Set in acres of parkland in Finchfield, Wolverhampton (WV3 9LQ) is Bantock House Museum. Run by the City Council the building is a museum of Edwardian life and local history. The house was bequeathed in 1938 by Alderman Albert Baldwin Bantock the son of Thomas Bantock a canal and railway agent.
The interior is reminiscent of nearby Wightwick Manor but the difference being it is free to go in and you can sit on the furniture! In the upstairs rooms the displays reflect the men and women who worked in the local industries. It features jappaned ware and steel jewellery. While on the ground floor you can learn about the Bantock family and other locally important people.
A surprising exhibition was the National Puppetry Archive. There was great variety of toys, posters, masks, mugs of famous people and “Spitting Images”. It was entertaining and interesting. The collection changes frequently.
The grounds surrounding the house were created with different spaces such as woodland garden, flower borders, a rose garden and a sunken Dutch garden. There are events taking place throughout the year such as Artisan Markets and Antique Fairs. They also have regular familty friendly activities. In the parkland is a Pitch & Putt and also a nine-hole golf course.
Naturally we went into the friendly Courtyard Cafe where there was a varied menu including the obligatory cream tea. Bantock House is worth a visit if you’re in that area.
