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Birmingham tower blocks 1950s/60s/70s still here today

CharlesF

Brummie babby
Hello everyone, I hope I've picked the right place for this post.

I have a (perhaps unusual) interest in post-war estates, particularly tower blocks, and would be really interested in any recommendations of places to see now in Birmingham, particularly those which have seen little refurbishment or change since being built in the 50s/60s/70s.

As these brutalist buildings are coming down very fast in recent years, it is important for me to try and document these photographically as best I can, before they are lost to history.

Please note whilst I would like Birmingham recommendations in particular, I am open to any more suggestions of relatively unchanged council/ex council estates or brutalist buildings and tower blocks of any kind, anywhere in the UK. I know their design is rather controversial and unpopular, but it would be nice to capture them before they are all torn down.

Thank you very much!
 
Welcome Charles. An interesting topic. Our members will, I’m sure, be able to make recommendations. Some will have lived in them when newly built.

I shall move your post to our history section.

Viv.
 
I have been a lifetime lover of social housing. Living and working in Birmingham I have seen significant changes in social housing.

If you have specific questions about particular tower blocks or estates, then ask here.

If you want a generic overview, then this site is excellent.

The author did a quite detailed study of Castle Vale here. I am also sure there is other Birmingham related stuff on this site too.

I will say that in my knowledge, I don’t know of many houses or flats that have not been significantly modified in recent years. Jarvis Road, Erdington is possibly one estate of Large Panel Tower Blocks that have not been too messed around with in recent years.
 
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Queens Tower, South Tower, High Tower and Home Tower have undergone three significant modernisation programmes.

One in the late 80’s to remove the district heating system in Queens Tower and install individual gas boilers in each dwelling. PVCu windows were also fitted.

The second started in 1991 to upgrade the insulation on the internal walls, remove the Garchey refuse system and to fit new kitchens and bathrooms. I was the site QS on this project and spent a year on this fascinating site.

The site is now in the process of undergoing another significant face lift with all of the external walls being cladded. The works was still in progress when I passed the site a few week back.
 
Thank you very much everyone, it's much appreciated. Anything brutalist really captures me, strange as I specialise normally in ancient history, as well as used to work for The National Trust.
I have been a lifetime lover of social housing. Living and working in Birmingham I have seen significant changes in social housing.

If you have specific questions about particular tower blocks or estates, then ask here.
Thank you very much for the suggestions Morturn, that site is very informative and useful. Castle Vale is one place that intrigues me, I wish I caught it before it was mostly demolished, but sadly I was only born the year after the blocks had gone!

I have heard Druids Heath is one that may be worth a look, although some may be demolished soon. What do you think? Any buildings which are soon to be condemned are a priority for me, for obvious documentation reasons.
 
Druids Heath is certainly worth a look at. The estate became a Tennant Management Organisation (TMO) in the 90’s, but never attracted the funding that Castle Vale, Bloomsbury or Lee Bank were given. Consequently, very little regeneration took place.

Certainty worth a look at the Large Panel Tower Blocks and in fact the estate.
 
When I was young I moved to what was then called the "Calthorpe Park Estate" which ran from Belgrave Road at one end to Priory Road at the other. This was around 1964. At the Belgrave Road end there are (and were) three tower blocks named after places in Canada (Ottawa, Montreal, Vancouver) at the far end (overlooking the cricket ground) are Wickets Tower and Century Tower. They have been refurbished over the years but I think the structure is basically the same. I lived in the low rise maisonette block on Tylney close. There was another low rise block on Belle Vue at the corner of Bristol Road that has been demolished. I seem to remember there were other towers between the two ends but for the moment I can't remember names. Security was different in those days. I used to collect for a charity football pool for a while and had been in several of them at the time. The smell was generally bad and the lifts had regular problems. That's probably the reason I remember the view from the stairwell on the 16th floor of Wickets tower. Although you could probably see the cricket quite well you'd be squinting through louvred windows at something you wouldn't have been able to see clearly without binoculars.
 
