Imex Business Park Torrington International Including Sports And Social Club

WOLVERHAMPTON

SO99NW UPPER VILLIERS STREET 895-1/5/41 (West side) Torrington International including Sports and Social Club

GV II

Includes: Nos.1-30 Imex Business Park MOORFIELDS ROAD Blakenhall. Car factory. c1906. For Sunbeam Motor Car Co. Brick with ashlar dressings; slate roofs and brick stack. 2 storeys; 7-window centre flanked by 9-window range to left and 7-window range to right, with further single-storey, 8-window range to right. Centre has cornices to both floors, and coped parapet with end Dutch gables; flanking ranges have windows recessed between piers, except end windows. Central segmental-arched throughway has keystone and iron gates; flanking round-headed recesses have rusticated voussoirs, that to left with C20 entrance and flanking windows, that to right with flanking segmental-headed recessed brick panels; 1st floor has single-chamfered-mullioned and transomed windows, that to centre with large round-headed light, flanking 2:3:2-light windows. Flanking ranges have paired windows to ground floor with cornices over one-over-4-pane horned sashes; 1st floor has segmental-headed windows with moulded arches and keystones over casements, narrow end windows; end segmental-arched throughways with imposts and keystones, that to left with C20 infill for Sports and Social Club. Single-storey range has segmental-headed windows with imposts and keystones over tripartite sashes with small-paned overlights. Right return to Sunbeam Street has 9 coped and panelled gables; 3 windows in segmental-headed recesses to each gable, most with small-paned iron glazing; similar elevation to Moorfield Road to left of corner garage; 16 asymmetrical gables and C20 entrances and windows. INTERIOR of sheds has lattice girders on iron columns, with similar roof trusses. One of the earliest purpose-built car factories in England, also representing an important local industry. It is also one of the first to use an open-plan design instead of the C19 courtyard plan. Cars were made here until 1935, and commercial vehicles until 1960s. (Collins P: Notes on buildings of interest in Wolverhampton: 1990-).

Listing NGR: SO9121997124