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Royal School For The Deaf - Church Road, Edgbaston

J

jetbirm15

New Member
Hi all

Does anyone have any photographs or information relating to the Royal School Of The Deaf which was on Church Road, Edgbaston. I believe it is long demolished and I can't find any information on it on line. Any information would be greatly appreciate. Thanks all :)
 
Martin Hampson's book on Edgbaston says " The Royal Institution for the Instruction of Deaf and Dumb Children on Church Road, was opened in 1814 by Gabriel Jean Marie De Lys, a refugee from theFrench REvolution and a leading physician at the General Hospital. The main buildings were erected in the 1850s....." There are a couple of pictures in the book - of the back of the building and of a class taking place in 1900.

The school continued until 1984, when the building passed to the Princess Royal Centre (National Deaf-Blind and Rubella Association). At some point after this, the name or organisation was renamed to SENSE. The building has been empty for some years and the site is awaiting redevlopment into (I think) a retirement 'village'.

There are extensive grounds - if you want to see what the building and grounds looks, I think that it is visible from the canal towpath (walk out from town in the direction of the university)
 
This is the only photo I have of The Royal Institution for the Instruction of Deaf and Dumb Children, which I believe opened in entirety in 1859 and closed in 1984.

Phil

db75fbf0.jpg
 
Hello, my father worked at Royal School for Deaf Edgbaston for a number of years throughout the 70's as head of PE and then Deputy Head. he took the children on Duke of Ed trips as well as coaching numerous teams etc. I went there every weekend with him to train in the pool and use the gym for all kinds of things.

I have memories which I can relay to you if you wish.
 
Leslam, you are right, you can see the beautiful grounds from the canal and also from the cross city train if you are quick.
A friend of ours in Northampton had a deaf son who went to the school in the early 80's until it closed and they worked wonders for him, calming him down and helping him look to the future. I went a couple of times to collect him and the whole place was peaceful and relaxing, such a shame it closed.
Sue
 
Sue, I was aged between around 8 to 18 during the time I used to visit the school at weekends. I remember it being calm and peaceful, and the buildings at the front were very nice. There was a field at the back (the one in the picture above) where my Dad used to teach outdoor activities. I used to go and help him on Sports Days too. There was an old Victorian style swimming pool where I learned to swim and a gym next door to that.

We (Dad, Brother and I) used to climb over the fence on the field, cross the railway track and go down to the canal for runs after we had been in the pool and gym (we were a very active family)

The boarding children slept in separate buildings (boys/girls).

I remember my Dad saying that some of the behavioural problems at the school got gradually worse and worse and he had to deal with most of them as Deputy Head.
 
From memory, the building in the photo was not there when my Dad taught there. It had been knocked down and replaced (I think) with tennis courts, the Gym, a playground and the boys boarding halls. I did a project on the school as part of my school history work, but I don't think I have it any more.
 
The area where the boys boarding halls, the gym, the pool and the playground were, have now been replaced with a residential home for the elderly.
 
Institute of Deaf and Dumb, Church Road, Edgbaston

My great grandfathers brother was listed in the 1891 census as living in the above institution. Very little is known about Arther Thomas Acton (born 1878, died 1968) other than he married a fellow deaf & dumb institutee? Mabz
 
Demolition of certain sections has begun in 2014.

I got photos of it in Feb 2012, and today (Feb 2014).

First up the 2012 photos

The following are listed Grade II at 34 Calthorpe Road





One demolition is between these two buildings




The next demolition is on the left of this picture.

4 Church Road on the right.





 
Here is an advert from Berrows Worcester Journal 18th October 1822.
It must of been quite daunting for the children to be publicly examined! Also it seems the children were entered into some kind of ballot to get a place at the School - how sad for those who didn't get in.
 

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Hoardings are going up. And think Balfour Beatty will redevelop the site. Been idle since the demolition over a year ago!
 
