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Archaeological Site Library & Centenary Sq

Charlie

Charlie

GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN
Interesting item from Friday's B'ham Mail:
Factory lying under Square - Archaeologists have uncovered the remains of a Victorian metal work factory and canal beneath the car park next to the B'ham Rep. Two hundred years ago the area was a maze of waterways and foundries as B'ham earned its reputation as the workshop of the world - in two years the site is set to be redeveloped as the new £193 million Central Library. Four long trenches, up to four metres deep, have revealed the housing for massive steam engines, the base of a massive chimney and the arm of the canal. Chris Hewitson of B'ham Archaeology: "....this has been a union rolling mill since 1820, a place where brass tubes and wire was manufactured". They now start filling in and restoring the car park, it will next be exposed when full library construction begins late in 2010.
 
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I just read that too, there is a photo of the brickwork they have uncovered, it fasinating.
 
A copy of the photo of the brickwork found under the car park of Birmingham Library.

Phil

CityBirminghamLibraryCarPark.jpg
 
Thank you for that Charlie, wish i could go and have a look...Cat
 
hi all...for anyone who didnt see this in last nights evening mail you may find this of interest....

artefacts have been uncovered on the site of the new central library...there is a viewing platform open to the public with information boards all around it...:):):)

needless to say i am going to try to find time next week to go and have a look....and maybe if i take me little trowel and flash me forum badge who knows...they may even let me have a go....:D:D:D

lyn


 
Lyn, how strange, dad was only saying last week that where the Hall of Memory was used to be a canal basin, hope they save a lot of it, be nice to have some history left as so much is being detroyed! Let me know when you're going up and i'll join you in persuading them to let us in ;)
 
Here is a map of the area c 1899 and similar one for c 1951, showing hall of memory
mike
(Replacements)
 

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Hi Lyn, i do hope it's backfilled too.. not sure if it would effect the new foundations for the Library, i assume it would and they would have to remove it all.... I was wondering though would the black country museum not be able to move it? or would that take too long? It would be a shame to lose it, we'll have to ask when we get down there, i'm sure if they have opened it up to the public, then they will have someone on hand to answer questions.
 
just what i was thinking claire...i reckon it will go as surely the foundations for the the new library will be very deep...good idea about the black country museum taking it away:):)

ps....dont forget yer thumb screws....:D:D
 
hi all...well myself..claire and tiny (thats claires dad for those who dont know) went to have a good look at the dig this morning....in one word...AMAZING....you could almost smell and taste the history.... think there was about 6 archeologists on the site today...we asked nicely if we could maybe go onto the site itself but were politely denied :(:( it was at this point that i had to pull claire back as she was just about to go over the top:D:Dhad to pull the bars apart in places though to get better views and climb the wall:rolleyes: anyone who is truely interested in the history of birmingham please go and have a look...the scene you see today will not be the same tomorrow as they are uncovering different things every day so it would be nice if for the next few weeks other members who go up there could put their pics on like we can see the progress made...in october centenery square will be dug up and the archeologists will be moving to that site where there will be yet more history to uncover:)..this is a chance we dont get very often and anyone who goes to take a look will not be disapointed... right enough talking here are a few of my pics...





 
last one.. in this you can see three wooden round blocks and what looks to be part of a door which has been dug up..

look forward to seeing more pics off those who can get up there....

lyn....:):)
 
It was great seeing you again too Lyn :) Shame you wouldn't let me climb though lol

We went and had a walk down the other canal furthur up to get an idea of what that one would have been like, we need to work out where they would have linked up :) See if we can't get them to dig something else up lol
 
Super photos. I wish I was still in Brum to go and have a look. It was expecially interesting to me because I caught glimpses of Civic Centre next door. I was a shorthand typist there for a few years in 1959 onwards. Things have certainly changed now. Does anyone know what Civic Centre is actually used for now as I believe the Council have vacated the premises.
WendyP
 
A few years ago when excavation work was started on the ICC and the new Rep' on Broad Street, they found quite a lot of skeleton bones there. It was thought it may have something to do with the plague as there were so many buried - but I cannot verify that. They had to be moved elsewhere to consecrated ground before work could continue.
 
Can't make it today. Have the powers that be given any indication as to what went on at the site in days of yore.

What were the elf'n safety issues that prevented you from going on the site. Is the place haunted, or are their unexploded bopmbs. what a load of rubbish by brainwashed jobsworths. If you want to stop anyone doing anything just utter the magic spell "ELF'N SAFETY".
On another subject an apocryphal story told me by an indider. When the ICC and Symphony Hall were being built, they discovered a building that ws to be demolished was listed. The Council panicked as it could set the programme back weeks, so the order went out demolish it and we will just say we didn't know if anyone asks....anyway they can't rebuild it once its down.
 
Lyn
Hadn't studied it when i put in post above. That doesn't seem to get you to all te links. the others are:
https://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2009/aug/28/archaeology-amateur-rewriting-british-history
https://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2009/aug/28/time-team-mick-aston
https://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2009/aug/28/archaeology-romans-dig-hadrian-wall
https://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2009/aug/28/museum-london-archaeology-moss
https://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2009/aug/28/archaeology-beginners-guide
https://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2009/aug/28/archaeology-manchester-victorian-slums
https://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2009/aug/28/archaeology-bellever-dartmoor-bronze-age
https://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2009/aug/28/archaeology-cambridge-university-girton-roman
https://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2009/aug/28/orkney-archaeological-site
https://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2009/aug/28/archaeology-heritage

Mike
 
Last of my few :)

Before it was covered up before, and used as a car park,

did they not know what was there :(
 
hi all...i feel sure that the second pic here is of the wharf which is said to be next to the dig up town ..looks to be in about the right spot...maybe someone can confirm this...

cheers

lyn:)
 
Trying to work out the angle, has the Hall of Remembrance been altered slightly ?,

the work going on in the new pic, is from sinking a bore hole, I believe 150 metre`s deep, more to follow.
 
Looks like they're digging in the right place Dave.
You can see the 2 extension thingys on the hall of memory clearly in the black and white photo.
The one extension is seen clearly in the colour photo and the other nearly out of sight on the other side.
 
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