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William Powell's Gunmakers Shop, Carrs Lane

Dennis Williams

Dennis Williams

Gone but not forgotten
Does anyone know what has happened to this glorious gothic building opposite M&S in Carr's Lane?
Is it listed Wendy? It once housed William Powell's Gunmakers, whose family hold a very important part of Birmingham's history and past. Read more here https://www.william-powell.co.uk/Display?Open=About Us

Last time I looked it was closed up and looked very sad. Never was into owning guns or fishing rods, but loved looking in the window whilst waiting for the 53 or 54 bus home in my youth. Now if he'd stocked Colt 45s or Winchester 73 rifles like Roy Rogers or Gene Autry.....
 
Powells in Carrs lane has opened again selling clothes,shoes,bed linen, toys etc.
I went in there before Christmas and ask do they realise the history of the place.They ended up telling me. They say there are little workshops out back Even a firing tunnel to test the guns. I ask if I could take some photos but they hadn't got the keys and ask me to go back after Christmas, which I will:)
 
hello.i used to get my black powder cartridges from there.back in the 70s and 80s for a old hammer shotgun.that was not proofed for nitro.
a nice shop.
 
Hi denni
yes i can recall the old carrs lane long before redevelopments with its tiny shops and it was a little cobbled street way back in the late 1800s and the early 1900s and on the steel house lane facing the victoria law courts and steel house lane police station
and to say my ancesters was one of the old school whom made and sold the old shot guns in carrs lane right through the generations up to the mid fifties before the change of carrs lane
they was of course jelfs shot gun dealers and they finished around the mid fifties
 
img545.jpg
This is Albert Parsons at work, he is fileing the barrel of a shotgun in the workshop of W. Powell and Sons Ltd. Gunmakers of Carrs Lane in 1952.
Powells was formed in 1802 making it one of the oldest gunmakers in Birmingham. Albert was one of three brothers working for the company.
 
HI STICH ;
Hope you are well; great pict; yes also there was alot of gun smiths around the area in those days;
and i was wondering what nmber in carrs lane they was at ; because my relatives also was in cars lane around that period
from early years selling guns and i beleive they was making some as well; i think it was pistols they specialized in as i was told by some one
about 12 months ago ; as this lady as connections to my releies whom was her grand mother whom married a jelf ;
and she said they got together to make pistols ; in the 1800s
and they had a big gun shop in carrs lane right up until i think 1956-7 before the demo,s started with all those little shops
i recall seeing them [ thats the jelfs shop in carrs lane around that period ]
i was wondering whether or not we could find out what number was these shops i thought also there was littlegun smiths shops oppersite steel house lane years ago little tiny shops and one year i think it was early 1950 ; that about three coppers decided to break in whilst on duty ;
but they got caught and dealt with by the courts this info was published by the good old sunday mecury the day after
i wonder if g i brown was around then ; or our inspector willoby was around n there days ;
as they may have been seving officiers of the force i beleive will was at keyon street in his time ;
okay guys i am not knocking our two members either ; but the info; can get from the old archives from the sunday mercury
they have covered most things nour city ; over the years ; great paper ;
best wishes astonian
 
A friend of mine owned a William Powell hammer actionshotgun; it was beautifully engraved, real craftsmanship.
 
You can just see W Powell and son on the right of this picture dated 1958.
 

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i used to buy black powder cartridges off them for my old wilkinson shot gun.as the later nitro would have blown it up..it was a very good shop for the sportsman.
 
Hi Astonian,

Yes, Powells did used to make pistols in the 1800's.
Back in the late 60's a friend of mine was stripping a wall
in his house, and came across a boarded up recess,
and in the recess were a blanket and 2 Powell's single shot
percussion pistols, so these would date from 1850s to 1870's?

Kind regards

Dave
 
Re: Ghost signs

This ornate building in Carrs Lane was once occupied by William Powell & Co. The company was established in 1802 according to the sign on the first floor, but I doubt it was in this building as it looks later in design. There's an 'R', 'O' 'W' 'E' and 'L' name or monogram on square plaster tablets across the first floor too. The external decoration has seen better days. But it has some excellent brickwork and plasterwork. Maybe it will one day get a facelift. Think it should be listed. Viv.

