16, 17 AND 18, VYSE STREET

BIRMINGHAM

997/0/10395 29-APR-04

VYSE STREET 6, 17 AND 18

GV II

A terrace of 4 manufactories and shops , formerly dwellings, with attached rear workshops. c. 1848, adapted soon after construction, and altered late C19 with subsequent minor C20 alterations. Red brick with painted dressings and cut brick detailing with mid slope stacks to both roof pitches and composition slate roof covering. PLAN: A series of L-shaped ranges behind a uniformly detailed frontage. EXTERIOR: Near symmetrical 2 storey range of 7 bays. With doorways to bays 1,3, and 7 , together with a passage entrance to bay 5 . The doorways have semi-circular rubbed brick arched heads with ornamental fanlights, the 4-panel doors set back within panelled reveals. Above each doorway, a single light window below a shallow segmental brick arched head . Bays 2, 4 and 6 have shallow full height bay windows on shallow plinths, with flat painted heads with roll-moulded brick to surrounds, and dentilled capitals to ground floor flanking piers giving the appearance of pilasters. C20 undivided glazing to shop fronts which form ground floor of each bay. Bay 5 has a semi-circular arch-headed passage entrance with barred overlight and C20 door. INTERIORS: Plain staircases within hallways to doorways give access to upper floor doorways. Storeyed rear workshop ranges extend to the end of the plots, that to No.17 L-shaped with a return range along the rear boundary. Forms a group with No.12, Vyse Street (q.v.) and No. 15, Vyse Street (q.v.). A range of late C19 manufactories, each with rear ranges of attached workshops set behind a frontage of unified architectural character. They were formed from the conversion and adaptation of dwellings and characterise the mid-and late C19 expansion of this historic manufacturing district, now considered to be of international significance.