Nechells Place Mill Cato Street North/

[Virusman26]

Hi all.

My wife's Grandfather lived on Rocky Lane for many years, and delivered coal all around the area. He used to deliver to a mill on Cato Street North(FlashEarth link..........
And here's a photo in case anyone knows it...........

His name is Frank Newcombe, and he's still going strong. I'd like to find out for him what it was. I'm thinking it may have been producing maltings for the local breweries at the time?

I'm just wondering what the place was used for originally, as I know it was taken over not too long ago to produce asian flour for food use.Ithink it finally closed some time in the 90's, but I may be wrong.
The building is similar to the old steam mill in Wolverhampton that burned down recently.
These amazing old places seem to be disappearing at quite a rate :explode:

Photo replaced

 

[mikejee]

It is not clear exactly when the building was originally built, and this is complicated by a renumbering of the street around 1880. Next door to it was a flour dealer in 1873, but there is no mention in the directory of anyone at the site in which you were interested. In 1876 the site was occupied by a "beer retailer"(John Reeve) and a brass founder. I suspect the building now there had not been built. In 1890 a company was formed to take over the brewery of John Hutton (who presumably built the brewery) and carried on till 1891 still calling themselves Huttons brewery. They went bust in 1891, but started up again in 1894 after combining with an Oldbury brewery. , calling themselves the City Brewery. they were listed in the directories of 1896 as that. By 1899 they'd gone bust again. In 1912 another "beer retailer" (William Webb) and a metal manufacturer were there, and by 1921 Willaim webb wqas still there , but there were 3 other firms also on the site (bit like the factory centres we get now).In 1940 and 1964 there is no-one listed.
You should remember that the only people who usually got in the directories were those who paid, or at least subscribed and bought a copy, so no mention doesn't mean there was noone there.
Hope thats given you some information. The information on the brewery firms is from the midlands pubs site.
Let us know if you find any more. I always find breweries very interesting !!!

Mike

 

[Virusman26]

WOW! Mayfield! That photo is fantastic! I must admit that you are the only person in 9 months of trying to research this building that has shown me an old photo. That looks even more imposing than it does these days. Quite a daunting structure!!!!

 

[Mayfield]

Neil, you will note from the two photgraphs that the top of the chimney is missing.

Mayfield

 

[Patty]

Mayfield,
That out door in the pic is the one my aunt and uncle used to keep, it was called the Rob Roy I spent many a happy day there playing with my cousins Annette and Susan, did you know them?

 

[Mayfield]

Patty, approximately what years are you talking about? Sorry the names don't seem to trigger any memories?

The name of the outdoor does though; Rob Roy. I used to fetch my dads beer from there in an old pop bottle. The aroma of the outdoor and the shiney brass/copper mearuring jugs and funnels lives with me.

keith

 

[Patty]

Well must have been about 40 yrs ago perhaps late 50's I can find out, thay wasn't my aunt in the window. I think they stayed till it closed or was it pulled down. My uncle Eno and Aunt Winnie used to keep the sportsman round the corner

 

[Mayfield]

Well must have been about 40 yrs ago perhaps late 50's I can find out, thay wasn't my aunt in the window. I think they stayed till it closed or was it pulled down. My uncle Eno and Aunt Winnie used to keep the sportsman round the corner

The name Eno rings a bell? My father occasionally drank in the Sportsman, perhaps he used to talk about him by name and this lodged in my memory?

While I was living there, a friend of mine got killed on the train tack opposite the houses in the photograph. We used to play on the railway sidings in those days, unfortunately for him he got struck by a steam train - fortunately for me I wasn't with him that day?

keith

 

[Virusman26]

Neil, you will note from the two photgraphs that the top of the chimney is missing.

Mayfield

And also that there was an extension on the top floor roof. Almost looks like an airing cupboard type extension.

 

[YOUNG319]

Hi Frank,
I know this building very well, from 1967 to 1972 i spent a lot of time inside as a shopfitting apprentice,
This Building belonged to a company called L.G.Jones Shopfitters Joiners. I was led believe the builing was built
originally as a brewery and believe there are capped wells underneath you find more information if you search
old plans from the local planning office.
Kind regards
Dave

 

[Virusman26]

Hi YOUNG319,

The mill was used originally for the production of malt for local breweries, but has been sub-divided over the yeras, and was last used in it's original form of a mill to produce flour for Asian food-stuffs. The name Lallian's mill as it is know comes from one of the previous owners, but not the original use.