• Welcome to this forum . We are a worldwide group with a common interest in Birmingham and its history. While here, please follow a few simple rules. We ask that you respect other members, thank those who have helped you and please keep your contributions on-topic with the thread.

    We do hope you enjoy your visit. BHF Admin Team

Soho Foundry

Charlie

Charlie

GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN
I posted this under the "Soho House" thread yesterday, but maybe it would be better under a new thread:

I took some friends to Soho House yesterday, they hadn't visited it before and were most impressed. Then we drove to Foundry Lane and Averys to look at the preserved cottages at Soho Foundry. The jobsworth on security finally agreed that we could look at the outside of the cottages (only just inside the main gate) but when I ventured around the back (which backs on to the factory's main car park) he came over shouting "You can't look around the back, there's all sorts of masonry and rubble that falls off here"!!
Now I'm worried...the cottages are, I'm sure, listed (Wm Murdoch lived in the end one in 1817) but they're in an awful state inside and seem to be just used for dumping boxes. The back of most of the cottages is overgrown with shrubs and weeds. I hope I'm wrong, but nothing seems to be being done to look after these wonderful cottages! I know Averys is now owned by an American company (Weigh-Tronix - see averyweigh-tronix.com) and just wonder if they have the same 'reverence' for this history that we do.
Maybe I'll try and ring Averys to find out!
 
Funnily enough I have passed this factory four times in the last few days. I had seen photographs of this wonderful building on a thread somewhere and had assumed that being called Soho House it was situated somewhere by the Soho Road. So when I drove past it and recognised it I had a little smile to myself. It is such a shame that things like this building and it's cottages (which I didn't know were there) are not protected. It is a very impressive building and I hope your efforts will pay off and the cottages will be saved.
 
Jules: Soho House is situated off the Soho Road but Soho Foundry is on Foundry Lane, nearer Smethwick - this is where the cottages are. Soho House is beautifully preserved as a Museum and run by Birmingham Council whereas the Soho Foundry and Cottages are part of a private company (Avery Weigh-Tronix). These are the ones I think we may be in danger of losing if they fall into disrepair.
 
Charlie said:
Jules: Soho House is situated off the Soho Road but Soho Foundry is on Foundry Lane, nearer Smethwick - this is where the cottages are. Soho House is beautifully preserved as a Museum and run by Birmingham Council whereas the Soho Foundry and Cottages are part of a private company (Avery Weigh-Tronix). These are the ones I think we may be in danger of losing if they fall into disrepair.
Click to expand...

Sorry getting my Foundry and House mixed up. I mean't Foundry. This is the factory that I drove passed on my way through Winson Green into Lozells. It is in a very old industrial and run down area and you can see that this was once a very large impressive and beautiful building. Hopefully the cottages will be saved for future generations.
 
Charlie, missed your post first time round. I don't know the foundry or the cottages, but I'm sure they are both worth saving. How to get the City council to listen is another matter. I think many of us have seen so much destroyed in Birmingham we all get a bit disheartened, if you want some elbow, we are all here.
 
The surviving Soho Foundry owes much to its predecessor, Manufactory at old Soho, in Handsworth, where Factory Road becomes St Michael's Hill. This was built over an old watermill of Hockley Brook, and its brilliant originator, Matthew Boulton later met James Watt, who introduced steam power (and much more, like gas power). It was ten or 15 years later that they built the Foundry, which was outside Birmingham or Handsworth, in Smethwick, not far from what became Black Patch Park, where land qould have been quite cheap. The foundry was used, mainly at first for building steam engines, and this was run largely by James Watt's son, who lived in Aston Hall until he died.
Peter
 
More information on avery-weightronix.com. The cottages are a very important part of our Birmingham History (thankyou Peter). The remains of the Foundry can also be seen towards the back of the site. I'm trying to get in touch with someone at Averys who can arrange a viewing of the Foundry (not easy)!
 
My dad worked in the drawing room at Averys for nigh on 50 years. i can remember(just) going to the childrens Xmas parties there every year in the 50s and early 60s.
My dad still goes up there every month to the retired workers club i will see if he knows anything about the Foundry and cottages.
 
Charlie. I spoke to my dad today. He told me that when he retired in 1993 the cottages were used as offices, he heard that they were suppost to have been moved brick by brick to The Black Country Museum. He doesn't know why they are still there. He is going to the Averys Pensioners club next Tuesday and will ask questions to see what he can find out. I see you lived in Putney Rd,my parents grew up in Howard Rd and Crompton Rd and i lived in Crompton Rd 'till i was five. Used to go to Westminister Rd church untill it closed.
 
Thanks for all your help, it really is appreciated. They're certainly not used as offices now, sadly, just seems to be storage. I'll be interested to see what your dad can find out! I don't see that they should move to Black Country Museum - this is a very important part of Birmingham's history after all.
Lived in Putney Road 1941-1962 and went to St. Marys School, but Westminster Road school for me school dinners. My aunt and uncle were married at Westminster Rd Church in 1950 - I have a photo somewhere - and my stepfather's second wife (work THAT one out!) lived in Howard Road - Phyllis English (married to Tom English then).
Cheers: Charlie
 
I have in my collection, a 'cartwheel' twopence dated 1797, it was minted at the Soho mint in handsworth, by Matthew Boulton,the Birmingham Mint was one of the leading mints in the country for 209 years, until it closed in 2003,there was also a mint at King's Norton and pennies dated 1918 have KN to the left of the date
 
Thought this plan of Soho might be of interest. I don't have an exact date but should think it's very early 1800s. A nice one to ponder on a rainy day, like it is here today! Viv.

