Express & Star

Walsall bowling alley that mysteriously closed put up for sale

A bowling alley that shut suddenly a month ago has gone up for sale, with a price tag of £800,000.

Published
The MFA bowling alley on the Old Hall Industrial Estate. Photo: Google

MFA Bowl was the main feature at the Old Hall Trading Estate, off Revival Street in Bloxwich.

But it closed in July last year without warning.

Now it has been put up for sale or rent by Old Hall Properties, which took back the 32,100 sq ft building from MFA Bowl last month.

The firm hopes to get another bowling company to take over at least the ground floor of the site, which still has the alleys and equipment.

But if one is not found, director Craig Bales said he would consider selling or renting it out for other uses, such as a wedding or conference venue.

Mr Bales, who took over the estate three years ago, said: “I have been upgrading the estate and this is the missing link.

“We would like to get a good operator who would take pride in the site.”

The building includes a bar along with an empty first floor. A spokesman for MFA Bowl confirmed that the site was back in the hands of Old Hall Properties.

When asked why the firm, which has 17 sites across the UK, left Bloxwich, he said it was down to a ‘commercial decision’.

Bloxwich East ward councillor Kath Phillips said she hoped a business would move in soon to take over.

She said: “I definitely want to see it picked up and used again – I hate empty buildings.

“It is of a good size and would make a decent entertainment venue again. It was sad when it closed, but hopefully we’ll see something replace it soon.”

The alley used to be known as GT Leisure Bowl before it was taken over by MFA.

It closed last year, along with a snooker hall and the Q Lounge function suite, which is based at the same site. It was thought between 10 and 15 people lost their jobs