Hobbs Fish and Chip Shop in Dudley town centre dates back to the 19th century. © Black Country Living Museum
A well-loved local fish and chip shop has been saved from demolition by the Black Country Living Museum, thanks to the museum visitors’ love of fried fish.
The museum’s present 1930s chip shop often has large queues and staff had been looking for a solution for some time. So when the site of the 19th century Hobbs Fish and Chip Shop in Dudley town centre was earmarked for redevelopment the museum stepped in.
“We have done a deal with the owner to take it down for them,” said Museum Director Ian Walden. “It became a case of rescue as the building was actually condemned and we managed to move very quickly to save it.”
A computer generated image shows how the rebuilt chippy will look when relocated at the museum. © Black Country Living Museum
Hobbs Fish and Chip Shop will be dismantled brick-by-brick and rebuilt at the museum. Staff hope to have the new chippy open and serving meals to the public by April 2008 at the latest and it will provide at least double the capacity of the current premises.
The chip shop became popular in the town as it was one of the only ones that had a seating area and it also contains some fine examples of decorative glazed wall tiles.
“It is probably an 18th century building that was totally refurbished in the 1880s,” explained Ian. “They built a ring road next to it, business declined and they couldn’t work out what to do with it,” he added.
Much of the interior decor is as it was back in the nineteenth century. © Black Country Living Museum
It isn't the first time the museum has saved and then rebuilt an important Black Country landmark; Rolfe Street Baths was rescued from its original location in Smethwick in 1989 and carefully reconstructed brick-by-brick at the museum in 1999.
The Fish and Chip Shop will become part of a new 1930s high street development overlooking the museum’s canal and sit alongside buildings including the Worker’s Institute, a significant union building, a butcher’s, solicitors, early building society, milliners, joiners and an adjacent public park.
