I
considered a triathlon, a marathon and other single man competitions but never
quite got around to signing up. When my PT from the gym suggested gym members
sign up and take part as a team in the 3 peaks challenge I literally jumped at
the chance.

So it was decided on June 4^th 2011 ‘The Topnotch Team’ would ascend the 3 peaks.

Running my own business, hosting several networking groups,
forever upgrading my surveying qualifications AND maintaining a social life is
hard enough so my friends and family were slightly concerned how on earth I
would fit in the training required for the 3 peaks. That was easy, I love
training… its my time out. For whatever reason when I switch on my ipod, crank
up my heart rate and get physically and mentally in the zone,  I switch off.  This makes training part of my downtime after a day at work and gives me plenty more energy to get on once training is over.

As the weeks, then months went on I worked hard, doing more and
more classes. Not being an experienced walker/climber meant I would be working
different parts of my body than im used too, muscles needed to be strengthened
and this could only be achieved by diversifying from my normal gym routine to
incorporate work outs that would assist in particular these areas. Then leading
right upto the event Sunday ‘Boot camp’ was introduced (as my fellow team liked
to call it). Simon our  team leader and PT took us to our local park for a 90 minute intensive outdoor training session every week. Knowing he’d push us, I’d always run a 2 mile warm up  to get the blood pumping before he hit us with uphill sprints, power squats, hill running and other interval training exercises. Strangely, although it hurt afterwards, I enjoyed every minute of it.

Then whilst getting myself ready physically I had another vitally important challenge to accompany my training and that was fundraising! We decided to opt out of the organized race and let Simon lead us through from start to finish, this allowed us the flexibility to pick our own charity and know that 100% of our fundraising would go directly to the chosen cause; ‘Help for Heros’.  Founded in 2007 the charity helps the wounded Servicemen and Women returning from Afghanistan and Iraq. The message of the charity is simple:
‘They are strictly non political and non critical, they just want to help. They believe that anyone who volunteers to serve in time of war knowing that they may risk all, is a hero. These are ordinary people doing extraordinary things and some of them are living with the consequences of their service for life. Help for heros helps the heros get better and enter the next chapter of their lives’.

I set myself a personal target of £1000 and was overwhelmed
by the generosity of the people who offered me support, sent donations and left
kind messages. People who I have never met where pledging via a link to a
personalised secure web donations page and their reasons behind doing so were
humbling. When times are hard and sponsorships are being requested week in week
out I was truly grateful to everyone who made a donation.

As I write this we don’t have a team total as donations are
still coming in but I look forward to updating my blog with the grand total as
soon as it has been confirmed. For those who missed the pre sponsorship
opportunity but wish to help a great cause feel free to visit my fundraising
page, donations can still be placed:

http://www.bmycharity.com/topnotchtrailblazers3peakschallenge

So back to the challenge, what exactly did it involve?

The team began with a late night/early morning ascent of Ben
Nevis (1344m) with only our head torch for light. Then its onto to the Lake
District to climb Scafell Pike (978m) during the late afternoon. We then had a
further late night/early morning ascent of the final mountain, Snowdon (1085m)
to complete the challenge and celebrate with a beer at the finish line.

I had no clue what to expect all I knew is I didn’t have any
pre conceptions and I knew this would get me up the mountains and back down not
knowing exactly what to expect. If I’d have known how hard it was going to be I’d
have dreaded every ascend, not knowing allowed me to enjoy every second of
pursuing a finish line that I didn’t know whether or not was in sight! My other
helping hand was a book I took along for the journey; It was fate… the day
before the challenge I was mooching round Waterstones wondering what book may
take my mind of the pain between mountain’s and there it was staring straight
at me – Ben Fogle & James Cracknells ‘The Crossing’. Their autobiographical
account of their race by rowing boat, across the Atlantic ocean. It took the
time in which we completed the challenge to read the book cover to cover and it
was the perfect travelling companion. It inspired me, motivated me and above
all gave me the mental strength to push on every time I needed it. (Usually
about 5 minutes before we started the ascent of each mountain). If anyone
yearns to accomplish mind over matter read this book… ‘If you don’t mind, it
won’t matter’. That’s what I kept telling myself.

