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Montgomery Street

Montgomery Street Co-op

Montgomery Street Co-op

Brummie babby
scbubb56 said:
I remember a tall chimney near to my school, Montgomery Street primary. It was black with grime in my day (1961-67) and if my memory serves me right had a metal top. It always looked like it was falling over from the playground against the background of clouds loving by. Just to the right of the Marlborough Pub can be seen the original Waverley Grammer School, looking a bit like Big Ben.
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Thanks for posting the postcard photo.

We are a group of tenants at Montgomery Street Business Centre in Sparkbrook that are negotiating with the Council to buy our site and keep it going Cooperatively as a business centre with small affordable start-up units.

We are very interested in finding out as much information as we can about the Corporation Wharf, it's Canal Basin (which is very neglected now), the manager's house and the large rounded building on the corner of Anderton Road and Montgomery Street.

So far we have accessed the OS maps from 1888, 1903 and 1913. On the 1888 map the Corporation Wharf site just has what we refer to as the manager's house and to the left of the canal basin, the 'Rolling Mills'. Then on the 1903 map there is a large building with what appears to be a chimney, that's also apparent from the Anderton Road chimney on the postcard that's been shared. The curved building on Anderton Road also makes an appearance on the map at this time.

We understand this may have been an iron foundry serving the Rolling Mills, but there's also references to it on here possibly being the site of a dust destructor. Although we haven't verified this yet. There is, however, evidence online of a dust destructor at Montague Street further on up the canal.

Does anyone know any more about the Corporation Wharf at Montgomery Street in Sparkbrook? Was it an iron foundry with links to the BSA or the Lanchester site? Or was it a dust destructor?

(Photograph on postcard referred to on another thread added here)

andertonrd.jpg
 
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References in Montgomery St in Kellys :
In 1900 edition (that is publication date)
272 Corporation stone yard (John Price) city surveyor)

In 1903 edition (which states on title page that it refers to 1900
272 Corporation Refuse Destructor Works (William Holt, superintendent)
There continues to be a reference to a refuse destructor works in Kellys till at least the 1924 edition, but it has gone by the time of the 1932 edition
 
On this map, published in 1890, it shows the Board Schools more or less opposite the Rolling Mills. Although they look to be in Grace Road they are referred to as Montgomery Street. In September 1882 there was typhoid fever at Small Heath, and a fear that it would spread to Sparkbrook.

“Passing down Dolobran Road and Montgomery Street, close to the playground of the schools was an openening which was pouring out deadly gas at a rate of many cubic feet per minute... A little chloride of lime or other disinfectant had been thrown down the grating near the house belonging to the Corporation Yard, at the corner of Anderton Road and Montgomery Street, showing the presence of the evil is not undiscovered.”

83FAE3F9-2BC4-41AD-894C-2584109469F5.jpeg
 
April 1902...Corporation discuss plans for refuse destructor in Rotten Park St. in the same pattern as the one in Montgomery St. est. £30,000.

February 1906...Corporation employee drowned after falling into the arm of the Birmingham and Warwick Canal.

October 1906... Montgomery St. Destructor provide their own electric light by using a quantity of the refuge.

May 1928... steeplejack killed while demolishing stack at Birmingham Corporation's Refuge Destructor at Montgomery St.

1905/1940 George Johnson (Bm) Metal Rollers.

Looks as if the site was a stone yard around 1900 and had become a Destructor by 1902. The chimney and Destructor became redundant around 1928.
 
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mikejee said:
A slightly more detailed map c1889


A map c1950

View attachment 148265
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Thanks for adding the maps. Just wanted to add that the initials 'W.M.' on this c1950 and earlier maps appear to indicate there was a weighing machine or a weighbridge on Montgomery Street just before the entrance to the works. Would I be correct in assuming vehicles were weighed here before entering the destructor works?
 
Not sure about Birmingham, but some destructors had weighing machines for in and out of the destructor. In to weight the rubbish brought in, and out for the weight of clinker. The load carried would have to be below a certain weight so as not to strain the horses.
 
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