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Something weird has happened, as I replied to the last post just after it was made! It's disappeared :(

I have run past here twice a week for the last year or so; there have been contractors at the site for most of the time. In fact, I have stopped several times to talk to them. A lot of ground works have been going on round the back; the bits that had been demolished were the sections that joined the original houses. These are being retained and there was a lot of securing work also to be done.
I suspect that part of any delay is down to Calthorpe and the BCC conservation committee, who have been dotting the "i"s and crossing the "t"s of the development. To be honest, it's good that that weren't ready to proceed immediately, as the Church Road and adjoining roads have been badly affected by the Uni development, with side-roads often having two or three large lorries waiting to deliver the large pre-cast panels. We couldn't have coped with more deliveries/awaiting developments.

Anyway, it's good to see it getting under way now. Deliveries have started and what I suspect is the marketing suite was in place this morning when I ran past.
 
Hopefully construction / renovation works will start soon! Over the past year from the no 1 bus, it's been very quiet on that site!
 
Took some photos yesterday when I walked down into Edgbaston in the Easter Monday sunshine (threads such as this one got unsubscribed when something happened to the site over the Easter Weekend).

















 
This article was in the Birmingham Mail on Monday 20th April 2015

Old deaf institute to become retirement village

WORK has begun on transforming an old Birmingham school for the deaf as part of a scheme which will see almost 100 new homes built for the over 55s.
The former Royal School for the Deaf in Edgbaston, will become part of the Audley St George's Place luxury retirement village.
The project will create 50 new jobs for the local community, ranging from sales staff and gardeners.
Nick Sanderson, chief executive officer of Audley, was joined by local businesses and officials to officially break ground on the work.
He said: "We are excited to get this new development underway and are encouraged by both the reception and enthusiasm from the local community.
"Audley's proposition is based first and foremost, on what our customers want: ensuring they can live independently and on their own terms.
"We plan to continue to provide higher quality, luxury living for those in later life, while working with the local community and restoring a stunning historic property to create our Audley Club."
When the building work is complete there will be a mix of 95 apartments and cottages for over 55s.
The development will be centred around the Audley Club - the renovated Royal School for the Deaf.
It will offer facilities to rival any boutique hotel, including a swimming pool, restaurant, bar/bistro and spa, which will be accessible to both owners and the neighbouring communities.
Work on the development will be complete by the end of 2016.
Click to expand...
 
Think these two got lost from the posts that weren't recovered from January / February 2016.

Audley St George's Place in January 2016.






Today - March 2016






50% of the first phase has been sold.

Will this be ready in time for Autumn 2016 or not?
 
image.jpeg I think there must have been an earlier building pre-dating that in post#21 as the 1828 image above suggests. Maybe this building was modified/extended.

Then there's an image of the later or modified building below.

image.jpeg

And two interior views; one of a shoemaking class.

image.jpg

And one of a tailoring class.

image.jpeg

Viv.
 
Viv
The representation on the c 1828 and c 1889 maps for the institution is not very comparable, but does look a little different. However Terry Slater's book on Edgbaston does state that the building was opened in 1814, but the later building was from the 1850s , and was extended in 1887 and 1897
 

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mikejee said:
Viv
The representation on the c 1828 and c 1889 maps for the institution is not very comparable, but does look a little different. However Terry Slater's book on Edgbaston does state that the building was opened in 1814, but the later building was from the 1850s , and was extended in 1887 and 1897
Click to expand...

Hello All, My dad went to the School from about 1925 to 1935. It would have been lovely to show him photos from that time. He also went to The Deaf and Dumb Institute - a social club in Granville street (it moved to Ladywood in 80 or 90's) most Saturday nights until he died at 83. The Institute was a place (a world) where I guess he felt he belonged and was comfortable.
 
Hi Peter. It certainly looks as though the children were cared for at the school. Viv.
 
Vivienne14 said:
Hi Peter. It certainly looks as though the children were cared for at the school. Viv.
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Hi Viv,
Having heard from other people who attended the school around the same time as my dad it was said to be harsh and worse. However my dad rarely mentioned his days there and when he did he spoke of wonderful experiences and opportunities. Perhaps he felt lucky having previously been left in a work house as a very young child. Western Road work house.
 
I did wonder about that Peter. You hear terrible stories. Hopefully your dad was happy there. Viv.
 
Quick update on Audley St George's Place. Hard to see much behind the hoardings and trees. But took this photo.



It is due to open in Autumn 2016. But it is nowhere near ready from what I've seen from Church Road.
 
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