67-71, Northwood Street

BIRMINGHAM

997/0/10246 NORTHWOOD STREET 29-APR-04 67-71

II Factory and offices, formerly Brass Foundry. Late C19 with C20 alterations. Smooth orange brick with moulded brick detailing, gable chimneys and a Welsh slated roof PLAN: Courtyard plan with covered access way to enclosed rear yard. EXTERIOR: Asymmetrical 3-storeyed range to street frontage of 4 bays, rising from a shallow blue brick plinth with window openings grouped 2:3:1:3. Ground floor with 2 wide arched vehicular openings to left, a narrow centre window, an off-centre doorway further right, and 3 narrow sash window to the right-hand end bay. All openings have shallow segmental brick arched heads with painted projecting keyblocks. C20 garage doors to left hand opening and 2 pane sashes without horns to most window openings, which are set on painted moulded sill bands and between shallow brick pilasters. Moulded brick eaves cornice. Off- centre doorway with double panelled doors below rectangular overlight gives access to lobby and inner doorway. Rear of frontage range now faces covered over yard, and has workshop windows with multi-pane metal frames. 4- bay return range links with a rear range beyond yard running parallel to frontage range and extending the full width of the plot. Plain stick baluster stair to upper floor. INTERIOR: Main entrance leads to stair hall with patterned tile floor and turned baluster dog-leg stair. Double-leaf panelled inner doors with decorative glass to narrow flanking lights and overlight. Small office to left of entrance, larger room to right now used as workshop. At first floor landing, reception area with hatch and bench for visitors. Upper floor is a single open space with strapped king-post roof trusses. Former open yard covered late C20. HISTORY: The 1886-7 Ordnance Survey map identifies the building as a brass foundry, with the footprint of the present works. A example of the late C19 brass foundry, which, although altered, displays the distinctive architectural characteristics of a specialist industrial quarter of Birmingham, now recognised as being of international significance.