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1331116793.234261.jpg
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Many thanks Mike. I like this one as the property/landowners are all on there. It all seems so uncluttered too. Viv.
 
Hi. Been a while since this thread was added to.... I used to work at W&T Avery's Foundry Lane, when it was owned by Avery's prior to weightronix. (circa 1974-1986). As did my grand father, mother and brother. It was a family type of firm in those days. These offices were in use (as offices) when I worked there and they were in very good condition. They were the first offices/workshops to be lit by gas light and the gas pipes were still there at that time. Avery's took great pride in them then and it also had its own museum on the site in Foundry Lane. The site is steeped in history (WATT/BOULTON). It is a concern if they have fallen or are falling into ruin. (Another interesting fact was that one of the Avery family were drowned with the Titanic).
 
I went to Soho last week to see the Titanic Exibition.It is very sad to see how little seems to be going on
there,when I worked there it was a hive of activity.
John Hughes
 
Stephen and John: We were taken around the Averys factory by the conservator of the museum there. He was very informative and made it all interesting. I know what you mean about "little going on" there, it seems massive computers now do most of the work and the actual factory is looking very sparce with few people on the workforce.
The offices were being used as storage and there were parts we weren't allowed to go in because of safety. So sad...I think he said they were trying to get English Heritage involved - as so they should!
Haven't managed to get back there yet with my camera but hope to if we get any summer-type weather! Meanwhile...we're members of English Heritage but they didn't bother to reply to my email. Maybe a real letter on real paper :sneakiness: might have a better effect? I'll give that a try and if it doesn't work they can stuff their membership into one of the storage/almost derelict cottages!!!!
 
When I made the visit it was with a group of ex Avery workers who meet up every 2 weeks and some of them
keep in touch with those still at Soho.They tell me that the design is still done there then the actual manufacture
is done in China.The finished product is shipped back to Soho for the final Weigh -Off.
How bizarre is all that.
I am pleased to see the old cottages in the main drive look in good shape.
John H
 
I remember going in the cottages at the foundry when I worked for Trading Standards. A visit was made most days to Averys to stamp machines etc as fit for trade. I was never sure if it was a leg pull, or if it was correct, but the older men there told me that it was only in the 60s or 70s that doors had been provided in the gents toilet, because management didnt want time wasters going there for too long! There was a nice canteen there too with really friendly staff. Even in the 1970s, it was like stepping back in time going in those cottages.
 
John H.
Be interesting to know who those ppl are that you know that meet up every 2 week's - I might know them and your name rings a bell :-)

Sandra.
The canteen was always a good one :-) I can well believe the story about the gents - it was much stricter in those days.

Charlie.
Be good to see some photos if you do get back there some day.
 
Helo Steve
We meet every 2 weeks at the old Nettlefolds sports ground in Londonderry Lane starting at 2 till 4.We met
yesterday.There are about 50 of us.all in late 70 or 80 years old.We have a mixture of works or office staff
about 50 fifty men and women.We have a mixed program of games and lectures.Some of the names are
Clive Humpage,John Howes,Jim chant.Frank Macefield.Stan Tonks,Bob Summers.John Hughes
Perhaps we shall see you there.We could do with some new members
Regards
John Hughes
 
Yes, I do remember Frank, Bob, Clive and the other names ring bells :-)
Please remember me to them Steve (DO) c1974 - 80. Mary my mum used to be in PCD.
 
Clive,Stan and myself were on Planning,Marys boss was baldy Bill who led us on a wasted strike .I used to park my
car in your mothers Rd ,Babbington when I did my shopping on the Soho Rd.I shall pass on your regards
at our next meeting.

cheers
John
 
Bob tells me Norman is in good health but he has not seen him for some time.They exchange Xmas cards.
Two others you may re-call.Jack Ridgeway,not in the best of health.Jack Walford.
What part of the Drg office did you work in?
Regards
J H
 
I was in the upstairs DO for a while when Bob was the union rep and then downstairs in the TMD building just over from the canteen. I remember both Jack's. Good days.
 
I have read with interest all the comments about Averys I worked there from 1976-1993 I worked in the new V dept where they did the electronic circuit boards. I too thought it was a shame that the cottages were left to go to ruin but as far as i'm aware they turned them into a small storage museum for the old scales. I do a very different job now, i work as a home carer. I went to visit an elderly gentleman last week. Mr Charles Farrington, he told me that he was a Lancaster Bomber Pilot during the war. When Charles returned from the war, he took a job at Averys, he became one of the dreaded rate fixers. Charles also met his wife at Averys. he retired before i started working there but it was lovely to listen to his stories. Seems the grey lady was haunting the soho foundry for a long time before even he started working there.
 
I still have a set of old weighing scales. If i remember correctly they cost me £25 at the time. Averys were getting rid of old stock. I'm not sure if i have all the weights ,i will have to go and have a look in the loft where it has been kept for the last 10 years or so..Thanks for posting that picture it takes me back. I used to walk passed those cottages every day.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top