Description:The entrance Lodges to Himley Hall.
The Himley Estate belonged to the Ward family of Dudley Castle since the 17th century. The earliest part of the present hall, the west front, was built in about 1720, and was later extended with two pavilions. John Ward, 9th Baron Ward added the south front and portico in 1824-7 and had the external walls rendered in Roman cement to imitate stonework.
In 1947 the Ward family sold the Hall to the National Coal Board. While the building was being altered for their use, a fire broke out destroying the south wing. It was rebuilt in an unsympathetic 1950s style. In 1966 it was purchased by the County Boroughs of Dudley and Wolverhampton and opened to the public. It is now (2003) owned by Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council and is a venue for exhibitions, conferences and events.