Heartland
master brummie
Wednesday's Birmingham Mail highlighted the former Birmingham Corporation Waterworks Building at Selly Oak and at the same time brought to the surface the exasperation felt by researchers in the way some listed buildings are described. This is the present description for the building.
BRISTOL ROAD 1. 5104 (west side) Selly Oak B29 Selly Oak Electricity Sub-Station to rear of No 659 SP 08 SW 11/6 II 2. Circa 1890. Tall brick and terracotta building with stone dressings, in a Gothic style associated with Chamberlain. Seen from the road the building appears as very tall version of a 2 storey-ed French Gothic Royal Chapel, raised on a high and on a rectangular plan. The south-east front (short side) has a deep flight of steps leading up to the portal with window above, flanked by buttresses. The top floor has triple group of lights set in pointed arcade of cut ornamental brickwork. Steeply hipped tiled roof with terracotta floral bracketed eaves cornice and terracotta finials. On the east return elevation a gabled staircase tower abuts the entrance front with stepped lights on the east face, followed on the top floor or "clerestory" by a tall pointed blind arcade of 3 bays with cut brickwork and ashlar shafts, rising from a weathered string. Projecting from the basement and ground floor is an apsed transept with stone dressed lobed arcaded light, terracotta eaves and a steep tiled roof curved to bow of apse. Lower single storey transept wing off south-west side.
The listing is a reflection of the narrow viewpoint adopted by English Heritage (Now Historic England), which is interested in the architectural detail, but not accurate facts about why the structure was built.
Permission to build this supply had been granted by an act of 1870.
I photographed this interesting building whilst putting together the Birmingham Industrial Heritage book.
Whilst it did become a sub station, the original purpose of the structure should have been included by now. There are all sorts of facts that have been ignored.
The building was finished in 1879 and held a Boulton & Watt steam pumping engine that sent water by mains to Hagley Road and Monument Road reservoirs to supplement the growing needs of Birmingham.
Details of the opening are recorded in the Birmingham Daily Post July 30th 1879, when it is mentioned that the pumping station was opened on the previous day, Tuesday 29th, July.
The 2nd Edition 25 in plan shows the original form of the building and the location of the chimney.
BRISTOL ROAD 1. 5104 (west side) Selly Oak B29 Selly Oak Electricity Sub-Station to rear of No 659 SP 08 SW 11/6 II 2. Circa 1890. Tall brick and terracotta building with stone dressings, in a Gothic style associated with Chamberlain. Seen from the road the building appears as very tall version of a 2 storey-ed French Gothic Royal Chapel, raised on a high and on a rectangular plan. The south-east front (short side) has a deep flight of steps leading up to the portal with window above, flanked by buttresses. The top floor has triple group of lights set in pointed arcade of cut ornamental brickwork. Steeply hipped tiled roof with terracotta floral bracketed eaves cornice and terracotta finials. On the east return elevation a gabled staircase tower abuts the entrance front with stepped lights on the east face, followed on the top floor or "clerestory" by a tall pointed blind arcade of 3 bays with cut brickwork and ashlar shafts, rising from a weathered string. Projecting from the basement and ground floor is an apsed transept with stone dressed lobed arcaded light, terracotta eaves and a steep tiled roof curved to bow of apse. Lower single storey transept wing off south-west side.
The listing is a reflection of the narrow viewpoint adopted by English Heritage (Now Historic England), which is interested in the architectural detail, but not accurate facts about why the structure was built.
Permission to build this supply had been granted by an act of 1870.
I photographed this interesting building whilst putting together the Birmingham Industrial Heritage book.
Whilst it did become a sub station, the original purpose of the structure should have been included by now. There are all sorts of facts that have been ignored.
The building was finished in 1879 and held a Boulton & Watt steam pumping engine that sent water by mains to Hagley Road and Monument Road reservoirs to supplement the growing needs of Birmingham.
Details of the opening are recorded in the Birmingham Daily Post July 30th 1879, when it is mentioned that the pumping station was opened on the previous day, Tuesday 29th, July.
The 2nd Edition 25 in plan shows the original form of the building and the location of the chimney.
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