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Artefacts : Repurposed artefacts or items of historical interest

Vivienne14

Vivienne14

Kentish Brummie Moderator
Staff member
I recently posted an item about some pews from Christ Church New Street being repurposed into a staircase at Blakesley Hall. I think it might be worth recording any items that have been reused and can, still today, be seen in Birmingham.
Details of their location and any photos of the items would be appreciated too.

9A063931-0BE8-4F29-91B2-65A88168A3F5.jpeg

Viv.
 
I’m posting this especially for Astoness. (One of the earliest and most entertaining threads I’ve ever read on BHF concerned Astonesses exploits to recover some blue bricks from a demolition site !)

In the instance below some 60,000 bricks from Birmingham slum buildings were transported and reused further afield in Evesham. Viv.

7BC60379-496D-421E-A66D-721BED31FBA2.jpeg
 
Nice thread Viv. As you so rightly pointed out, on the St Michael's, Boldmere thread a few days ago, the lych gate was built from timbers from the newly demolished Erdington Hall. I seem to remember that the hall and the building of Tyburn Road had something to do with each other. Maybe part of the hall was in the way.

I'd love to read about Lyn's exploits with the blue bricks. Is the thread still on the forum?
 

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I think it is at

Archaeological Site Library & Centenary Sq

Result folks....:):):) hi folks just received a reply from sara rowell who has contacted the contractors for me.....they are most happpy for us to have some of the bricks and i have to email them to arrange time and date for collection...this is wicked... Wendy...how many do you want for...
birminghamhistory.co.uk birminghamhistory.co.uk
 
Vivienne14 said:
I recently posted an item about some pews from Christ Church New Street being repurposed into a staircase at Blakesley Hall. I think it might be worth recording any items that have been reused and can, still today, be seen in Birmingham.
Details of their location and any photos of the items would be appreciated too.

View attachment 145481

Viv.
Click to expand...
Excellent idea for a new thread.
Looking forward to see what people come up with.
 
I suggest Wythall Transport Museum for inclusion in this thread.
It has a large collection of buses and other road vehicles which do not fulfil their original purpose (maybe excepting the towing vehicles) of taking people to work, school, shopping or days out. However they do have open days where people can enjoy a day out together with the educational aspect which is achieved with school visits. Besides buses there are other items, from the past, to be seen.
Hopefully, as with many other historical places, they can re-open soon.
Incidentally the Wythall site has been farmland, Royal Air Force Station and now the Museum so has a history in itself.

History of the Transport Museum Wythall

www.wythall.org.uk www.wythall.org.uk

The story of RAF Wythall by the Transport Museum Wythall

www.wythall.org.uk www.wythall.org.uk
 
mikejee said:
I think it is at

Archaeological Site Library & Centenary Sq

Result folks....:):):) hi folks just received a reply from sara rowell who has contacted the contractors for me.....they are most happpy for us to have some of the bricks and i have to email them to arrange time and date for collection...this is wicked... Wendy...how many do you want for...
birminghamhistory.co.uk birminghamhistory.co.uk
Click to expand...

Some of the blue bricks salvaged from the archaeological dig in Centenary Square were going to be used to edge Thomas Walker’s grave at Key Hill. Very fitting as (edit - if) it was he who invented the blue paver. I wonder if this was done ? Viv.
 
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We have a Thread concerning Thomas Walker, but how is he tied to the Blue Brick?

Thomas Walker

Hello - I hope you can help me with a bit of research I'm doing. I'm trying to find out about Thomas Walker, as in the Thomas Walker building in St Paul's Square. I understand he was a leader of the city council for a while and that he instigated the replacement of the city's block paving...
birminghamhistory.co.uk birminghamhistory.co.uk
 
A post in this thread explains, Pedro - post 54 Sept. 2009

Archaeological Site Library & Centenary Sq

Result folks....:):):) hi folks just received a reply from sara rowell who has contacted the contractors for me.....they are most happpy for us to have some of the bricks and i have to email them to arrange time and date for collection...this is wicked... Wendy...how many do you want for...
birminghamhistory.co.uk birminghamhistory.co.uk
 
See para 6 about “Blue Brick Walker”. Birmingham has him to thank for ridding the town of the dreaded ‘kidney stone’ pavements. Viv.

A History of Thomas Walker & Son

Impact Hub Birmingham is proud to call the grade II listed Walker Building our home. Here we revisit the legacy of industrial pioneers, Thomas Walker & Son.
birmingham.impacthub.net birmingham.impacthub.net
 
Yes he was given the nickname ‘Blue Brick Walker’ and due to his exertions the town owed the comfortable blue brick pavements. But did he actually invent the Blue brick?
 
Panelling from Dr Hector’s residence in Old Square moved to Aston Hall. Wonder whereabouts in Aston Hall. Viv.

DCEA1550-A99C-457B-B1EE-D516C415BDEE.jpeg
 
Pedro. After doing a few more searches I can find no specific evidence to show Blue Brick Walker ‘invented’ the brick. Perhaps he got the name through his Public Works involvement ie his enthusiasm to replace the poor Birmingham pavements. Viv.
 
Thanks Pedro. That’s very helpful.

Turning to street lamps, I wonder if any of these street lights ended up in Chipping Campden ? If they did, well done Chipping Campden. I remember my dad talking about buying a lamp like this for our front garden, but it never materialised. Maybe the cost put him off. Viv.

D27BE32B-463D-4D83-8B3F-F2C6FDE904D7.jpeg
 
Not sure if this fits in with the spirit of this thread but didn't the entrance gates etc. to Birmingham Tram depot go to the Crich Tramway Museum ?
 
Old cannons used as lampposts - lost or scrapped?

Bull Ring 1930s - 1950s

A 1950s view showing the Bull Ring as popular as ever in recovering post-war Birmingham. Viv. I think the Bull Ring was the real heart of Birmingham. I can remember it like this photo with crowds of people and all the stalls and barrows with their goods and produce. If we were going up to town...
birminghamhistory.co.uk birminghamhistory.co.uk
 
Be interesting to know if the canons still exist. They often turn up as bollards, but no recollection of seeing any in Brum.

This thread is starting to make me realise that Birmingham (and probably other places too) sell off surplus street furniture so they could end up anywhere ! Viv.
 
jmadone said:
Perhaps I'm getting confused with these gates
https://flic.kr/p/ppBmKR
which states that they come from the old Birmingham Wholesale market.
but I'm sure that when I visited the the museum about 20 years ago the B'ham Tram depot gates were installed there
sorry picture gone missing
Click to expand...


Phyllis Nicklin photographed the gates in 1968 see image below from this thread https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/for...eld-fruit-veg-w-sale-market-1883.44380/page-3

But of course this is only one entrance - the 1903 one. They were very tall gates ! Viv.

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Smithfield Market gates...
March 1859 Toll Collector defraud.
January 1866 Boy 10, spoon polisher killed.

255ED81B-E43C-4334-9EAA-3DAC5773D6B9.jpegCAE1ADF6-5F44-44ED-86E9-7BFBB1D80AAF.jpeg
 
And the first gates (1883) were made by Hart, Son, Peard & Co, architectural Iron founders, Grosvenor Street Birmingham. These may have been different to the 1903 gates in Phyllis Nicklin’s photo. But they were huge. The entrance was 15ft wide and 24 ft high. Viv.
 

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