Malvern House

the future

t has almost 600 years of history and the beautiful Malvern House in Solihull also has a bright future ahead of it – providing businesses a wonderful base whilst also creating jobs.

The Grade-II listed building on New Road in Solihull town centre is a former education setting but has now been transformed into a business hub, attracting professionals from across the region.

The amazing décor, true to its roots, provides a working environment rarely seen elsewhere and the central location makes it an extremely appealing proposition. Owned by well-respected local businessman Stephen Goldstein, Malvern House Professionals is becoming to the go-to spot for start-ups, tech businesses and companies wanting to find a new local base as the country continues its recovery from the Covid pandemic.

The businesses that call Malvern House home have created a number of jobs for the local area and lots are still searching for new talent. Paralegals, trainee surveyors, chartered surveyors, accountants, bookkeepers, and recruiters looking for an exciting new challenge should get in touch.

Mr Goldstein is the grandson of an economic immigrant to Birmingham, who arrived in the city around 1896. He is immensely grateful for the opportunities the UK and particularly the city of Birmingham have afforded his grandfather, father and he and his family. Now Mr Goldstein, who has lived near Solihull town centre for many years, wants to give back to the next generation of business leaders. The building has already seen a raft of new companies move in but there is still room for more businesses of all sizes to jump on board.

After long periods of working from home, Mr Goldstein says he has seen a great appetite from businesses for good, affordable local offices for their staff. As well as office space, Mr Goldstein has created space for hot desking, meeting rooms for hire and has also taken on his first apprentice.

If you would like a chat about how you or your business could utilise Malvern House, or to enquire about jobs, please contact the team on 0121 713 2288.

The current list of businesses residing in Malvern House include:

AIT Accountants Ltd (Accountants and Business Advisors)

HooperHyde (Litigation Lawyers)

Lorraine Denton (Financial Advisor)

Loynton & Co (Solicitors & Conveyancing)

Mad Hatters Children’s Charity

Milktop Ltd (Graphic & Website Design)

Rubicon Consulting Ltd (Recruitment)

SMB – Alexander Stevens & Co (Chartered Surveyors)

SPOTLIGHT

RUBICON CONSULTING

Rubicon Consulting is a recruitment business operating throughout the UK and Europe. They supply highly skilled contractors and permanent staff specialising in niche engineering and technical sectors including Power & Energy, Renewables, Telecoms, Utilities and Technology. They recently relocated their head office to Malvern House in order to give their staff a better work / life balance and the team are enjoying working in the centre of Solihull. They are currently looking for additional recruitment consultants and resourcers to join them.

West elevation during renovations, June 1977 Undated, probably early/mid-1900s

North elevation during renovations, June 1977

the history

Undated postcard, probably early/mid1900s

The Grade-II* listed Malvern House dates from the mid-18th century, although it may incorporate an earlier structure dating from 1615. Extensive repairs were carried out in 1663 and the building was refurbished and extended in 1774, with bricks replacing wattle and daub.

Boys at Solihull Free Grammar School were taught at Malvern House from at least 1615 until the school moved into new purpose-built buildings on Warwick Road in 1882. Poets Richard Jago (17151781) and William Shenstone (1714-1763) attended the school which, unusually for that time, offered the opportunity to study English Literature. It’s suggested that the land is likely to have become the property of the feoffees (governors) in 1467. The date usually given for the foundation of the school is 1560.

In 1735, Dr Samuel Johnson (of subsequent dictionary fame) was interviewed for the post of Headmaster of the Free Grammar School, but he was unsuccessful as he was deemed a “very haughty, ill-natured gent” and had such a way of “distorting his face” that the feoffees thought it would affect some of the younger boys!

After Solihull Grammar School moved to the new campus in 1882, Malvern House was rented out privately. It reopened in 1924 as the preparatory department for the grammar school. However, following the expansion of classroom space on the Warwick Road campus, the preparatory school moved out of Malvern House in 1937 and the building was sold by Solihull School in June 1939.

Malvern House subsequently became a private residence again and was then a club with dining facilities. The building had deteriorated by 1975, suffering from broken windows, damaged plaster and a leaking roof. A newspaper article from 1976 indicates that the building had been empty for about two years and was being restored by David Charles Construction (Tamworth) Ltd to form three selfcontained office suites. An architect from James A. Roberts & Associates (designer of the Rotunda) had ensured that the existing features of the building were incorporated into the new designs.

The building was later purchased by businessman Stephen Goldstein and underwent comprehensive renovations in the mid-2000s. The building is now home to a wide range of businesses, from chartered surveyors to paralegals, accountants and recruitment specialists.