61, Ludgate Hill

BIRMINGHAM

997/0/10234 LUDGATE HILL 29-APR-04 birmingham 61

GV II Manufactory and offices, empty at the time of inspection (September 2000 ). Late C19 or early C20. Smooth red brick with terracotta dressings and a Welsh slate roof covering. PLAN: Truncated L-plan with office and warehouse range to street frontage, and remains of former monopitch workshop range extending to rear, formerly enclosing narrow rear yard, now enlarged by demolition of greater part of workshop range. EXTERIOR: Near-symmetrical street front elevation of 3 storeys above a basement, 3 bays delineated by shallow brick pilasters. Left hand bay with wide vehicle entrance and tall, vertically- boarded doors. Right-hand bay has doorway with a pair of 3 panel doors below an 8-pane overlight and a tall sash window with an 8-pane upper light and concealed lower light. Centre bay with pair of similar windows rising from moulded cill band. Openings have shallow segmental-arched heads with advanced keyblocks. Below, plain brickwork above shallow basement lights. Moulded string course between ground and first floors, and upper floors with paired windows of matching pattern, diminishing in height in each ascending floor. Revealed lower sashes are of 2 panes. Deep moulded cill band to first floor openings, plainer moulding to upper floor openings. Pilasters to centre bay rise through eaves cornice to define a shouldered gable with a semi-circular window sub-divided by a brick pier to form quadrant attic lights with small panes. Rear elevation with blocked doorway to vehicle entrance passage, square brick chimney to centre of elevation, at junction with surviving stub of monopitch 3-storeyed workshop range to left. INTERIOR: Ground and first floors with single cast-iron columns supporting main cross beams. Boarded partition with panelled doors separates main rooms from side staircase. Upper floor and basement not inspected. HISTORY: This manufactory replaced earlier buildings shown on the O.S. map of 1886-7. Early C20 directories list the Wadsworth Electrical Manufacturing Company at this address, and later entries refer to the same manufacturers occupying this and the attached premises at Nos. 63 and 64. A small purpose-built metal-working manufactory displaying the distinctive architectural characteristics associated with late C19 works in Birmingham's Jewellery Quarter. Together with the attached works at No. 61 (q.v.) it forms a group of industrial buildings which now helps define the eastern boundary of what is now recognised as an historic manufacturing district of international significance.