Phil
Gone, but not forgotten.
Like many of Birmingham’s public buildings the design for Birmingham’s first Assize Courts was awarded to the winners of an open competition. The winners in 1886 were Aston Webb & Ingress Bell (Webb & Bell) a London firm of Architects.
The building was constructed with red terracotta brick (supplied by J C Edwards of Ruabon) and the foundation stone of the building named as the Victoria Law Courts was laid on the 23rd of March 1887 (photo 1) by HM Queen Victoria it was her first public appearance in her Golden Jubilee year . The building was constructed by a local firm John Bowen & Sons at a cost of £113,000 and was opened by the Prince & Princess of Wales on the 21st of July 1891.(photo 2)
The inside was just as finely decorated as the exterior and is a match for any other court in England (photos 3 & 4). A sandy yellow shade of terracotta was used as supplied by Gibbs and Canning of Tamworth. The stained glass windows are Birmingham’s Golden Jubilee memorial designed by Horatio Walter Lonsdale.
Toward the latter end of the last century Birmingham Crown Court moved to a new purpose built building on Newton St leaving Birmingham Magistrates Court to remain in the old building. Though at this moment a new £80 million building is being constructed on the Eastside at Masshouse to house the new Magistrates Courts, thus rendering the old building surplus to requirements. Which has to beg the question “what will happen to it”? (5)
Phil
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The building was constructed with red terracotta brick (supplied by J C Edwards of Ruabon) and the foundation stone of the building named as the Victoria Law Courts was laid on the 23rd of March 1887 (photo 1) by HM Queen Victoria it was her first public appearance in her Golden Jubilee year . The building was constructed by a local firm John Bowen & Sons at a cost of £113,000 and was opened by the Prince & Princess of Wales on the 21st of July 1891.(photo 2)
The inside was just as finely decorated as the exterior and is a match for any other court in England (photos 3 & 4). A sandy yellow shade of terracotta was used as supplied by Gibbs and Canning of Tamworth. The stained glass windows are Birmingham’s Golden Jubilee memorial designed by Horatio Walter Lonsdale.
Toward the latter end of the last century Birmingham Crown Court moved to a new purpose built building on Newton St leaving Birmingham Magistrates Court to remain in the old building. Though at this moment a new £80 million building is being constructed on the Eastside at Masshouse to house the new Magistrates Courts, thus rendering the old building surplus to requirements. Which has to beg the question “what will happen to it”? (5)
Phil
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]
]