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Lower Villiers Street, WOLVERHAMPTON, WV2 4NA

The view into Lower Villiers Street, Wolverhampton. The tall building is the former Niphon Works build in 1865 to make tinware and japanned goods, the church spire is St Luke's Church.

Despite appearances to the contrary, I believe Niphon Works was always occupied by a collection of small businesses rather than one single firm. In the 1990s, at least part of the building was occupied by a manufacturer of denim clothing, and I have a vague recollection of a modelling agency being based in the later extension, though now the only business based there seems to be one supplying garden fencing. In general, the building looks very neglected now: apart from many of the windows being broken, there is vegetation growing from the walls in places. It really rather stands out here, being in the middle of a residential enclave that is surrounded by factories on three sides, and dwarfing the houses hereabouts. I had not fully appreciated how massive the building is until I realised how far back I had to go into Milford Road to fit the whole thing in a picture.

In 2007 I wrote: In Lower Villiers Street this Victorian factory building built for Robert Stroud and Company c1865 appears to be derelict and unoccupied, though some activity may be ongoing at the back of the site. Unless an agreement is signed very soon to preserve the frontage in a conversion to apartments, further deterioration seems inevitable. In 2017 Express and Star reported on plans for the derelict building: https://www.expressandstar.com/news/2017/07/08/historic-niphon-works-to-become-apartments/ This 1897 extract is directly lifted from a local history website now off-line: "Messrs. Stroud and Co.'s machinery, plant and appliances are excellent in every respect, and no doubt the all round superiority of the facilities that they possess accounts in no small degree for the eminence they have attained in their lines of trade. Tin-plate and japanned ware, japanned stationery goods, and all classes of stamped goods, trunks baths, deed and cash boxes, wash stands, toilet sets, coal vases, dish covers, trays and waiters, fire screens, and every description of wares for art decoration are produced in great quantities at these works, the demand for them being an extraordinary one. The sound workmanship and finish and general excellence of all the articles enumerated are admitted, and the goods of this firm are thus able to withstand any competition."

In Lower Villiers Street this Victorian factory building built for Robert Stroud and Company c1865 appears to be derelict and unoccupied, though some activity may be ongoing at the back of the site. Unless an agreement is signed very soon to preserve the frontage in a conversion to apartments, further deterioration seems inevitable. http://www.localhistory.scit.wlv.ac.uk/listed/localist/Niphon%20Works.htm http://www.localhistory.scit.wlv.ac.uk/Museum/metalware/general/stroud.htm This 1897 extract is directly lifted from the local history website already given: "Messrs. Stroud and Co.'s machinery, plant and appliances are excellent in every respect, and no doubt the all round superiority of the facilities that they possess accounts in no small degree for the eminence they have attained in their lines of trade. Tin-plate and japanned ware, japanned stationery goods, and all classes of stamped goods, trunks baths, deed and cash boxes, wash stands, toilet sets, coal vases, dish covers, trays and waiters, fire screens, and every description of wares for art decoration are produced in great quantities at these works, the demand for them being an extraordinary one. The sound workmanship and finish and general excellence of all the articles enumerated are admitted, and the goods of this firm are thus able to withstand any competition."

In Lower Villiers Street this Victorian factory building built for Robert Stroud and Company c1865 appears to be derelict and unoccupied, though some activity may be ongoing at the back of the site. Unless an agreement is signed very soon to preserve the frontage in a conversion to apartments, further deterioration seems inevitable. http://www.localhistory.scit.wlv.ac.uk/listed/localist/Niphon%20Works.htm http://www.localhistory.scit.wlv.ac.uk/Museum/metalware/general/stroud.htm This 1897 extract is directly lifted from the local history website already given: "Messrs. Stroud and Co.'s machinery, plant and appliances are excellent in every respect, and no doubt the all round superiority of the facilities that they possess accounts in no small degree for the eminence they have attained in their lines of trade. Tin-plate and japanned ware, japanned stationery goods, and all classes of stamped goods, trunks baths, deed and cash boxes, wash stands, toilet sets, coal vases, dish covers, trays and waiters, fire screens, and every description of wares for art decoration are produced in great quantities at these works, the demand for them being an extraordinary one. The sound workmanship and finish and general excellence of all the articles enumerated are admitted, and the goods of this firm are thus able to withstand any competition."