I was told that Ben Nevis was the most beautiful of the
three mountains, the one id enjoy the most. I think no one would disagree that
at 13.30am any mountain is far from beautiful especially when its pitch black. It
was, to be blunt, harder than I anticipated. It felt like we were zig zagging up
the mountain side for ever. Every time I looked up and saw what I thought in
the distance was a shadow of a mountain peak another would peep out from
beyond.  I also found the terrain of Ben Nevis difficult, one minute it was rough, then pebble-like then it went to large smooth rock face followed by short sharp igneous rocks, then snow and what can only be described as slate. However, my ill feelings  began to diminish as at around 3.15am the sun started to rise and the peak was in reach. When we arrived I was over the moon
(it certainly quite literally felt it) The summit was cold, windy but extremely
beautiful and uplifting.

(Ben Nevis)
On the basis that we were after all competing to complete
the three peaks in 24 hours we departed soon after, following our footsteps
through the snow and back down the mountain. I have to say, I found the
mountain descends the hardest part of the challenge, it was painful, it hurt my
knees and knowing its two hours to the bottom it hurts your soul.  As we started so early in the morning we were the only team descending as most other teams taking part  in the challenge had opted for the early rise climb. I felt slightly sorry for those half way up,
red cheeked and wide eyes as they clearly wished they were on the descend with
us, but not that sorry, my competitive blood rushed through me and I felt very
satisfied that it was in fact us who had not far to go to complete mountain number
one. We arrived back at the mini bus ready to board and head for mountain two
after a cool down, a long stretch and some hot food to warm our rumbling
bellies; it was 6.30am.

I was nervous on the arrival at the second mountain, Scafell
Pike.

I was told by others that had already climbed this 3209 ft peak that it was the hardest of the three. Dreading it was probably a slight exaggeration but I wasn’t far off. I knew it was going to be steep so I made sure I was hydrated and well fed, it proved me right and
surprisingly it was my favourite climb.

(Nearing summit of scafell Pike)

Looking back I put it down to the time of day; mid-afternoon when I was possibly at my most awake, a time when I would be not far off from heading to the gym at home and I was fed and watered. Climbing in the afternoon meant you could see where you were
climbing and admire the amazing view. Don’t get me wrong it was a hard climb, with steep igneous rock to maneuver over from start to finish. The summit plateau of Scafell Pike, is covered with shattered rock debris which provides the highest altitude example of a summit
boulder field in England as well as providing a total body work out when  stepping up and over every individual boulder.  I used my ipod for this particular climb which  gave me a rhythm to climb too and continually helped me to climb on despite the
burn. The view from Scafell is breath taking, it was a clear afternoon when we arrived and we could literally see for miles 360 degrees around us.

It was amazing how the pattern of my feelings from Ben Nevis
repeated themselves almost identically on the third mountain, Snowdon. We climbed
again in darkness, Snowdon was steep and somewhat more difficult than Ben Nevis
due to the bodies fatigue at the last hurdle. Having already climbed two peaks
and travelled many miles I have to say I thought I would be more tired and
stiff than I was but the post climb stretches I had done proved invaluable.
Knowing how I felt on Ben Nevis and knowing I really wanted to enjoy the final
climb I put my energy into embracing the company of my fellow team mates. We
talked, laughed and even played a few games to boost morale on what was the
final leg of our journey together.

We arrived after the 3650 ft climb!

It didn’t feel necessarily how I thought it would feel when we reached the summit, Snowdon boasts some of the best views in Britain but it was very damp, very cold and very windy. At the back of my mind I knew we had that final timely descend which probably
slightly takes away from the momentous feeling of relief that you have reached
the final peak, but it did feel great to know we’d made it.

The panoramic view at first sunlight was amazing; we took it
all in and I promised myself id return again on a summers day to enjoy once
again however, next time having I would not have endured three prior mountain
climbs. We couldn’t stay long, we had to descend in a set time of approximately
1 hour 40 mins to meet the 24 hour deadline. We took the minors track on the
way down; a much flatter route although a little longer in distance.

(Miners Route – Snowdon)

With about 100 yards to go and the mini bus in view we
waited for the entire team to congregate before crossing the finish line
together, it felt brilliant.

To sum up the 3 peaks challenge; I loved it. It inspired me,
made me physically stronger than ever and taught me about team spirit, it
allowed me to achieve something I’ve never achieved before  and it helped me to do something genuinely
good; ‘help our heros’.

I now can’t wait for the next challenge, so watch this
space, same time, same team,  next year…
I’ll keep you posted on what it is we choose to do next!

For those not in the property industry the answer i’m sure is ‘not to be’ as to most they are the scum of the earth, rogue traders, deceitful, dirty rotten liars. They’re del boys, they con people out of money, charge you a fortune to sell your house when actually you carried out the viewing so in fact you sold it yourself??

Have you ever considered that for some the answer would be: ‘Estate Agent’ to be: to be, to be.

