Bustling Bilston pub now a vandalised eyesore
It was once a bustling boozer at the heart of the community – but now it is a target for vandals and a shadow of its former self.
The Samson and Lion, in Newbolt Road, Bilston, closed more than 15 years ago and has been derelict ever since.
Last year, it appeared as if work was under way to replace the eyesore with flats – but to the frustration of nearby residents no work completed for months.
The pub’s walls look as if they are falling away and the ground around the building has become a hotspot for fly-tipping.
Liz Swancutt, aged 47, who lives nearby, says the situation is now worse than ever and she is fearful of an arson attack.
Speaking to the Express & Star, she said: “They had started doing work on it last year some time, but suddenly it all stopped, and that was some months ago now. It is now being used as a tipping site. Kids are coming there at night and are dragging out the mattresses and sofas that have been left there and are using them to play with.
“It is just not good at all. I am worried now that somebody is going to set it on fire. If that building goes up then all the houses around it will be affected and their windows are going to go.”
The Samson and Lion closed more than 15 years ago and has been derelict since.
It has also been the target of several break-ins, where vandals have carried out significant internal damage. In 2009 a fence was set on fire by the pub in a suspected arson attack.
Plans to transform it into five two-bedroom apartments and two one-bedroom apartments were approved in 2015, but the scheme has not come to fruition.
Wolverhampton South East MP Pat McFadden said: “The pub has been derelict for a long time and with derelict pubs they can often be a magnet for fly-tipping and anti-social behaviour.
“It is really important that the owners secure the site and keep it in a decent state because residents should not have to live next to a dumping ground.”
Bilston East councillor Stephen Simkins last year said the pub had once been at the heart of the community.
He added: “It’s been a bit of a blight on the area for quite a long time because people regularly fly tip there, and we’re up there cleaning it quite a lot. I welcome the development because it will be good to get the site back in use, and that’s the name of the game. But seeing the pub go will leave me with a heavy heart, because I think it’s quite an iconic building in the area.
“It used to be a brilliant community pub in the 80s and 90s, but it must have been vacant for about 15 years now. It’ll be a bit sad to see another pub disappear.”
