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Snow Hill, WOLVERHAMPTON, WV2 4AD

The view towards the Wulfrun Centre in Wolverhampton.

Off to the right, the old Netto (ex Rackham's) building has been demolished, as has the multistorey furniture store, and the subsequent car park has also been dug up in preparation for the retail market opening, probably during the summer of 2018. The disused pub shown here on the corner of Snow Hill and Temple Street surely, after several years empty, now has the chance of being opened as a going business with much increased footfall from the forthcoming market. This used to be The Pied Bull Inn on the corner of Temple Street, originally called the Coach and Horses, which for a long time was a coaching inn. It was originally a fine three storey town house from the second half of the 18th century, but for many years was without its top floor. There has been a lot of work done, with a completely new top floor and roof, but refurbishment seems to have stopped.

At long last it appears that the council really do want to get this new venue up and running by July 2018. (The discovery of old human remains will cause a delay though). Snow Hill leads towards Dudley and Birmingham on the left, with Wilkinson and Poundstretcher stores in the red-brick building. The icing on the cake when the market moves here would be a reinstatement of the "one hour free" car parking which used to apply long ago adjacent to the existing market square. Some hopes! There are two car parks nearby.

Looking south from the roof top car park on the Wulfrun Centre. The building site is on the land which was occupied by the Netto (formerly Rackham's) store, and a furniture retailer. The new market is planned to provide 48 open air stalls and 24 cabins, and cost around £5 million. Snow Hill leads out of the city, towards Dudley and Birmingham.

A new Apartment block for Tempest Street.

This used to be The Pied Bull Inn on the corner of Temple Street, originally called the Coach and Horses, which for a long time was a coaching inn. It was originally a fine three storey town house from the second half of the 18th century, but for many years was without its top floor. There has been a lot of work done, with a completely new top floor and roof, but has that work been halted? Some of those old lower window sills still look decidedly unsafe! Further up Snow Hill to the left, starting with the green shop frontage is a Georgian row of renovated shops, now Grade II listed. These were in appalling condition and were lucky to escape demolition in the mid-1990s. The Snow Hill Fish Restaurant still looks in need of a lot of attention. See the same corner in this 2007 image; no top floor! : Image] Update: The property is still empty in April 2018, but with the new retail market opening nearby during the summer, surely the prospects for a viable business (catering?) here have much improved.

The view near the Wulfrun Centre in Wolverhampton City.

In need of a lot of care and attention! Only the original windows have been "stabilised",(and spoiled) probably for safety reasons. This originated as a fine Georgian town house in the second half of the eighteenth century, and had its ground floor adapted for retail business later. Most of Snow Hill has been restored and is occupied. This was not the case in 1996! Two properties are left to do; this one and the former public house off to its right, which has already undertaken major rebuilding work. I look forward to photographing this property in a couple of years time, showing it housing a thriving business, and completing the regeneration of Snow Hill.

This was a fine Georgian townhouse when it was built in the second half of the 18th century. Eventually the ground floor was converted to retail use, and the whole street was close to demolition status in the 1990s. However, to the left of this one, a whole row was saved and restored and now has Grade II listed status. This and its public house neighbour to the right were not included. Although the windows appear to have been "stabilised", there is a lot to do here to complete the good work already done in Snow Hill. I look forward to taking an attractive photograph here in a couple (!) of years time.

Three stages in city regeneration are illustrated here. 37, 38 and 39 Snow Hill. Fred Williams Cycles is an excellent establishment! It is in the end property of a restored (1996-2000) Georgian row, now Grade II listed. The fish bar and its neighbour are in dire need of attention. The work on the upper windows may have been purely for safety, the originals being so bad. On the corner with Temple Street the former Pied Bull (previously Coach and Horses) public house even had its roof and top floor taken off for years before restoration and rebuilding started, but this seems to have slowed down, or stopped with the job incomplete. All three of these properties started off as fine town houses (middle to late 18th century) before having their ground floors changed for retail use, and the inn being established. I am optimistic. I'll be back in two years to photograph a smart and thriving scene with people. :-)