Who would believe that without Agents deals would not be done, beautiful properties would not be advertised for us all to dream of buying, dreadful conveyancing matters would not be resolved and of all things property value would surely disappear for who would decide what a house is actually worth and who would assist you, offer you advise and put the ‘chain’ back together again! I can tell you that many would say their Agent is described as being a ‘trusted, reliable and knowledgeable friend – a perfect, property, professional. And unfortunately like with anything you don’t always hear about the good stuff!

So allow me to discuss the tainted view of the rogue agent and lets look at the rise and fall of the Estate Agent and allow one to draw their own conclusions.

In order to assist you in considering which side of the fence you are going to stand, I would like to cover:

• The origin of the Agent
• How the Agent have adopted their reputation
• Do they deserve it?

The origin of the Agent

Estate Agent history describes Richard Andrews of Mayfair, London the first Agent in 1720.

Initially a solicitor and later employed to collect rents. Ironically Andrews was dismissed for an incident it is suggested ‘didn’t ever take place’ and later re-instated.  Now Agents, does that sound all too familiar?

An estate agent is a person or business that arranges the selling, renting or management of property, land and other buildings, in the UK and originally known as House Agents.

In the UK, residential Estate Agents are regulated by the Estate Agents Act 1979 and the Property Misdescriptions Act 1991, as well as, the more recently enacted Consumers, Estate Agents and Redress Act 2007.

Previously Agents didn’t need to be regulated and this is believed to be the reason the bad press began: possibly with just cause. Legislation is in place for a reason as we all know; when it was not obligatory to be members of regulators like the RICS and NAEA, it meant that true ‘con men’ were able to exist and qualified Chartered Surveyors who followed the principles of such associations good practice was ignored.

Many eager entrepreneur wannabes wanted a slice of the property cake and in order to get that they would go to the extremes.

Corporate companies wished to expand their range of products ventured into the sale of houses together with arranging finance often causing a conflict of interest. With corporate finance as their number one priority these companies were more interested in targets, turnover and tick boxes as opposed to quality of service, communication or client care and thus its not surprising that the whole house sale process became unbearable.

Then there were investors who turned Estate Agents. Business people who wanted to expand their own property portfolio first hand. Those who didn’t want to have to go through a High Street trusted Agent who was in the market to get their client the best price, they wanted to go direct to the seller. They wanted to persuade vendors their house was worth less than market value because they were desperate to get their hands on cheap property that could quickly be sold on to developers by way of back handed deals.

With buoyant property prices in the British residential property market of the late 1980s and early 1990s, gazumping became commonplace. Instigated by the back handed agents, the seller is tempted by a higher offer during this period leaving the buyer disappointed and out-of-pocket.

This brings us to today; gazumping is not un-heard of but certainly doesn’t take place as regularly, corporate financial institutions more commonly now known as High Street Estate Agents are more common and those dell boy agents have diminished during the recent recession. The publics love for Estate Agents however, has not flourished for they are now hated for other reasons, but what? because were told, they charge you too much.

Ofstead and OFT have always kept up strict guidelines for Estate Agents to follow but with increasing complaints, the government stepped up and stepped in as did the NAEA & the RICS and as a result the government have passed through parliament that all agents have to be regulated. These laws were passed so that Surveyors & Estate Agent could protect the consumer.

Entry to the Association is now by examination and members who are owners of companies have to comply with accountancy regulations, professional indemnity insurance standards as well as client money protection, failure to up-hold could result in disciplinary procedures.

In conclusion, think about today’s Agents; those who have studied hard for many years to achieve Chartered or regulated status, paid out £1000’s in fees to qualify, retain membership and who have to regularly undertake compulsory continual professional development.

Then why do the media and the majority of the general public still think their fees are too high or that they make too much money?  They argue the average fee of 1% is a ‘rip off’?

Stand back and consider; when the average house is worth £165,000 and therefore the average fee is £1650.00 is this really a rip off? Your Agent will do there best to achieve you your best price and offer you advice in order to sustain that price. In the big scheme of things, the money you pay in your fee is only probably what your Agent has saved you during negotiations.

Then consider of that £1650 the Agents profit is probably only £300. Once the cost to list on ‘Rightmove’ and other portals  has been accounted for, after you have advertised in the local press, printed colour sales particulars, paid staff, rates, rent and overheads not to mention the petrol to go to and from properties to accompany prospective purchasers is it really that unreasonable? Is it really something you would rather do yourself ? In fact, could you personally sell your property any cheaper?

