Two of Wolverhampton’s best-known historic homes are getting a fresh look through the lens of local photographer Ian Hughes, who has created a new exhibition celebrating Wightwick Manor and Bantock House.
The show will run at the city’s central library from 3 to 29 August, featuring Hughes’ photographs and poems. He said he wants to highlight and contrast the two manor houses, describing them as places of calm and beauty, with a culture that feels increasingly distant.
Bantock House, set within 43 acres of parkland and formal gardens, now operates as a council-run museum. The property was once known as New Merridale Farm, then Merridale House, and it was later renamed for Baldwin Bantock, who left it to the people of Wolverhampton in 1938. Hughes said the interior has been restored to its Edwardian glory, and it is a space he enjoys spending time in.
Wightwick Manor, built by the Mander family, is known for its William Morris interiors and artwork. Hughes noted that the house entered the care of the National Trust when it was barely 50 years old, which he described as unusual for the time. He also recalled visiting in the 1980s and chatting with a friendly volunteer who offered tea and led him upstairs to a kitchen that was off-limits to visitors at the time. He later realized the woman was Lady Mander.
For mason contractors, stories like this are a reminder that heritage properties stay open and welcoming when careful restoration and ongoing building maintenance stay in step. Work plans that respect historic finishes, protect visitor routes, and document existing conditions help keep preservation projects on track.
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