This early Victorian house, on the Dudley Road, was built for Thomas and Eliza Tinsley, Sedgley’s well known nailmasters. The widowed Eliza died in 1882 and for a few years after it was the home of Henry Fowler of Bilston a self-made millionaire. At the turn of the century Councillor William Arthur Foster was the owner and by the middle of the C20th Sedgley Urban District Council had purchased the property to provide additional office space. Outbuildings once acted as a fire station and mortuary.

Sometime after 1970 it was sold by Dudley Council and used as office accommodation by various clients, latterly by BaaN, part of the Invensys Group. Vacated over twelve months ago it has fallen victim to graffiti and vandalism. In January 2007 the upper floor suffered an arson attack. The October 2005 photograph shows the attractive house in pristine condition.

Local residents and the Society are very concerned that the historic house is not ‘lost’ and Dudley MBC is urging its reuse as soon as possible. The site is not locally listed and falls outside the Sedgley conservation area.

Update: Extensive repairs and refurbishment started in the summer of 2012. A rear extension allowed the house to be converted into eight luxury apartments. Two houses were also built fronting Catholic Lane.