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Exploring Birmingham's Derelict Building

Morturn

Morturn

Super Moderator
Staff member
I recently flew my drone over a couple of derelict buildings that have almost become well known landmarks over the last few years.

Any information about them would be most welcome

 
Wow, this is great footage ! It’s certainly an interesting way of finding out more about a building. Thanks Mort.

Now we need to examine it a bit more. Viv
 
Yes Lyn, it seems to have been originally built for bicycles, then taken over by the coop. One use that I don't see mentioned is to manufacture women's underwear( from" The Coop in Birmingham and the Black country" by Ned Williams), though doubt if it was the sort you would want to wear today. Here is a photo before the destruction in 1992

co op belmont row 1992.jpg
 
Its great to see that The Black Horse is still standing (Woodcock St Corner) and is to be incorporated into the new build.....Maybe its being kept cus It could be a nice place for the Council workers in the offices just up the road in Woodcock St, to pop into for a nice lunch break, or is that me being facetious ?
 
A couple of screenshots taken from Morturn’s video showing the roof garden on top of the derelict building. The water feature is looking good and the native silver birch trees are coming on well.

“Interesting fact: silver birch can be used to improve soil quality for other plants to grow. Its deep roots bring otherwise inaccessible nutrients into the tree, which are recycled on to the soil surface when the tree sheds its leaves.”
https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/vi...life/british-trees/native-trees/silver-birch/

1570A411-A96A-4DD3-8CDB-EE5C55922FAB.jpeg5C2013F8-8CE3-40FD-972F-A18B9E423CA5.jpeg
 
For those not familiar with Brum, the first building in the shoot (mentioned by Pedrocut) is the old City Brewery on Cato St
 
Morturn
Not Birmingham, but an interesting subject for your drone flights would be the old Springfield Brewery in Wolverhampton
 
Morturn, there's a sentence you wouldn't have seen until recently 'I flew my drone over....' I was fascinated by the roof garden - I thought the trees had 'just arrived' like butterfly bush seems to. I've always had a soft spot for the Belmont Row building and watched its deterioration with sadness. Thank you for the chance to look at it again.
 
A recent photo of the Black Horse pub from the Jennens Road. Building being built behind for Unite the Union. Eastside Rooms opening in 2019.



Eastside Locks should be restoring the Belmont Row Works, but nothing has been done on the site yet (a lot of the other plots have not been built on yet).
 
Morturn said:
I recently flew my drone over a couple of derelict buildings that have almost become well known landmarks over the last few years.

Any information about them would be most welcome

Click to expand...

hi mate the first two buildings are they still there if so and where is first one in nechells ?
thanks
 
Yes the two main buildings shown in the clip are still there (just about), obviously if they are listed the Council are waiting for them to fall down. As has been stated the old brewery in Cato Street North started out as the Vale of Evesham Brewery and then the Midland Brewery when it was bought out by Holders Brewery. The old Belmont CWS works on Belmont Row as stated was built for a bicycle company who's name escapes me at the moment but the company went bankrupt before it was finished so they never moved in and the Co-op took it over and manufactured many various goods there.
 
In #6 above it's mentioned that CWS cabinet works moved to Hay Mills,( Redhill Rd.) this was certainly before 1945 Subsequently became Carters Refrigeration when CWS Cabinet moved, yet again, to Highlands Rd in Shirley.
 
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Remember seeing the old CWS building on fire in I think the early 2000s one weekday lunchtime.
I was working in offices in nearby Holt St.
I think the building was derelict at the time, but still had its roof on.
It was talked about at this time of having a preservation act on it and being a listed building, with plans to restore it, then all of a sudden it catches fire! and probably destroys any plans along those lines.
 
It seems like they are going to do something at last with the old Belmont Cycle works according to this article in to-days Birmingham Mail, it's about time.

belmont.jpg
 
thanks phil...if i am reading the report correctly some of whats left of the cycle works will be demolished...having been close up to this building and looking at the overhead images on post 8 if they do demolish some of it i am struggling to see just how much will be saved but hopefully at least all of the facade..will follow with interest

lyn
 
Morturn said:
I recently flew my drone over a couple of derelict buildings that have almost become well known landmarks over the last few years.

Any information about them would be most welcome

Click to expand...
what a fantastic video. so clear.thanks
 
Lyn

I don't think for one moment they will be allowed to demolish any of the frontage, and as most of the inside of the building is derelict,damaged and unsafe I suppose this is what what will be demolished. I have worked on similar projects when all that has been saved is the frontage.
 
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