Stork Hotel Stork Tavern Corporation Street Old Square

[Oldun]

The Stork Hotel*

 

[Oldun]

The Stork Hotel

 

[Vivienne14]

Great information about the Stork Oldun. I wonder if Mikegee could place the Hotel on an old map please ? Viv.

 

[Astoness]

yet another magnificent building raised to the ground...so very sad

 

[mikejee]

The Stork is shown in red on the c1889 map below

 

[Vivienne14]

Thanks Mike. What a substantial hotel it became by the 1880s.

Here are a couple of images. The first is dated c1870, the second dated 1882. The caption to that view is incorrect. Comparing the 1870 Stork and the 1882 Stork it looks like it was to the left in the ‘rare photograph’. Originally the Stork was two houses #3 and #4 (originally built in the 1707 but converted c1829 to become the Hotel ?) in The Square/Old Square. It had a Circus in the courtyard at the rear ! According to Aiden in a first post on the Square Old Square thread “Numbers 3 & 4 were later converted into The Stork Hotel whose stableyard was made into a Circus called the Amphitheatre that also hosted scientific lectures and demos”.

The Hotel seems to have been rebuilt in 1883 according to the image in post #2. Viv.

 

[Oldun]

Thanks for your kind words Viv and setting up the thread.I put the pages in order but they ended up out of sequence.Also the repeated full images at the top were not intended.I understand should you want to alter anything or I can do it again if you prefer.

 

[Vivienne14]

That absolutely fine. Don’t worry about duplication, it’s all appropriate. I thought it was worth having a specific thread for the Stork because that’s an interesting and informative piece of history you’ve provided. And the Hotel goes some way back too, albeit rebuilt in the 1880s. Thank you. Viv.

 

[Vivienne14]

A rather nice image of the Stork from Look & Learn.com. Very detailed and grander architecture compared with the earlier Hotel. Presumably it’s a stork on top of the building. Viv.

 

[Oldun]

Thanks for your comments Viv and that’s a good illustration.I have seen the stork on top referred to elsewhere but can’t quite remember where.When I put the papers on The Square I also put them on Corporation St and in case anyone wants to see them in order they can on that thread.

 

[Oldun]

Mr W.H.Ward-Architect of The Stork Hotel and other City buildings.

 

[Vivienne14]

Re post #6 and the point about whether the Stork is on the left or right-hand side in the photo.

It’s seems one of the photos has been reversed. But which one? Also note the two former houses were (as the Stork Hotel) refronted in 1812. Viv.


Image below from mappingbirmingham.com blog.

 

[mikejee]

.The directories show that the Stork was 1,2,3 Old Square and next to Lower Priory, The map in post 5 shows that Lower Priory was to the left of the Stork, so the second one must be the correct version, unless the rebuild was on a different site. I am a little worried at the title "looking south though, as to my mind, Lower Priory ids to the east.

 

[oldMohawk]

An aerial view of the building on the site in 1951.

source 'britainfromabove'

 

[Tinpot]

Re post #6 and the point about whether the Stork is on the left or right-hand side in the photo.

It’s seems one of the photos has been reversed. But which one? Also note the two former houses were (as the Stork Hotel) refronted in 1812. Viv.
View attachment 162727

Image below from mappingbirmingham.com blog.
View attachment 162728

The top photo is in reverse. Can just see lettering on the portico.

 

[Vivienne14]

Showell’s Dictionary of Birmingham (1885) tells us that the Hotel (when part of The Square) reached from the Minories to Lower Priory (a quarter of the Square). The later 1880s Stork was, although close by, in a slightly different position. Presumably Corporation Street covered (at least some of) the old site. Viv.

 

[Vivienne14]

There’s a thread I’ve created about the short-lived National Equitable Labour Exchange here https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/for...able-labour-exchange-birmingham-branch.54166/

Viv.

 

[Vivienne14]

I’ve created a separate thread about the amphitheatre which was located in the Stork Hotel Tavern yard here

Saunders’ Amphitheatre Stork Tavern Hotel

This amphitheatre is mentioned on the Stork Tavern Hotel thread. It was situated in the yard of the Tavern and was a portable theatre having boxes, a gallery, pit and standing room.The theatre was also used for equestrian lessons, lectures and demonstrations on current scientific topics. The...

birminghamhistory.co.uk

Viv.

 

[Vivienne14]

Looking at Wesley’s 1732 drawing of the Square, this must be where #3 (blue dot) and #4 (red dot) were located

Then looking at the sketch map below (from Memorials of the Old Square by Joseph Hill, 1892) shows the layout of the Square in 1787 with the later line of Corporation Street (100 years later) superimposed. Here we can see that house #3 and #4 (later Tavern/Hotel) would have mostly disappeared under the new and wide Corporation Street. We can deduce that the old coach yard/amphitheatre area must also have disappeared under Corporation Street.

Hence the replacement (Victorian) Stork Hotel in posts #2 and #9 was relocated on the opposite side of Corporation Street at the junction with Lower Priory. Viv.

 

[Vivienne14]

Someone please correct me if I’m wrong but I think this view along Lower Priory shows the rear of The (Victorian) Stork Hotel on the left-hand side, just beyond the hoardings/billboards.


Source of image: https://www.jlb2011.co.uk/iob/slides05/index.htm

And I’m guessing this must have been the front view, to the right in the photo, showing the Hotel at the corner of Lower Priory with Corporation Street. By the time of these two photos the Hotel had been considerably extended along Lower Priory if compared with the original building in posts #2and #9.




The Hotel was still there until at least 1960. Viv.

 

[Oldun]

Someone please correct me if I’m wrong but I think this view along Lower Priory shows the rear of The (Victorian) Stork Hotel on the left-hand side, just beyond the hoardings/billboards.

View attachment 162871
Source of image: https://www.jlb2011.co.uk/iob/slides05/index.htm

And I’m guessing this must have been the front view, to the right in the photo, showing the Hotel at the corner of Lower Priory with Corporation Street. By the time of these two photos the Hotel had been considerably extended along Lower Priory if compared with the original building in posts #2and #9.

View attachment 162872


The Hotel was still there until at least 1960. Viv.
View attachment 162873

Great slide trip around Dale End and adjacent Streets.Also I really like the Lower Priory view of the rear of the Stork.Thank you.

 

[Oldun]

Still trading as at 29 April 1961 according to the menu.

 

[Oldun]

Mr Hector’s House.