Park Street Burial Ground

[BELMONT ROW]

I suppose a photo taken by some bloke hanging over the side of a 1930s biplane would not show such detail. I have zoomed in on the large pic and can see some small objects that could be headstones near the fence or bushes along Park Street. Unfortunately I don't know anything about the actual layout of the burial ground. Maybe some member has an old photo of Park Street taken at street level.
View attachment 140918

none of us get younger, we all die, but often old photos disappear when we die and when found are destroyed, its times like these that they are invaluable, wud be gud to have some depository where people that knew the pics wudnt be kept...an idea.

 

[Vivienne14]

This is an emotive subject and may be upsetting for members. Out of respect, can we keep focussed on the history aspects and the facts. Thank you all. Viv.

 

[mw0njm.]

The permanent burial of the physical body, or the burial of cremated remains, should be seen as a symbol of our entrusting the person to God for resurrection”, Under UK law, remains can only be exhumed on the authority of the Justice Secretary or the Church of England if from consecrated ground.

 

[Radiorails]

I doubt the Council has a list. It is under the jurisdiction of the C of E Diocese of Birmingham who are located at 1, Colmore Row. But venting spleen won't help.

 

[Vivienne14]

This thread is now locked for admin discussion. The thread was intended for comments about the burial ground, it’s history and factual information revealed by the recent excavations. Unfortunately the discussion has moved away from that. Mods will now discuss the thread. Thank you to all who have contributed. Viv.

 

[Astoness]

this thread is now open again for comments...can members please read viv post 90

thanks ...from the team

 

[Pedrocut]

Excavation of a 17th-century chair on the Park Street site.

 

[Pedrocut]

Some details of the almost complete wooden 17C chair In above post.
Probably oak, heavy solid style with turned barley-twist decoration on the front legs: fragments of the leather seat and back and of the organic
stuffing survived.

 

[Pedrocut]

The Park Street excavations in progress, 2001.

 

[Vivienne14]

Must be very wet ground for the chair to survive 300/400+ years.

 

[mikejee]

Here are a few more details of the chair

 

[Pedrocut]

Must be very wet ground for the chair to survive 300/400+ years.

Two tanks found at Park Street. The smaller tank 3mx2m, a wicker canopy collapsed or thrown in and survived and lay on top of the chair.
Lack of evidence for function of tanks, although clearly water tanks serving some industrial function.

 

[Astoness]

how fascinating mike..what a great find

 

[Pedrocut]

Excavating the wood-lined tanks at the Park Street site. Just in front of the archaeologist at the bottom of the photo can be seen the blackened timbers lining one end of the large tank.

 

[Pedrocut]

This is close to the interesting thread….

Digbeth Mineral Water Works and Well

Hi im sean, im a digger driver, i am working on what is now well lane (beorma quarter) , im digging up what i believe is the site of the old spring and mineral water works, we're already finding interesting finds, (there are archaeologist working with me) i'd love to find old pictures of the...

birminghamhistory.co.uk

 

[Pedrocut]

“Even if we cannot be sure what the water tanks were used for, the archaeological dig at Park Street has provided evidence for a diverse range of industries in the 17th and 18th centuries: textile processing (probably), iron smithing, brass working and bone working.”

 

[Astoness]

due to the continuing construction works around the digbeth area the one good thing that comes out of it all is the wonderful finds that are being found and fair play to them for holding up work while a proper excavation can be carried out and documented


lyn

 

[COMPRESSORMAN]

My dad has often drove past this wondering whether it is a small cemetary or the graveyard of a long gone church. I'm talking of the small burial area not far from Masshouse Street.

Its now a Railways Station thanks To HS2...UR body is not safe anywhere, thousands dug up to build the station.

 

[Astoness]

Its now a Railways Station thanks To HS2...UR body is not safe anywhere, thousands dug up to build the station.

yes it was disgraceful how they were allowed to do that

lyn

 

[John L]

There is a more recent thread that is well worth a look. It has photos/information on this graveyard and is titled:

Park Street Burial Ground​

 

[Vivienne14]

Thanks John, shall merge the threads. edit - done.

 

[Heartland]

The channel PBS last week broadcast a 3 part series on the HS 2 dig which included details of the Park Street excavations but made no mentions of the removal of bodies with the railway extensions in to New Street (1848) and the widening of the railway in the 1890's.

It did not mention the act of Parliament of 1807 that enabled the burial ground to be built.

Whilst it was considered part of St Martin Parish no mention was made of the first church in this area, St Bartholomews..

The archeology was conducted by a London based group despite one being more local and their published study seems to have been more comprehensive than the PBS program. It was also a program that selected certain facts such as the irish protests and Carl Chinn's discussion of the Peaky Blinders. No mention was made of the factories on this site.

But then program makers choose the contents as to what might be sellable to broadcasters,

 

[mikejee]

You forgot to add "particularly for sale to an American audience"

 

[Pedrocut]

PBS America (the UK channel) has been airing Britain’s Biggest Dig, a three-part BBC Two documentary about the HS2 excavations, produced in the UK by Lion Television and presented by Alice Roberts and Yasmin Khan. It originally premiered on BBC Two in September 2020. PBS America is simply rebroadcasting it in the UK.