27-32, MARY STREET

27-32 Mary Street is a pair of consecutive workshop ranges with an adjoining house, built in two phases as speculative development by James Kimberley. Numbers 27-28 were built in 1818 as a house and shops; numbers 29-32 were built in 1823 as shops. The buildings have undergone later additions and alterations, including modifications in 1844 and restorations around 1970.

The structures are built of pinkish-red brick in stretcher bond, with chamfered purple brick sills. The ground floor of the right-hand range is colouraged, and the front facade of the house has stucco scored in imitation of ashlar. The roofs are of slate to the workshop ranges, otherwise artificial slate. Windows throughout feature cast-iron glazing bars. Brick ridge stacks serve the right-hand workshop range, with a left-end stack to the house and an off-centre rear stack to the workshop range behind. Brick privies with slate roofs and brick boundary walls complete the group.

The two-storey workshop ranges, stepped down following the gradient of the street, contain 8 and 7 first-floor windows respectively. The three-storey house to the right has 2 first-floor windows, with a two-storey, two-window workshop range and privies to the rear. Windows throughout the workshop ranges are multi-paned with radial glazing bars to the heads set in round-arched surrounds with two rows of headers to the arches and plain reveals. The left entrance now has double part-glazed doors; the central entrance to the through passage retains its plank door and open fanlight with radial glazing bars under a similar round arch, followed by an original round-arched opening interrupted by double plank doors. A further entrance to the centre of the right-hand range has a renewed 6-panel door with fanlight with radial glazing bars. The rear elevation has casement windows in elliptically-arched openings with plain reveals. A pair of privies to the right have plank doors.

The house features a stone step to its central entrance, where a 4-panel door sits within a pilastered surround with frieze and hood. The ground and first floors have 3/3 sash windows, those to the ground floor set in elliptically-arched openings, while the second floor has 4/4 sashes; all are set in plain reveals with sills. A panelled door provides central access to the rear. The rear workshop range has plank doors to the ground and first floors, with renewed tripartite casement windows set under elliptical arches at ground level. Privies to the rear have plank doors.

The workshop ranges retain plain, undivided interiors with exposed king post tie-beam trusses to the first floor. The house is noted as retaining original joinery, including plank, 4- and 6-panelled doors and plank panelling to dado height in the ground-floor room to the left. A brick boundary wall approximately 2 metres in height stands to the right.

The buildings have been in almost continuous use by craftsmen and artisans in Birmingham's toy trade since their construction. Historical records document occupation by modellers, jewellers, die sinkers, button manufacturers, brass founders, lamp manufacturers, watch escarpment makers, engravers, and electroplate manufacturers. By 1876, the workshops were in multiple occupancy. The Birmingham Parish Map of around 1876 suggests all workshops and houses were originally designated as No. 28.

This is an early and particularly significant example of a building group once typical of Birmingham's jewellery quarter, now increasingly rare. The early date and unaltered condition of the buildings make them significant both locally and nationally.