Licence approved for recreation of iconic Wolverhampton pub demolished 21 years ago
Visitors to the Black Country Living Museum will get the chance to drink at one of the region’s long-lost iconic pubs after an alcohol licence was approved.
The Elephant & Castle Pub once stood on the corner of Stafford Street & Cannock Road in Wolverhampton, before being demolished in 2001.
The museum is now recreating this once-treasured watering hole in a 1940s-60s town centre as part of its new development project ‘Forging Ahead’.
The Black Country Living Museum (BCLM) gives visitors the chance to step back in time to visit one of the first industrialised landscapes in Britain. History lovers can explore 26 acres of reconstructed shops, houses and industrial areas.
The new licence will allow alcohol to be served at the Elephant and Castle as well as various other buildings within the museum until 11pm at night.
A museum spokesperson said “We are delighted that the licence has been granted, as it means we can continue to deliver an authentic experience to our visitors.
“The upcoming opening of our new visitor car park, coupled with the first buildings from BCLM: Forging Ahead – the new visitor welcome centre and Elephant & Castle public house, makes it an exciting time for the museum.”
The museum says plans to create a new car park should appease local residents, including those living close to the museum who have objected to the licence, saying that increased traffic will only add to the “nightmare” that they have endured already due to congestion and noise coming in and out of the current car park.
A petition signed by local residents objecting to the new licence said: “BCLM has not considered the increased level of nuisance this proposal will cause to local residents.
“We are already subjected to nuisance, excess noise from live music and the general public when entering and exiting the car park of the BCLM during evenings and weekends. This proposal is going to make living in the local vicinity an absolute nightmare.”
A museum spokesman said: “Once the car parks are fully approved and operational, this will be the main car park and point of entry and exit from the museum. As for the existing car park located on Tipton Road, obviously, it’s where the cluster of representations have come from.
“This will become an overflow car park and undoubtedly see much less traffic than it had previously, which is an obvious benefit to those residents living close to Tipton Road.”
