Great Hampton Works

Great Hampton Works is an early 20th-century engineering works, with later 20th-century alterations. It is constructed of red brick with ashlar and terracotta dressings, and blue brick detailing, with a roof hidden behind shallow parapets. The complex occupies a large, irregular rectangular footprint, extending over half a block and bordered by Smith Street to the northeast, Great Hampton Row to the southeast, and Harford Street to the northwest.

The Smith Street elevation presents a long, near-symmetrical facade, with an angled northwest corner incorporating the main entrance. This entrance features flanking banded piers and a moulded segmental hood. The inner doorway has an ashlar surround, half-glazed double doors, and a semi-circular overlight with diagonal glazing bars. Above this is a canted oriel with sash windows with glazing bars, flanked by angled brick piers. These piers extend upwards to frame an angled parapet wall incorporating an ashlar plaque with relief carving. To the southeast, a two-story, twelve-bay elevation is arranged in a 2:2:4:2:2 pier and panel form. Some original multi-pane transomed window frames remain. These windows have plain flush lintels and cills, with blue brick margins to the upper floor. Bays 3 and 4, and bays 9 and 10, have square ashlar columns at ground floor level, with banded pilasters to the upper floor, framing windows with blind semi-circular arched heads set below a raised section of parapet. Bays 3 and 4 have vehicle entrances with boarded doors, while bays 9 and 10 retain transomed windows. Ashlar frieze panels above these openings feature lettering in an Arts and Crafts style, reading 'GREAT HAMPTON WORKS', although the panels in bays 2 and 3 are partially obscured by replacement signage. The five-bay return elevation to Great Hampton Row has simpler detailing with multi-pane 3-light transomed windows on the upper floor, and later 20th-century replacement frames to the ground floor openings. An end bay has a secondary doorway with a 4-panel door and overlight with diagonal glazing bars. The angled junction of the Smith Street and Harford Street elevations features diagonal blue brick diaper work. The near-symmetrical elevation of eight bays, arranged 3:2:3, mirrors the Smith Street frontage details, with a doorway below a deep overlight to the left and a wide multi-pane doorway to the right.

This is a large early 20th-century works complex with three street frontages exhibiting functional differentiation within a coherent and carefully detailed contemporary design. It is one of a small number of notable manufacturing complexes on the margins of the Birmingham Jewellery Quarter, reflecting the architectural style of contemporary small manufactories within the Quarter, and often providing machinery for their use.