Hello everyone, I hope I've picked the right place for this post.

I have a (perhaps unusual) interest in post-war estates, particularly tower blocks, and would be really interested in any recommendations of places to see now in Birmingham, particularly those which have seen little refurbishment or change since being built in the 50s/60s/70s.

As these brutalist buildings are coming down very fast in recent years, it is important for me to try and document these photographically as best I can, before they are lost to history.

Please note whilst I would like Birmingham recommendations in particular, I am open to any more suggestions of relatively unchanged council/ex council estates or brutalist buildings and tower blocks of any kind, anywhere in the UK. I know their design is rather controversial and unpopular, but it would be nice to capture them before they are all torn down.

Thank you very much!
Chelmsley Wood, huge estate built late 1960's.The town centre has been altered in recent years but Tower blocks remain unchanged.
 
Thank you very much everyone, it's much appreciated. Anything brutalist really captures me, strange as I specialise normally in ancient history, as well as used to work for The National Trust.

Thank you very much for the suggestions Morturn, that site is very informative and useful. Castle Vale is one place that intrigues me, I wish I caught it before it was mostly demolished, but sadly I was only born the year after the blocks had gone!

I have heard Druids Heath is one that may be worth a look, although some may be demolished soon. What do you think? Any buildings which are soon to be condemned are a priority for me, for obvious documentation reasons.
Lyndurst Estate in Edrington was one of those places with Tower blocks, not sure if they are still there. I had a close friend who lived there in the late 50's.
 
Lyndurst Estate in Edrington was one of those places with Tower blocks, not sure if they are still there. I had a close friend who lived there in the late 50's.
I lived on the Lynhurst Estate, Fairbourne Tower in the late 50's too. Most, but not all of the tower blocks are still there.
 
My friend lived in Kentmere Tower. Out of curiosity, why are some blocks no longer there?
There is a lot of material around talking about the downsides of the council tower block, and why people did not like them. So, in a nutshell.

The tower blocks were built because they were cheap to build and helped the council meet population density levels. They promised the dream of modern luxury housing with a spectacular view.

At first, there was a real enthusiasm. People, many with family’s who had been living in poor quality housing or had spent year on the councils waiting list it seemed a dream come true. The reality of course was social isolation, anti-social behaviour, and problems with maintenance.

My mom said that she feared us kids falling out of the sixth-floor window, however in later life she said that she felt so cut off that she would mop the hall floor several times a day in the hops of seeing passing neighbours to chat with.

For some people, high-rise living is fine, but for most, not. The council found that it was getting difficult to let high-rise flats and to deal with the anti-social behaviour and maintenance costs. Some blocks in excess of rent revenues. A programme of demolition was started on the 90’s across the city.
 
There is a lot of material around talking about the downsides of the council tower block, and why people did not like them. So, in a nutshell.

The tower blocks were built because they were cheap to build and helped the council meet population density levels. They promised the dream of modern luxury housing with a spectacular view.

At first, there was a real enthusiasm. People, many with family’s who had been living in poor quality housing or had spent year on the councils waiting list it seemed a dream come true. The reality of course was social isolation, anti-social behaviour, and problems with maintenance.

My mom said that she feared us kids falling out of the sixth-floor window, however in later life she said that she felt so cut off that she would mop the hall floor several times a day in the hops of seeing passing neighbours to chat with.

For some people, high-rise living is fine, but for most, not. The council found that it was getting difficult to let high-rise flats and to deal with the anti-social behaviour and maintenance costs. Some blocks in excess of rent revenues. A programme of demolition was started on the 90’s across the city.
Thank you Mort, that is insight that I was never aware of! Thinking about my business travels to China, Korea etc., there are SO many very tall residential buildings. NYC has a lot of tall buildings but are mostly occupied by businesses (not all).
 
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