A LANDMARK building in central Dudley has been restored to its former glory after the completion of a £350,000 project.

Priory Villa on at the junction of Ednam and Priory Road has undergone a massive revamp which has returned it to its former Victorian glory of the 1880s.

The grade II listed has been restored by Dudley College as part of the development of the Dudley Learning Quarter.

Steve Johnson, executive director of estates at Dudley College, said, “It was a challenge refurbishing a listed building after years of neglect. We are all pleased to see it back to its former glory, proudly positioned amongst the modern, new buildings we have developed across the Learning Quarter.”

The villa, which was formerly the surgery and home of pioneering gynaecologist John Hyde Houghton, has undergone painstaking work to features including a Milton tile floor, which was repaired tile by tile.

Many of the rooms have had the original fireplaces and timber floors restored or replaced with reclaimed materials and are now being used by Dudley Sixth A Level students and staff.

The villa, which was built in 1864-5, has also had a small extension added at the rear of the building which has been constructed from traditional stone but is of a modern design to compliment the new Dudley Sixth building nextdoor.