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BIRMINGHAM CITY SAFARI 5th – 7th MAY 2006 |
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Our aim is to introduce Birmingham and its commercial and industrial heritage to you by exploring a broad range of sites. |
| Birmingham
has always been the second city in England after London partly due to
its central position and its proximity to raw as well as its skilled
workforce. In Victorian times, the city developed into an industrial
powerhouse and flourished under the influence of politicians such as
Joseph Chamberlain. The city is known for its jewellery manufacture,
canals and chocolate making and these are some of the areas we will
focus on during our visit to the city.
Detail on doorway of the Paragon Hotel (c) Sue Hayton, 2006 |
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On our first afternoon we explore the city’s commercial side, including a new city attraction, ‘the Beached Whale’ part of the newly refurbished Bull Ring site. Selfridge’s shop is an unusual shaped building, resembling a whale and covered in anodised aluminium discs. We will see some of the fine commercial architecture, which reflects both the civic pride of the city and its wealth in the 19th century, such as the terra cotta Victorian law courts, art deco shops and tiled shopping arcades as well as Birmingham’s Central Library, a classic 1960s inverted pyramid design. We can also look at some unusual industrial remains in St Philip’s Cathedral. The fine stained glass windows designed by Edward Burne Jones were made in the Merton Abbey Works of William Morris & Co. Burne Jones was born in Bennetts Hill, a few hundred yards away from the Cathedral. Close to all our walk routes run Birmingham’s canals and close to the city centre we will have a chance to see some of the restored canal-scape.
'The Beached Whale' (c) Sue Hayton, 2006 |
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On Saturday morning we will make our way into the city through Digbeth and Deritend where we see factories such as the former Bird’s Custard Factory and the former Typhoo Works, designed by the well-known cinema architect, Harry Weedon, as well as canal side remains including carriers’ warehousing. We will also see one of Birmingham’s best-known stations, Curzon Street station, the original terminus of the London-Birmingham railway. Close by is the Gun Barrel Proof House, another working reminder of Birmingham’s industrial past.
City centre canal scene (c) Sue Hayton, 2006 |
| Our afternoon will be spent in the Jewellery Quarter to the north of the city centre. Here we can see the old Science Museum, housed in the former works of Thomas Elkington, pioneer of silver plating as well as the Birmingham Assay Office opposite. The area is undergoing a lot of modernisation and gentrification but a number of jewellers and businesses associated with their business still remain such as case and box makers. Here too ‘toy makers’ worked producing a large number of small fancy artefacts such as button and buckles especially in a wide variety of metals. In the centre of the area is St Paul’s Church where once both William Boulton and James Watt worshipped. Their life in the city must wait for another Safari! |
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Sunday we will venture south, to the suburb of Bourneville. It was here
in 1879 that George Cadbury set up a new chocolate factory on a green
field site. To attract workers he also started to build a model village
in 1897 that was to provide housing for his workers as well as other
artisans. This was one of the first such model villages and we will be
able to compare and contrast the village here with that at Port Sunlight
which we visited on our Safari to Liverpool. Other buildings of note in
the village are the Women’s Baths of 1902, various schools as well as
the village shops. George Cadbury also brought two buildings to the
area, including Selly Oak Manor, which survive today and add to the area’s
period charm. Those who are really keen can visit Cadbury World at the
end of our tour to find out more about the chocolate industry!
Interesting pillar box with Phil Cox (c) Sue Hayton, 2006 |
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City Safaris are organised by Heritage of Industry Ltd, 80 Udimore Road, Rye, Sussex, TN31 7DY |
