23-26, WARSTONE LANE

BIRMINGHAM

997/0/10251 29-APR-04

WARSTONE LANE 23-26

GV II

Shop, offices and workshops, formerly manufactories. c. 1870, re-fronted and extended c.1905 and with later C20 alteration. Red brick with moulded brick and terracotta detailing and a slate roof covering. PLAN: Evolved U-plan, with parallel rear workshop ranges enclosing a narrow rectangular yard. EXTERIOR: Remodelled frontage range of 5 bays and 3 storeys, the ground floor of late C19 date, with early C20 joinery to end doorways, and late C20 inserted vehicle entrance to centre. Doorways with early C20 half-glazed double doors set in deep reveals, with shallow timber canopies to door heads below semi-circular brick arched overlights. To the side of each doorway, paired semi-circular headed windows with late C20 joinery rise from a moulded cill band, and an impost moulding linking with a hood moulds to the heads of door and window openings. Inserted double doors to centre below plain concrete lintel. Upper floor bays delineated by shallow brick pilasters, with raised rectangular centre panels, the pilasters linked by moulded cill bands to the upper floors. Transomed 4-light multi-pane timber window frames below concrete lintels to first floor, the centre opening subdivided by an intermediate brick pier. Raised rectangular brick panels above lintels. Upper floor with paired transomed 2-light frames under flat brick arches. Pilasters rise through moulded coping to form low piers with dentilled caps to interrupted shallow parapet. 2- storey workshop range to rear of No. 32 of 14 bays, extending south, with sloping blue brick cills, shallow brick arched heads and multi-pane cast iron frames to window openings. 2 dooways and 2 smaller windows between workshop windows. 14 bay storeyed range to rear of Nos. 25 and 26. INTERIOR: Left hand entrance to modern shop interior with workshops to rear, right hand entrance to office and with half-glazed double doors giving access to stairs to upper floor and rear workshop range. HISTORY : The Ordnance Survey map of 1902 shows the present arrangement of frontage range and parallel rear ranges. The inserted vehicle entrance may have replaced a central passage entry to the rear yard. Forms a group with No.28 Warstone Lane ( q.v.) and No.29 Warstone Lane (q.v.) An evolved U-plan manufacturing complex with extensive rear workshop ranges , the street frontage remodelled c.1900 to provide enhanced upper floor light and a more modern facade. The complex illustrates 2 sequential architectural styles which characterise the late C19 and early C20 phases of development within a manufacturing quarter of Birmingham now recognised as being of international significance.