By Lorien Jones
A
s I explore the many historic buildings around England, I’m beginning to realise that I have a favourite type. And that’s not to specify or single out castles or pubs or churches. All of these could fall under my favourite explores, as does this property that you are about to discover. For this, we venture into the bustling West Midlands city of Wolverhampton. The rich industrial history of the area, particularly in coal mining and steel production, provides the longused title of The Black Country. Still well known as an engineering city, the historical diversity can be seen in many ways, architecturally especially. Existing buildings, including St Peter’s Collegiate Church, date as far back as the 13th Century and we will explore one such building now. Driving south of the city centre into the suburbs, you are surrounded by a mix of eras. Victorian houses lead on to 1930s styles which neighbour up to much more modern builds. Driving down Carlton Road, you begin to wonder if you’re in the right place. It’s a normal residential street, tree lined and not overly populated, but no sign of an ancient hall or even where one might exist. Against HAUNTED MAGAZINE
the darkening sky, you see yourself coming to a dead end of trees and pause to plan the next move. Upon closer inspection, you realise that the dead end is in fact the entrance to two further properties, both gated driveways. The left bears no signs of a hall, and as you look to the right, your heart skips a beat as you read, crafted into the old iron gates, ‘Graiseley Old Hall’. Setting foot on the driveway, tall trees behave in the way I love and seem to close you in and close the world out. And with that, this instantly becomes one of my favourite types of properties. You’ve stepped over some unseen threshold, and you feel it. The modern world is back there on Carlton Road with its building works and schedules, and suddenly you’re somewhere else, you’ve been welcomed into some other ether. Time loses meaning here, and you are free to embrace this taste of the past at your leisure. Passing through the gardens, you look up to see Graiseley Old Hall in all her glory. Thought to have been built around 1485 by Nicholas Rydley, there is a belief that an older property once existed here but let that matter not for what you can see is history enough!
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