“Grand” Grade II* listed Midlands manor for sale for just £350,000; it comes with a 49-seat cinema and several unexpected catches
Where there’s muck, there’s money and a late 18th century Midlands manor house currently for sale for just £350,000 ($451,000, €402,000 or درهم1.65 million) provides an example of the tale of the progress and decline of industrial wealth in once Great Britain.
Built in 1757 for a family of Black Country industrialists, Wordsley Manor in Wordsley, near Stourbridge has been owned by the Firmstone family and their relatives since around 1850. A red brick built, four floor “small mansion” that extends to 7,464 square foot in total, the building has been Grade II* listed since 1976 and was expanded in the 19th century with the addition of two service wings.
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Comprising of 3 reception rooms, 7 cellar rooms, 4 bedrooms and just 1 bathroom, dilapidated Wordsley Manor is – giving explanation for its extremely low asking price – in need of complete renovation. It comes, however, with an unexpected bonus: Where bedrooms previously existed on its second floor, there is currently an art studio and a quirky 49-seat cinema with a Christie organ, box office and projection and switch rooms.
Architect Christopher Firmstone and wife Joan have been occupants of Wordsley since inheriting it in 1991. They have attempted to maintain the house but in 2011, Mr Firmstone told the Birmingham Mail:
“I took it on and sorted it out as best I could. Most people would have run a mile, but I had a real sense of attachment to it [he spent his childhood there also]”.
“I spent a bit more than I could afford on it, but I was unable to do everything that needed doing”.
In 2013, the couple followed in the footsteps of relatives who had sold off much of the surrounding land for housing in the mid 20th century and agreed a deal with a firm of developers named David Alexander Homes. In exchange for yet another parcel of the former estate’s grounds – that was subsequently marketed rather cheesily as a residential complex named “To the Manor Bourne” – a £400,000 ($512,000, €460,000 or درهم1.88 million) payment is to be made towards the restoration of Wordsley Manor.
In their sales brochure, agents The Lee, Shaw Partnership state: “Best and final offers must be made for Wordsley Manor by 5.30pm on Tuesday 27th June”. They add: “Only cash purchasers” need apply.
Readers have their say
14 comments
The lack of privacy will make it hard to sell once renovated. It is surrounded by semi-detached housing and though the fund from the developer will help, a lot more money will be required. I do love the character and it is very much a reminder of the era of Upstairs, Downstairs.
The owners had the right idea when they sold off the gardens!!!!!!!!!!!!! Should have taken a wrecking ball to it prior to 1976 and saved themselves the hassle of upkeep!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Imagine the cost of fixing the roof!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 49 people in that cinema!!!!!!!!!!! Seriously?????????? Jokers, jokers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Just had a count and that looks about right. As for the wrecking ball you obviously have no care about the history, the place looks amazing, I hope it goes to someone that can afford to get it back to how it was with the east and west wing up and running, if I had the money to do that and treat it I so would!
A wonderful place… An cinema its really big one….its needed to look to those time…. What’s just needed …really big money to invest …to recover… I had an especial invitation… I adore that place…
The cinema is such fun.
I love the kitchen, the inside of the house the fairly reeks of “to the manor born”….love all the quirky details…..It is a keeper !!
Oh how I would love to dine in the Dining room and live in this majestic place I would be in my glory days if only
I would love to eat in this beautiful dining hall and to be able to live in this majestic place if only
Would love the opportunity to live here. I would be very willing to fix it up. My kind of fixer-upper. And how can you beat the price! I would give anything to even afford the $350,000 to buy this jewel.
I hope I win the Powerball and can move to England and buy this absolutely beautiful property and fix up what needs fixing. I love this home and would love to look up the history and who stayed there or visited and look for some old artifacts hidden within the home My dream all my life was to live in England and own a castle and live the way they used to by having a private garden so I have fresh flowers throughout and a farm for fresh meat and milk as well as a veg and fruit garden and be able too hire people to live there and take care of these things his is and will always be my dream except I would not make the help eat in a different area, we would all eat and live together
Oh my stars Did you see the beautiful artwork? Oh how I hope and pray I win the powerball and bring this house back to life and hold gala events which would be donated to charities to help others I truly love this place
This old house brings back memories, I used to visit Ceciley Firmstone who was partly blind, and lived upstairs in a rather primative floorboard bedroom. Her brother (Christopher’s father) could play most musical instruments, thus the theatre upstairs, the christie organ (another was at The Majestic cinema Cradley Heath) was depleted of most of its’ reeds and instruments years ago, Eldon died many years ago, but his sister comtinued to live in the delapedated manor until her death, she was a type of Miss Haversham lady, rather eccentric, but interesting to talk to. The family also had Wollaston Manor which was a tudor building, this was removed and went to the states. A beautiful old house, but now in the wrong area, it will be a difficult task for new owners’ could there be profit in it? doubtful, another gem lost sad day
Unfortunately the owner selling off the land to do up the manor. Which he hasn’t..!!! Has ruined it for anyone wishing to buy it..surrounded by a housing estate.. who would want to live on a postage stamp ?
£2M should take care of it. Important the heritage of the area is maintained. If I had the money I know exactly who I would engage to restore the place and would look to make it a local amenity – with Summer Fete and simple things to engage people and create some memories.
Leave the bats & worms in peace. Build houses on brown field and improve those areas first.
I hope they find a caring buyer with the resources to see it through to completion, properly.