48-56, Branston Street

BIRMINGHAM

997/0/10275 BRANSTON STREET 29.8.01 48-56

II

Manufactory, empty at time of inspection (August 2000) . c. 1870, with minor late C20 alterations. Red brick with blue brick detailing and a plain tile roof, hipped at the south-east end. PLAN. Irregular, triangular building, on a wedge-shaped plot bounded by Branston Street and the railway cutting for the line which passes under Branston Street. EXTERIOR: Front elevation of 3 storeys and 8 bays, rising from a chamfered blue brick plinth. Ground and first floor windows with semi-circular arched heads, with linked hood moulds in blue brick forming a continuous band. Ground floor windows overboarded at time of inspection. Upper floor openings with shallow segmental arched heads. C20 replacement frames for former cast-iron multi-paned frames which remain in situ in south-west end and rear elevations. Main entrance to bay 6, with stepped semi-circular arched doorway with blue brick surround and 6-panel door. Blue brick eaves band . Rear elevation with cast-iron, multi-pane window frames beneath brick segmental arched heads. C20 timber fire escape. Irregularly- placed chimney stacks, with end wall stacks to both slopes to the north-east gable, a clustered ridge stack, a stack parallel to the ridge, and a tranverse stack. These stacks served at least 16 flues, and their positions were made necessary by the buildings' eccentric plan form. INTERIOR: not inspected. HISTORY: The manufactory, known as the Branston Street Works is shown on the 1886-7 Ordnance Survey map in its present form. The 1886 Trade Directory lists 12 craftsmen , including jewellers, engravers and chasers occupying the site, ( the form of which, unusually, precluded the provision of a vehicle entrance ) suggesting that the works were designed for multi-occupancy from the outset.. A late C19 purpose-built manufactory, designed to provide workshop facilities for independent craftsmen. The use of such a very restricted site demonstrates the demand for industrial workshop space, and the value of vacant land , however limited,in the late C19 in this industrial quarter of Birmingham, now recognised as being of international significance.