New Futures for Birmingham`s Historic Buildings

Raw Beauty Conference

Posted June 30th, 2014 by Matthew Vaughan with 2 Comments

The most common rationale for the preservation of buildings of the recent past was voiced by Joe Holyoak in his opening remarks for this conference on Brutalist architecture in Birmingham on the 28th of June. He described these buildings as at present ...

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Beautiful Birmingham Terracotta

Posted June 23rd, 2014 by Katie Hughes with 2 Comments

Discovering Birmingham’s extensive collection of beautiful terracotta buildings. Red, bold, ornate and beautiful…these are some of the words which spring to my mind when I see the striking Victoria Law Courts on Corporation Street built in 1891. For me, it is the material which provides the ...

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Arts & Crafts Architecture in Birmingham VI: Bournville – the factory in a garden (suburb)

Posted June 18th, 2014 by Joe Turner with 2 Comments

I couldn’t continue my intermittent Arts and Crafts series without mentioning Bournville, the model village cum garden suburb that Pevsner describes as “perhaps the fullest expression of Arts and Crafts ideals” in Birmingham. On a personal level, I have a strong connection ...

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Walking the Lozells and Handsworth Heritage Trail

Posted May 24th, 2014 by Joe Turner with 3 Comments

On Saturday, along with a group of other BCT supporters and volunteers, I walked the Lozells and East Handsworth Heritage Trail. Organised by Legacy West Midlands with assistance from the Heritage Lottery Fund and the City Council, it aims to raise awareness ...

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Arts & crafts splendour: Winterbourne House & Botanical Gardens

Posted May 4th, 2014 by Katie Hughes with 2 Comments

Last Sunday volunteers and supporters of The Birmingham Conservation Trust were invited for a tour of Winterbourne House & Gardens which is situated in the University of Birmingham Campus. Winterbourne House is an Edwardian house built in 1903 for the Nettlefold family who were industrialists ...

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Arts & Crafts Architecture in Birmingham V: WH Bidlake

Posted April 19th, 2014 by Joe Turner with No Comments

William Henry Bidlake was probably the foremost Birmingham architect of the Arts and Crafts era. Yet, despite being known in his own time as “the man who rebuilt Birmingham” and being responsible for three of the city’s 22 Grade I listed buildings, ...

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The Smith and Pepper Factory

Posted April 5th, 2014 by Katie Hughes with 15 Comments

In the heart of the Jewellery Quarter nestled in-between the rows of Jewellers shops is a factory frozen in time exhibiting traditional methods of Jewellery making and production. The building and its contents are a physical reminder of Birmingham’s industrial past and the ...

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The Coffin Works ‘Hard Hat’ tour

Posted March 23rd, 2014 by Joe Turner with 3 Comments

Along with a handful of other Birmingham Conservation Trust volunteers, trustees and members – including former BCT Director Elizabeth Perkins, who started the project over a decade ago – yesterday I had the privilege of a ‘hard hat’ tour of the work ...

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Arts & Crafts Architecture in Birmingham IV: CE Bateman

Posted March 20th, 2014 by Joe Turner with No Comments

I didn’t have to look far for the inspiration for my next Arts and Crafts post. Firstly, Charles Edward Bateman was from Castle Bromwich – possibly its third most famous export after the Spitfire and the drummer out of Duran Duran – ...

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Birmingham heritage courtesy of BMAG- Sarehole Mill & Blakesley Hall

Posted March 11th, 2014 by Katie Hughes with 3 Comments

Hello everyone, I’m Katie and this is my first blog post for the Birmingham Conservation Trust as their new volunteer blogger. I thought for my first post I would share with you some photographs and memories of one of my favourite heritage ...

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