In Lower Villiers Street this Victorian factory building built for Robert Stroud and Company c1865 appears to be derelict and unoccupied, though some activity may be ongoing at the back of the site. Unless an agreement is signed very soon to preserve the frontage in a conversion to apartments, further deterioration seems inevitable. http://www.localhistory.scit.wlv.ac.uk/listed/localist/Niphon%20Works.htm http://www.localhistory.scit.wlv.ac.uk/Museum/metalware/general/stroud.htm 2019 image: Image] This 1897 extract is directly lifted from the local history website already given: "Messrs. Stroud and Co.'s machinery, plant and appliances are excellent in every respect, and no doubt the all round superiority of the facilities that they possess accounts in no small degree for the eminence they have attained in their lines of trade. Tin-plate and japanned ware, japanned stationery goods, and all classes of stamped goods, trunks baths, deed and cash boxes, wash stands, toilet sets, coal vases, dish covers, trays and waiters, fire screens, and every description of wares for art decoration are produced in great quantities at these works, the demand for them being an extraordinary one. The sound workmanship and finish and general excellence of all the articles enumerated are admitted, and the goods of this firm are thus able to withstand any competition."

In Lower Villiers Street this Victorian factory building built for Robert Stroud and Company c1865 appears to be derelict and unoccupied, though some activity may be ongoing at the back of the site. Unless an agreement is signed very soon to preserve the frontage in a conversion to apartments, further deterioration seems inevitable. http://www.localhistory.scit.wlv.ac.uk/listed/localist/Niphon%20Works.htm http://www.localhistory.scit.wlv.ac.uk/Museum/metalware/general/stroud.htm This 1897 extract is directly lifted from the local history website already given: "Messrs. Stroud and Co.'s machinery, plant and appliances are excellent in every respect, and no doubt the all round superiority of the facilities that they possess accounts in no small degree for the eminence they have attained in their lines of trade. Tin-plate and japanned ware, japanned stationery goods, and all classes of stamped goods, trunks baths, deed and cash boxes, wash stands, toilet sets, coal vases, dish covers, trays and waiters, fire screens, and every description of wares for art decoration are produced in great quantities at these works, the demand for them being an extraordinary one. The sound workmanship and finish and general excellence of all the articles enumerated are admitted, and the goods of this firm are thus able to withstand any competition."

November 2010. Compare with http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/627596 December 2007. In Lower Villiers Street this Victorian factory building built for Robert Stroud and Company c1865 appears to be derelict and unoccupied. Unless an agreement is signed very soon to preserve the frontage in a conversion to apartments, further deterioration seems inevitable. http://www.localhistory.scit.wlv.ac.uk/listed/localist/Niphon%20Works.htm http://www.localhistory.scit.wlv.ac.uk/Museum/metalware/general/stroud.htm This 1897 extract is directly lifted from the local history website already given: "Messrs. Stroud and Co.'s machinery, plant and appliances are excellent in every respect, and no doubt the all round superiority of the facilities that they possess accounts in no small degree for the eminence they have attained in their lines of trade. Tin-plate and japanned ware, japanned stationery goods, and all classes of stamped goods, trunks baths, deed and cash boxes, wash stands, toilet sets, coal vases, dish covers, trays and waiters, fire screens, and every description of wares for art decoration are produced in great quantities at these works, the demand for them being an extraordinary one. The sound workmanship and finish and general excellence of all the articles enumerated are admitted, and the goods of this firm are thus able to withstand any competition."

Niphon Works in 2007 Image] https://www.expressandstar.com/news/2017/07/08/historic-niphon-works-to-become-apartments/ http://www.historywebsite.co.uk/listed/localist/Niphon%20Works.htm

Niphon Works in 2007: Image] https://www.expressandstar.com/news/2017/07/08/historic-niphon-works-to-become-apartments/ http://www.historywebsite.co.uk/listed/localist/Niphon%20Works.htm