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Archway Of Tears

I was at the Eye Hospital a few weeks ago and walking back along Western Road, I read the demolition order. It said that the Archway was to be carefully dismantled and stored for reuse in redeveloping the the site. we need to be vigilant.
 
rosie said:
I was at City Hospital (Formerly "Dudley Road") this morning and was saddened to see that the Archway of Tears has been demolished. I had thought there plans to preserve it.
rosie.
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hi rosie...so it has gone then...i have not been over over that way for some time so did not know...its just another example of how the powers that be care so little about preserving a major part of our heritage:mad:

lyn
 
DavidGrain said:
I was at the Eye Hospital a few weeks ago and walking back along Western Road, I read the demolition order. It said that the Archway was to be carefully dismantled and stored for reuse in redeveloping the the site. we need to be vigilant.
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thanks david...i take it its just the actually archway that they have saved..thats if they have of course...i read that the site is to be used to build new housing...have to say i dont think i would like a house on the ground where a building caused so much misery but having said that would without it have caused so much more

lyn
 
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waste ground where the archway of tears once stood...noticed they managed to save a couple of trees..very nice of them:mad:

lyn

ARCH OF TEARS...ICKNIELD ST SCHOOL OLD END 002.JPG
 
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Old Boy said:
Hi All,

The mystery continues. The photographs in Post 24, which seems to me the original "Archway of Tears" is much different to the archway to be seen via Post 23. All I know is the plaque dedicated by Carl Chinn is immediately inside the Western Road entrance whereas the arch in the photo at Post No 23 is a good way in from Western Road.

I will try to contact Carl to see if he can help.

Old Boy
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Hi i know this post is very old but i was a volunteer at Dudley rd hospital in 1992 and 1993 around the time of the majortity of the demolition sadly of the old workhouse the there was two gatehouses one by where the gates are on western rd and the other the workhouse entrace which was sadly demolished in 2017 i guess the entrance gatehouse was demolished in 1977 at the same time as the workhouse chapel i know this because there is a piece of stained glass from there in the Birmingham art museam with this date on it,and also at some point someone had posted some pictures of the workhouse online until farily recently one taken from the western road entrance while it was still standing and you can see the workhouse reception house in the background.
 
oldMohawk said:
Hi Viv, I've just had a thought, perhaps the white coloured building was an entrance on the road which was at some time demolished. I can see a building on Western Rd on a 1892-1905 map and perhaps they wanted a 'nice' looking entrance. It would be interesting to know when it was demolished.
Phil
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Hi just a reply a few years too late as this is dated 2017 better late than never as they say. I worked as a volunteer in the early 1990s at what was the old workhouse at what was Dudley Rd geriatric school of medicine up until 1992/1993 when it was demolished apart from the Archway of tears Building which was incidentally turned down as listing from English heritage. And i can defiantly say the fine-looking entrance frontage building had definitely been demolished by that point as had the large chimney in one of the pictures. The workhouse chapel was demolished in 1977 And some of the stained glass is in the Birmingham art museum it this date and info on it. Marianne.
 
Expect this memorial has disappeared with demolition. A simple plaque commemorating those in such desperate need seems pretty inadequate to me, but at least it was recognised as an important part of local history. Viv.

Screenshot_20230225_154233_Chrome.jpg
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Source: British Newspaper Archive
 
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Two photos of the building. One from the 1980s showing a well maintained building when it was in use as offices. The 2017 photo must have been taken prior the fire in the building and just before demolition. The photos show the different sides to the building.
Screenshot_20261009_170455_Chrome.jpg
Screenshot_20261009_170501_Chrome.jpg
 
Usual question: where is it now ? I wonder if there's any intention of returning it to somewhere on the site? It sounds like it was on a plinth of some sort so it would easily have been removed for safe keeping. In theory.....
 
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Vivienne14 said:
Usual question: where is it now ? I wonder if there's any intention of returning it to somewhere on the site? It sounds like it was on a plinth of some sort so it would easily have been removed for safe keeping. In theory.....
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AI has it that, "The brass plaque commemorating the Archway of Tears remains on site near the Western Road entrance of the former City Hospital (formerly Dudley Road Hospital), mounted on a surviving brick stump or pedestal where the gateway once stood."
 
John L said:
AI has it that, "The brass plaque commemorating the Archway of Tears remains on site near the Western Road entrance of the former City Hospital (formerly Dudley Road Hospital), mounted on a surviving brick stump or pedestal where the gateway once stood."
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thanks john i have just found this

    • Where to find it: If you enter through the Western Road entrance of the City Hospital site, the brass plaque is mounted on a brick stump located just on the right side. [1, 2]
    • The "Archway of Tears": The brick stump marks the location of what was locally known as the Archway of Tears,
 
I'm not sure now - it seems to be there in 2011 as well so begs the question if it is the plaque when was it moved? If it isn't then what is it?
No views before 2011
 
still there in 2024 jan...one can only hope a far betting place will be found ..most workhouses i have been reading about have proper blue plaques and i can feel a campaign coming on

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May not be the most sensitive placing of the plaque, but presumably it's the closest to the original site of the archway. Being in a car park too, I suppose there were limitations as to where it could be placed.

I expect most people walk past it without even noticing it or registering it's meaning. Be better if it had/or if in future it was placed inside a building. Even better if it was placed with some/a piece of the old archway. But that opportunity may have passed now of course.
 
Lyn's post in the City Hospital thread suggests the Archway building was in use until 2016 but in 2011 streetview (last post) the building appears to be fenced off (blue wooden fencing).

Astoness

Post in thread 'Birmingham City Hospital officially closed Nov 2024'

it was demolished sept 2017

The Fire Incident
Before the building was torn down, trespassers entered the empty structure (which had briefly functioned as a specialized care facility until its closure in 2016). A chair located in the former staff building was deliberately set on fire, causing subsequent fire and smoke damage that spread to other parts of the historic building and required emergency fire-fighting intervention. [1]
  • Appreciate
  • Sad
 
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