You could, i’m advised list your property on-line for free on one of many property sale sites available. You could advertise it to the nation together with your contact details for viewings purposes. Then, you could invite that person (a stranger) into your home without having considered the security implications. Finally, you could then undersell it by £50,000 because your skills as a negotiator just aren’t what they were.

So next time you join in the debate slateing the UKs most hated profession just remember that the majority of the professionals you are addressing have had to take an oath on your behalf; ‘to act in your best interests’ when they haven’t even met you.

Caleb Roberts lived many happy years in Wollaston Hall and certainly made best use of both the house and the grounds, opening them up to the village to share with local residents. However, Following the tragic death of Caleb Roberts, Wollaston Hall began a spiral of bad luck, bad feeling and animosity amongst locals. Caleb Roberts, died whilst at work down at the Lays Ironworks, where he received a fatal blow to the head that ended his life on the 25^th September 1918. It took over 12 months for executers and trustees to determine his will and total his estate. The decline of Wollaston Hall commenced here; without the master of the house and head of the family the Roberts just couldn’t cope with running the household and conducting a profitable business.

The spiral of misery was coupled with death, just a short time after Caleb passed away, both his wife and 2 eldest sons passed away. These tragic circumstances left Wollaston Hall without a family to nurture it, maintain and most importantly cost effectively manage it. In order to generate much needed cash some of the estate including land fronting High Street was sold off, 22 properties were built. Later on in 1920 the end came for both The Hall and for the Roberts family, the mortgage was discharged and the freehold was passed to the executers and trustees of the will and its fate was left to be determined. Even though family members remained, they were not in a position to provide the cash to keep the Hall in occupation.

Due to the sadness that surrounded The Hall, the remaining family members decided it was time to move on and did not wish to reside in The Hall after March 1924. The only people who remained, maintained the estate and this included the house keeper and the gardener. When the Hall was finally ready to be sold, It was thought such a beautiful residence would be snapped up by wealthy local families in and around Stourbridge, but due to the bad aura surrounding The Hall and the deteriorating condition that had begun to be evident, The Hall became a struggle to sell.

The Talbot Hotel in Stourbridge was host to the auction;

It was described as a ‘beautiful 17 century mansion full of historical interest’ and pre auction adverts gave intimate descriptions of the character and features that the property displayed. However a picture dated 1924 shows otherwise it shows the building looking run down and unloved. The advert describes the grounds with fine forestry, a golf course, woodlands ornate fixtures and fittings and fantastic amenities locally on hand.

“In the grounds a most delightful old world gardens and lawns with terrace and woodlands walks, ornamented with ancient sculptured figures raised pergolas, evergreen shrubs and old yew trees. The remainder is rich well watered meadow land and valuable sand mine at the east side” Quote.

Yet perhaps this rather misleading description didn’t fool anybody and to the surprise of Stourbridge and the auctioneers The Hall failed to reach its asking price. This did not deter the Roberts family, they needed the cash and arranged to auction instead, The Hall’s contents. The auction was held at Wollaston Hall over 3 days in 1924. Large contents of The Hall’s belongings from furniture to paintings, to ornament’s to garden belongings were sold off. This was of concern to the estates auctioneers as once The Hall was partially emptied, it began to lose its charm  and the disposal was going to become even more difficult for the Roberts Family. With the recent closure of Lays Ironworks and the company going into voluntary liquidation finances were getting more difficult as days and weeks passed by.

Some of the executers decided to break up the estate and sell the land off in lots, little did they know the drastic effect this would have on The Hall. Such a charming house requires a vast estate with acres of land. Instead buyers were faced with a mansion set in grounds surrounded by ‘new builds’ overlooking The Hall’s gardens.

“We would much prefer to sell the land as a whole and not in proportions but if such a course is not possible we will approach the council in regards to the portions require by them” Quote.

Following a serious of adverts in the local press, no interest was shown. The Roberts family remained patient and it’s believed due to the sentimental attachment for The Hall by the Caleb Roberts older son it remained in their hands for further years. Finally its ownership was conveyed to Amelia Blanch Cooper Darby, the daughter of Caleb Roberts. She brought the freehold for 3 thousand pounds in 1925 and later that year tried again to advertise The Hall for sale or instead to let without a show of interest. A final blow to the family was an advert placed in the County Express in late 1925 advertising The Hall to architects, builders, demolisher contractors and others as they made the decision to dismantle The Hall and sell it in lots. They would sell the lead, the tiles, the oak window frames, old beams, oak staircase, valuable antiques doors, carved mantle pieces, glass conservatory’s and early Elizabethan general materials in a bid to recover whatever money was possible; a travesty some would say.

