Former home of Lindy Lou's goes under the hammer

A 400-year-old Grade II-listed property is set to go under the hammer.

The former home of Lindy Lou's toy and pram shop at 19 Victoria Street, in Wolverhampton city centre will be sold at an auction, with a guide price of £50,000.

Dating back to the 17th Century, the building has survived fires and Victorian redevelopment to stand as one of the few remaining timber-framed buildings in the city centre.

It will be sold as with a long leasehold in a livestreamed auction on 14 May.

Back in 1609, the local landmark operated as The Hand pub, one of Sir Walter Leveson's many Wolverhampton properties.

Since then, it has been the home of an attorney, a 19th Century bakery, a post office and also as a restaurant in the 1940s and 50s called The Copper Kettle.

It later became the well-known Lindy Lou's store, before being refurbished by the local authority in 1979. It now stands as Tunwalls café and coffee shop.

Ian Tudor, of Bond Wolfe property auctions, said: "This is an incredibly rare opportunity to own the leasehold on one of Wolverhampton's finest historic buildings.

"It is a rare example of its type, having survived devastating city centre fires in 1590 and 1696, as well as a Victorian campaign of demolition and redevelopment."

The leasehold property is on a term of 79 years until February 2079.

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