48-56, Branston Street

This is a late 19th-century manufactory, likely dating from around 1870, with minor alterations made in the late 20th century. It was empty at the time of inspection in August 2000. The building is constructed of red brick with blue brick detailing, and has a plain tile roof, hipped at the south-east end. The plan is irregular, forming a triangular shape on a wedge-shaped plot between Branston Street and a railway cutting.

The front elevation has three storeys and eight bays, rising from a chamfered blue brick plinth. The ground and first floor windows have semi-circular arched heads with linked hood moulds in blue brick forming a continuous band. Ground floor windows were overboarded during the inspection, and upper floor openings have shallow segmental arched heads. Replacement windows were present in the 20th century, although some original cast-iron multi-paned frames remain in situ in the south-west end and rear elevations. The main entrance is in bay 6, featuring a stepped semi-circular arched doorway with a blue brick surround and a six-panel door. A blue brick eaves band is also present. The rear elevation retains some original cast-iron, multi-pane window frames set beneath brick segmental arched heads, along with a 20th-century timber fire escape. Several chimney stacks are irregularly placed, including end wall stacks to the north-east gable, a clustered ridge stack, a stack parallel to the ridge, and a transverse stack. These served at least 16 flues, necessitated by the building’s unusual plan.

The interior was not inspected.

The Branston Street Works, as it was known, is shown on the 1886-7 Ordnance Survey map in its present form. The 1886 Trade Directory indicates that the site was occupied by 12 craftsmen, including jewellers, engravers, and chasers. The site’s shape, notably lacking a vehicle entrance, suggests it was designed for multi-occupancy from the outset. The manufactory was purpose-built to provide workshop facilities for independent craftsmen. The constrained site demonstrates the high demand for industrial workshop space and the value of even limited land in the late 19th century in this industrial quarter of Birmingham, now internationally significant.