Such a sad consequence for such a beautiful Hall, The daughter of the heir to this Hall was happy to rip it to pieces in order to finally get rid of their lot. The Hall still stood in the autumn of 1925, and finally in 1926 was demolished over a considerable period of time with no care or effort taken in the process. It dates from 1617 and had been vacant since the death of Mrs. Roberts in March 1924, finally in March 1927 its final fate was carved out as the land in which The Hall stood upon was offered for sale as a building estate and with the provision of new amenities including water, electric, light and gas; it became of interest to many builders.

So, the question most frequently asked was where did all the beautiful Elizabethan belongings go to during the period when dismantled?

After disappearing from the Village, they were preserved all across the world and links show evidence of many of the belongings, materials and features of The Hall were shipped over to America. In the Black Country Bugle in May 1998 Elise Gal recalls seeing “numbered boxes on the site and men painted white numbers on the timbers”. It is believed, brick by brick The Hall was taken down and re erected in Salt Lake City, Nevada, USA as a Mormon church although proof of this is difficult to determine. The Halls Conservatory was re erected at Wollaston Court just a few miles down the road.

How Chairman, Dr Paul Collins (History of Wollaston) took on a legacy in 2000 determined to have one last go to find out where Wollaston Hall had ended and the most persistent location suggested was Pennsylvania and eastern Pennsylvania.

With the advancement of the internet came new findings and it is believed that bits of The Hall which had been bought during the auction in 1924, were shipped all over America. With the use of the internet the HOW society managed to attract newspapers all over the USA to place an advert asking people for information regarding any parts of The Hall that may still be in existence.  The findings where phenomenon, emails were coming in day after day acknowledging confirmation about The Hall and suggesting that parts of Wollaston Hall were in people’s homes. The strongest lead included statements from a family in Detroit. Their house in Grosse Pointe Shores, northeast of Detroit, Michigan had been made into a museum, the family were extremely rich and often frequent the UK for business back in 1926. Mr Ford decided to build a new house for his family and wanted to make it so spectacular he appointed a world famous architect and decided to blend excellent design and craftsmanship and traditional Elizabethan features with modern conveniences. The grounds were amazing and the house is now a museum. http://www.fordhouse.org/

The fireplace that stands in the house is indeed the fireplace from Wollaston Hall and this was the first solid confirmation and some fantastic news to prove that part of Wollaston Hall does exist across the shores and can still be seen today in the museum at the fords residence. It is described in there archive as “the panelling and huge gothic chimney piece came from Wollaston Hall, in Worcestershire, England”.

Is Wollaston Hall a great loss to Stourbridge? Well of course. Such a beautiful and magnificent building would have been a monumental stately home, a hotel, wedding venue or museum. However, at least the enjoyment of its interior is still taking place across the Atlantic and the epic story of its life continues to unfold.

So my research has continued, I have scoured the archives, the local library and spoke to some Stourbridge historians who were more than helpful in assisting me in establishing any clues to the resting place of such a historic local landmark.

It seems my interest is shared, in fact it seems the where’s and why’s of Wollaston Hall were investigated in great depths and many legendary facts were un-covered and the wonder of the hall was established. The ‘History Of Wollaston’ group more commonly known as the ‘HOW’ group formed in 1998 and spent a number of years researching not just the history of the hall but the wonders of Wollaston as a village. The TV world even paid a visit to the site where the hall once stood as part of an Open University TV series.

So what was discovered?

I had a lot of names, all of whom had associations with the Hall, a history of generations each who had lived there, some for many years, some for just a short time. So it was interesting to discover these names were simply residents and not owners. Most were leaseholders, each lease passed from person to the next over the 700 years (c.1230 – 1926) during the life of Wollaston Hall.

Allow me to share an overview of the timeline of the Hall.

• c.1230 – The records of existence of the Hall are established. A deed of sale to George Liddiatt, a merchant tailor from London purchases the Manor of Wollaston. At this time the size and presence of the hall within the estate is unsure but it is thought by those who had close connections to the hall that it was built in 1617. It is described as a Medieval Hall, perhaps this relates to its Gothic like exterior and meticulous craftsmanship detailing the admiration of what could be described as the ‘dark side’ of décor?

Myths and legends exist, tales have been told by those who remember the existence of the hall and recorded their memories. References made to the Old Tower and its ‘massive stone walls’ – a common feature of medieval architecture together with talk of secret exits and castle like characteristics.