View attachment 103705View attachment 103706
 

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Re: Ghost signs

Vivienne14 said:
This ornate building in Carrs Lane was once occupied by William Powell & Co. The company was established in 1802 according to the sign on the first floor, but I doubt it was in this building as it looks later in design. There's an 'R', 'O' 'W' 'E' and 'L' name or monogram on square plaster tablets across the first floor too. The external decoration has seen better days. But it has some excellent brickwork and plasterwork. Maybe it will one day get a facelift. Think it should be listed. Viv.

View attachment 103705View attachment 103706
Click to expand...

It was a gun shop. I remember telling the man who opened the clothes store what it was before. He said there is a little range out back. I asked if I could see it? he said he was busy but come back in the week. I did go back a couple of times but it always was a different man who didn't have the keys. As you see the shop is shut now.
 
Re: Ghost signs

Robert said:
Viv i think the R O W E L may read powell.
Click to expand...

Thanks Robert. Of course I should have realised that. My photo cut off the second L ! A lot of effort went into decorating the face of this building, such a pity to see it decay.

Thanks. Froth All sounds a bit dodgy doesn't it. Hope it isn't demolished it's about the only building with any history left along Carrs Lane. Viv
 
Re: Ghost signs

Vivienne14 said:
This ornate building in Carrs Lane was once occupied by William Powell & Co. The company was established in 1802 according to the sign on the first floor, but I doubt it was in this building as it looks later in design. There's an 'R', 'O' 'W' 'E' and 'L' name or monogram on square plaster tablets across the first floor too. The external decoration has seen better days. But it has some excellent brickwork and plasterwork. Maybe it will one day get a facelift. Think it should be listed. Viv.

View attachment 103705View attachment 103706
Click to expand...

View attachment 103710

Not sure of the date of this picture, but Powell's was still operating from Carrs Lane
 

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Re: Ghost signs

That's a smashing photo Jim. The condition of the building looked good. Hopefully the sign above the door in your photo is still underneath the 'Big Save' sign. It might have been fixed on top of the old sign. Might be able to estimate the date of the photo by the 'Group4' security alarm near the door. When did these alarms come into being/or were popular on commercial premises? Viv.
 
Re: Ghost signs

Thanks Janice for researching Powells. So it's not that long ago that they occupied Carrs Lane. Afraid I can't see your video link.

Be nice to know what the future plans are for the building given its current state. Looks pretty vulnerable amongst the newer buildings. Another one to keep outer eyes on. Viv.
 
Re: Ghost signs

Sorry about link - not sure what happened - have tried again. The reason I was interested is that I (or rather my Dad) knew a connection of the family another William Powell.

Janice
 
Re: William Powell & Co (Gun & Rifle maker)

I worked in the betting office on the top floor for a bit before we moved. It was a bit of a spooky building at 9/10 o'clock at night.

There was also a tube on the top floor to shoot the guns down. Don't think I ever went in Powell's though.
 
Re: William Powell & Co (Gun & Rifle maker)

Some of my old photos - from before the construction of the Travelodge hotel and Tesco Express.

2009



The ghost sign is now hidden behind the Travelodge.






Details in 2009







 
Re: William Powell & Co (Gun & Rifle maker)

A year later in 2010 the ghost sign was visible (shortly before Travelodge got built in 2011)





At one point was a shop on the ground floor selling shoes I think (closed down years ago)

 
Frothblower said:
Powells in Carrs lane has opened again selling clothes,shoes,bed linen, toys etc.
I went in there before Christmas and ask do they realise the history of the place.They ended up telling me. They say there are little workshops out back Even a firing tunnel to test the guns. I ask if I could take some photos but they hadn't got the keys and ask me to go back after Christmas, which I will:)
Click to expand...
hi. did you ever go back there. i went in there one evening after work. i worked in a foundry then. the look on there faces.
i still had my working cloths on.and did not look a country dude.. they more or less slung me out. never went in there again wonder why?
dude
country dude.jpg meme.jpg
 
Last edited:
Hi,

Nearly 50 years ago I worked with an old chap who was stripping a wall in his house when he uncovered
a small wall cupboard containing 2 small single shot percussion pistols. One of them was made
by Powells.

Kind regards
Dave
 
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