Moxley Foundry

WOLVERHAMPTON

SO99NW FREDERICK STREET 895-1/5/222 (North side) Moxley Foundry

II

Car factory for Star Motors, now foundry. c1905. Brick with ashlar dressings, plastered front; slate roof. U-plan: 3 ranges round courtyard to rear, with C20 infill. 2 storeys; 17-window range with central gable and 3 windows at each end in gable ends of return wings. Flat pilasters, cornice and coped gables with finials, that to centre with pedimented panel. Segmental-headed windows have C20 casements; central 1st floor window to each gable end is round-headed with keystone; tripartite central 1st floor window with cornice to central light. Large inserted entrance with sliding doors replaces central ground floor window and 2 to left; round-headed entrance to right with C20 glazed door has frieze and pediment over. Left return 25-window range, windows articulated in pairs by pilaster strips plus one to right end; segmental-headed windows have small-paned iron frames. Right return similar but 15-window range, higher to right end, with alternate windows and pilaster strips. Yard filled with single storey shed. Important as the 1st purpose-built car factory in Wolverhampton, a centre of the early motor industry, but following the standard courtyard design of C19 factory buildings. The company became the 6th largest producer of cars in the country; but was taken over by Guy Motors in 1928 and cars were then no longer produced here. (Collins P: Notes on buildings of interest in Wolverhampton: 1990-).

Listing NGR: SO9139997936