For four centuries the building sat on the site before it was finally dismantled and shipped overseas.  The site today shows no resemblance of there ever being such an historic architecturally interesting building to have ever existed.  Now instead sits 20^th century residential property, in a neighborhood that is probably home to people who have no clue or regard for the heritage of their home and who may not even realise that their great, great grandfather was actually a resident of a once fine abode.

• In 1592 the Manor of Wollaston, together with the hall plus 20 acres of land and 30 acres of meadow were purchased for £341 by George Liddiatt. The equivalent of what we would pay for a one night stay in the hall, should it still exist today.

 Throughout Liddiat’s ownership records of conveyence show other inhabitants took occupation including John Lyddyatt, John Liddiat and Thomas Banneste.

 The style and architecture of the Medieval Hall as it was described changed in 1617 when the Hall was re-built during the Jacobean era,         

which perhaps encouraged a more Tudor style to its architecture. The re-building of the hall is assumed to have been as a result of the Civil War but fact probably contradicts this as the Civil War did not take place until 1642. The re-building was carried out at a time when the hall was just 26 years old, a strange occurrence, perhaps the medieval ‘eerie’ style was less loved by its latter occupants.

1672, the Liddiatt family conveyed the Hall to Thomas Foley a very famous name not only in Stourbridge but across the region. A prominent Midlands ironmaster who made great profits from his business, a wise businessman that chose to invest in property, and more commonly known as entrepreneur who found the Blue Coat school in Stourbridge, known now as Old Swinford Hospital School. The school still stands today and is considered, one of the areas most ‘outstanding’ schools. 

Thomas Foley invested more money in property and purchased Witley Hall, now a famous landmark in Worcestershire. He leased out Wollaston Hall initially to his attorney Samuel Hunt who paid £5,000 for the lease in 1672 a significant sum considered even now. A payment schedule was created and made in stages by Hunt over what is believed to be the subsequent 4 years.

In 1678 Thomas Foley leased the estate to his brother Philip for £332 per year although doubtful any Foley family member ever lived here as Thomas resided at Witley and Philip at Prestwood. Instead a sub let was likely to have been granted and it is assumed this is the case. 

The Freehold of the Hall stayed with the Foleys for years to come with just the Leasehold frequently changing  hands to inhabitants including:

John Wheeler and then his son

Edward Kendall

Francis Homfray

John Homfary son of Francis followed by his son who later changed his surname to Addenbrooke.

The Foleys sold the leasehold in 1809 in 14 lots by auction at the Talbot in Stourbridge, whilst Addenbrooke was still in occupation.

It was identified by the will of Thomas Hill of Dennis Hall that he had purchased the hall.

Finally in 1826 Lord Dudley purchased the Hall from Lord Foley although the Addenbrookes continued to live there under an annual tenancy agreement. Following the death of Lord Dudley the Hall was sold again by auction from the talbot in stourbridge in January of 1848 this time as 22 lots. The hall as a lot included 21 acres.

Purchased by William Blow Collis he lived in the hall for 10 years between 1848 and 1858 and it was Collis who made changes to the appearance of the Hall including structural alterations to create an asymmetrical appearance together with maintenance additions to the gables. It was also Collis who concealed the original timbers at rear with roughcast, considered a tragedy at the time. An extension was added to provide an additional wing together with a complete overhaul of the interior and rather ruthlessly it is understood. The beautiful original interiors were ripped out to make way for more modern finishes.

Collis remained at the hall until his death in 1858 his wife remained there for just over 12 months. A sale was then agreed to Henry Onions Firmstone one of 14, from an ironmasters family from Bilston. Ownership remained with the Firmstones for 40 years, and what is considered to be a timeline of tragedy. The Firmstone family suffered many un happy years in the Hall due to deaths with in the family including death of Mrs Onions, a cousin, a second wife and more tragically the suicide of a son.  The gunshot marks on the ceiling reminded all who visited of the sad tale of the afterlife in the hall.

Wollaston hall also marked the final resting place of Mr Onions himself in 1899. His son continued to live at the Hall until a third auction took place at the talbot, Stourbridge, 40 years to the day after Onions had completed his purchase and at this time a Caleb William Roberts completed the purchase, another local ironmaster.

 It is the Robert’s era that most interests me as the best description of the appearance, fabric and architecture of the Hall appeared.

It is Caleb that intrigued me as much as the house itself. Caleb William Roberts transformed the hall into a home. Wollaston Hall soon became part of the village and village life revolved around the Hall as fetes, fairs and meetings were held in the grounds and inside the hall itself and hosted by Caleb and his wife Mary. At last after years of sadness, finally the hall and its fascinating features began to evolve as people admired and passed comment, they wrote about it and memories were created.

