Tontine Buildings

Tontine Buildings is a Grade II* listed structure with a symmetrical facade divided into seven bays, casement windows, and a central brick porch added around 1870 near the Clock Basin. The ground floor preserves original black and red quarry tiles, paneled doors, and multiple fireplaces throughout the interior.

This structure was built around 1772 by the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal Company and first operated as Areley Inn. It later became the Tontine Hotel, evolving with the growth of the canal settlement.

The building held a grand boardroom that also served as a ballroom, showing how important canal trade was to local society and commerce. Visitors can sense this dual purpose when looking at the large interior spaces and their elegant details.

The building sits by the Clock Basin and is easy to spot when exploring the canal area. Visitors can view the original details like the tiles and fireplaces even if access to the interior is limited or restricted.

During the 1970s the building faced demolition, but a letter from the prominent architecture critic Sir John Betjeman helped prevent its destruction. This intervention saved one of the area's most important traces of canal history.