 “Wollaston Hall a much modernised early 17^th century house of half-timber, L Shaped on plan, and two stories in height, facing north west. The main limb of the L is two rooms in depth, and in the centre of the principal front is a recessed entrance porch, which probably opened in the first instance directly into the large room, which occupies the southern end of this side of the building, out of which the resent entrance corridor appears to have been taken. On the north side of the entrance are two large rooms en-suite making up the rest of the frontage, while to the rear of them of two narrower rooms of equal length.  The stairs, which are of original date, are on the south side of the entranced corridor, at  the back of the original entranced hall. 

The projecting wing on east side of the house, containing the kitchen and offices is of brick, and appears to be of a later edition of the building.  With the exception of the stairs and sum linen pattern panelling in one of the rooms at the back, little original detail remains on the ground floor.  In some of the first floor rooms the original roof timbers are exposed,  and the construction displays great ingenuity.  Generally the interior as been ruthlessly restored and modernised.  The front elevation is crowned by a range of five gables, filled with ornamental half timbering disposed in quatrefoil panels with flat baluster shaped uprights above them.  The barge boards and finials appear to be modern but the carved brackets at the intersection of the gables are probably original. The windows in nearly every case have been renewed and enlarged.  The original chimney shafts have been for the most part survived.  The roof is tiled.  The garden slopes down in a succession of terraces to the valley of the Stour.” – Victoria County History of Worcestershire, published in 1913

The time in which Caleb resided at the hall appeared to be quite idyllic however, tragedy once again struck and the happy Roberts family and life at Wollaston Hall from here on was never quite the same again.

It was the tragedy of this family that ultimately led to the fall of Wollaston Hall, and its final dismantle.

To discover the final chapter to a sad story and the elaborations of how the Hall came to be dismantled come back soon as I prepare my next and final Blog dedicated to Wollaston Hall.

So far we know the house dates back to the 18th Century, we know Wollaston Hall was one of the most beautiful buildings in Stourbridge, built in 1607 and home to many of Stourbridge’s most famous families over subsequent centuries. Finally we know the house was demolished and shipped to North America.

I am yet to reveal the identity of the hall’s final vendors but whilst on a mission to succeed in establishing exactly that, many other interesting facts have been un-earthed in respect of each inhabitant and their time at home in the hall.

Allow me to introduce you to Wollaston Hall, L shaped on plan and set over two floors, the imposing front elevation welcomed visitors with its five gables filled with ornamental timber and carved brackets at the intersection of each gable.  The apex of the south gable are inscribed with the initials R M. A clue to its creator I immediately imagine, a genius of an architectural nature. As I picture a silhouette of such an affluent creator during this era I see them open. The oversized entrance door covered with a flat roof open canopy, welcoming me into a glorious drawing hall complete with a truly tremendous hand carved staircase.

Whilst I search for the founder with the initials R.M I soon discover many of Wollaston Halls other inhabitants including John Francis, grand son of a Welsh ironmaster (1731 – 1760).

Greg Hickman bought Wollaston Hall in 1731 and during the 19th century the house was owned by the Millwards. Thomas Millward added a new bay to the West side of the hall in about 1760.

The Millwards sadly sold their family home in 1848 to brewer, Stephen Hipkins who too carried out alterations and added a second storey in 1850. A forced sale later took place in 1861 to Elizabeth King a mine owner, who kept possession of the home for much of the remainder of the century.

Records also show Henry Onions Firmstone had lived at the Hall as had William Blow Collis mid 19th centruy.

Years past by, buildings disappeared from Stourbridge and so too did Wollaston Hall. In April 1924 the entire contents of the hall were auctioned then the hall itself once cleared was carefully dismantled. This is where the trail ends, this is where my trail begins.

With the help of HOW – History of Wollaston group who have also studied the same legend and who have posted messages throughout America in search of its new owners. But what have they established? I can’t wait for the history to evolve, can you?

It seems following the Civil War mid 17^th century life in the area began to settle down and prosperity was looking promising as trade in Stourbridge rapidly recovered.  New families set up home in the area and by the late 1600’s the High Street was bustling with its new occupants and many prosperous families including the Foleys who soon after purchased the complete manor of Oldswinford.

During this era did you know the Talbot Hotel was called Brick House? And that it was Thomas Foley who went on to found Oldswinford Hospital School that still sits proudly along the modern Hagley Road.

By the end of the 17^th century other major landowners in Stourbridge included the Wheelers. Another influential family who had actually owned property in Stourbridge as early as the 16^th century and who were later succeeded by the Unwin family in the 18^th century when eldest son John moved to Staffordshire.

It was the Wheeler family that interested me as they were one of the inhabitants of Wollaston Hall during the late 17^th century through to the early 18^th century. It was also the Wheelers that invested in purchasing Audnam Glassworks.

Wollaston Hall was one of the most beautiful properties in Stourbridge full of character and charm and built by some of the most skilled craftsmen  of its time.

Whilst my research continues at 150-154 Hagley Road whilst I try to uncover a hidden history behind what is now Kashoff beds I invite you to hear about the marvels of a hall that was owned and enjoyed by the upper class and hear how they adorned their home and garden during this fascinating time.

You can see, the hall built in 1607 is half timber, one of the most sound mrethods of property construction. A similar method used often today by the most affluent Freeholders. The building was very picturesque and true Tudor in style, tall chimney stacks sat upon pitched tiled roofs and a row of dormers emerged around the full exterior of the building. On the ground floor level a statement bay window with a pitched roof emerged from the side elevation enjoying the view beyond.

The building itself benefitted from extensive accommodation inc nine bedrooms, three dressing rooms, three attic rooms, a delightful entrance hall with an oak staircase and from the hall an oak panelled dining room.

The house had an almost gothic feel to both its interior and exterior and this makes me inquisitive about the Wheeler family and curious as to the mystery behind why the hall was demolished and what happened to its heritage later on. It is believed that the house was disassembled and shipped abroad to an unknown location in North America.

This makes me more curious to discover more about the halls past and present. Allow me to leave you to build up a character of the Wheeler family whilst I investigated the facts further.

My research and reading guides me towards beginning with Kashof beds after all, I love a challenge!

I start my research in Dudley library. I am so surprised to discover that such a historical part of what once was the main road running through Suineforde as it was known in the Saxon era of 950 A.D is not recorded as a building of special architectural or historical interest? So now I am really determined, to discover who lived in a house like this? What fascinating stories surround it? and what myths exist that create the jigsaw puzzle of its somewhat invisible life?

I am very excited in my quest as I know Stourbridge has some wonderful history and legends.  A certain Stephen Lyttleton, the last refuge of the conspirators of the Gun Powder plot who retreated back to his home at Holbeache House in 1605 is perhaps one of the towns most monumental inhabitants. On the run with his co-conspirator Robert Winter eventually they were captured in Hagley and removed to the tower of London.

Without a doubt Holbeache House will be on my list; to do! The story of Kashof beds however, now has priority. Perhaps my visit to the shop at 150 – 154 Hagley Road later today will allow me to start to un-ravel this mystery.

I told of how I discovered my love for all things bricks & mortar, sand & stone or in fact ice & water!

I told of why everyone always expresses some form of interest when I talk property; Past, present or future. Every person I know has something ‘property’ in common.

My blog allows me to explore everything that has ever been interesting about buildings, the succession of my blog will allow people to follow me through the world of the UK’s most historically, pathologically and socially interesting gems.

So, how do I choose a property of special architectural or historic interest?

Every town has one. Buildings are the core of every town they allow a story to be told about the timeline of a place, a pattern in the development of an area and the succession of the aspirations, technology and social advancements of its people.

I take a town, discover its myths and legends. Research its growth and development and before I know it I stumble upon a piece of its history, this then becomes the one!

That’s why property is so very interesting to each and every individual regardless of where you live, what you live in or how you came to live there!

We all find the place we live of interest, we may hate it… we may love it… we may dream of it… this place is afterall our home. We cannot deny we all at some point talk about it.

I personally love property, everything about it. Its style, its location, its pathology, its heritage and its future. 

I once decided that I didn’t wish to work in the property sector any longer because I became too emotionally involved in my work. I soon after, realised that I was walking away from my one true love so I leapt back into the property sector with more enthusiasm than ever.

Now, its with a totally different edge. I create perfect homes for people, I write about them, I design them, I survey them, I talk about them and I learn each and every day something new about them.

This is what I wish to share with the world. I entitle it;

‘Who lives in a house like this’?….

Afterall, haven’t we all asked ourselves that question at least once in our lives? Perhaps as we walked down the road and peeked into the living room window of a stranger or as we look in the distance in awe as we drive down the motorway and see a mansion set back in acres of grounds some way, away?

So let me begin. Follow me as I discover 150 – 154 Hagley Road, Oldswinford, Stourbridge, West Midlands. ‘Who originally lived in a house like this’? I can’t wait to find out, can you?