BIRMINGHAM JEWELLERY QUARTER HERITAGE TRAIL

BIRMINGHAMJEWELLERY QUARTERH E R I TA G E T R A I LBROUGHT TO YOU BY

B I RM INGH AMJE W ELLE RY QUA RTE RH ERI TAGE T RA ILBirmingham’s famous Jewellery Quarter is completelyunique - there is no other historic townscape like it in theworld. It is an area rich in heritage, but what makes it sospecial is that it is still also a living, working community.The purpose of this walking trail is to provide anintroduction to the Quarter’s past and present, andto encourage visitors to discover more about thisfascinating area. This trail is printed and distributed by theJewellery Quarter Development Trust (JQDT).The development of the Jewellery Quarter.Goldsmiths and silversmiths have been working in what wenow call the Jewellery Quarter for more than 200 years.Originally scattered across Birmingham, they began tocongregate in the Hockley area from 1760 onwards. Themain reason for this was the development of the Colmorefamily’s Newhall estate which released more land for housingand manufacturing.Precious metal working grew out of the ‘toy’ trades – notchildren’s playthings but buckles, buttons and other smallmetal trinkets. ‘Brummagem toys’ were produced in theirhundreds and thousands, in cut-steel, brass and silver.Westley’s Map of Birmingham, 1731 - Confusingly north is to the right!

As the trade expanded new streetswere laid out across former ruralestates, and substantial new houseswere built for wealthymanufacturers. Alongside theselarge houses, terraces of artisans’homes were also constructed. Intime the gardens of these housesbecame built up with workshopsand spare rooms had work benchesinstalled.St. Paul’s SquareThe different craftspeople and manufacturers weredependent on each other’s distinctive specialist skills,which explains their concentration in so compact an area.Following the North American gold rushes of the 1840s,the industry expanded rapidly and reached its height in1913 when some 70,000 people were employed in theprecious metal trades.For most of its history the Jewellery Quarter was a closedcommunity. There were no jewellery shops until the late1970s when the economic recession prompted some of themanufacturers to start opening their doors to retailcustomers. Soon other retailers moved into the area and inthe 1980s old buildings started to be restored rather thanpulled down.Since then, the preservation and enhancement of theJewellery Quarter has gained strength as its globalhistorical importance has become more widely appreciated.Shops on Vyse Street

M AP OF TH E JE WE L L E RY Q UA RTE Rlnerp i tsndStSanower RpitsSandetredeS um mGr a h a m S tR e g e n t P la c eWarstone LaneeetStrerde LanW a r s to nHy lsfoett11mCa15eett9Newhall HillLanePitayreStrereetren L eggeetToye, Kenning& SpenceroLietettreWarstoneLaneCemetery6etreetreStld S414Frederick Streetr ee tStreetAlbionJewelleryQuarter75Vy se Stnie17Vi ttoria St3IcktreeSptPa r ad eawhkeetStrttll SNeoornceC aroeeetre13BreStrelinrStesStreStetre18Rege nnstoSteycklHoKey HillCemeteryetet12SttrenBra16odll SeaGrsul’Pa aretuS ry SeLivrlhaatestrnSettretCWtioutitnCoSnow HillSeryLivnThe Jewellery Quarter is just a15 minute walk from the citycentre, or a 5 minute trip on theMidland Metro. A one-way tripfrom Grand Central / New Streetstation only costs a 1.eaGrL iollHiSt P aul ’s

1MU SE UM OF TH EJE WE L LERY QUARTERLocated in and around the original factory of jewellerymanufacturers Smith & Pepper, the museum tells thestory of jewellery and metal working in Birmingham.Most of the techniques and processesdemonstrated on the fascinatingfactory tour are exactly the same aswere used in the 18th century whenthe Quarter first developed.Open all year round.Tuesday – Saturday10.30am – 5pm.Closed on Sundays and Mondaysexcept bank holidays.Last tour at 4pm.Admission charges apply, fullywheelchair accessibleClaret jug and cover byJohn Hardman & Co.For more information please visitwww.birminghammuseums.org.ukTelephone 0121 348 8263

2KEY HILL CEMETERYReached through an alleyway off Hylton Street, KeyHill was Birmingham's first public cemetery. It wascreated in 1836 for the non conformists who were notpermitted to be buried in Church of Englandgraveyards, but was intended to be open for alldenominations. They could be buried in Church ofEngland ground but not with their own ministers.Famous residents include the renowned politician,Joseph Chamberlain, and the manufacturer of Bird'scustard, Alfred Bird. Open all year round, dawn todusk. Some pathways may be a little roughFor more information please visitwww.birminghamconservationtrust.org

3JEWELLERY BUSINESSCENTRE, SPENCER ST.These former workshops were restored and convertedby the Duchy of Cornwall in 1991 and are now hometo many local businesses. The spectacular gates weredesigned by metal craftsman Michael Johnson.View from the street.

4WA R S T O N E L A N ECEMETERYJohn BaskervilleThe Church of England cemetery was opened in1848. In the middle of the graveyard are thecatacombs, one of the residents is John Baskerville,creater of the Baskerville typeface in 1757.Major Harry Gem, the inventor of Lawn Tennis isalso buried here.Open all year round, dawn to dusk. Some pathwaysmay be a little rough.For more information contact Friends ofKey Hill and Warstone Lane Cemeteries

5R O S E VI L L A TAV E R NThe Grade II listed Rose Villa Tavern was designed bylocal architects Wood & Kendrick and built between1919-1920 for Mitchells & Butlers brewery.The Modern building behind the Rose Villa Tavern isThe Big Peg. Originally called the Hockley Centre,this large "flatted factory" was completed in 1971.The area between The Big Peg and the Rose VillaTavern is known as The Golden Square and wasredeveloped into a spectacular new public realm spacein 2015.For more information please visitwww.rosevillatavern.co.ukTelephone 0121 236 7910

6C H A M BE R L AI N CLOCKThis famous Jewellery Quarterlandmark was erected in 1903to commemorate JosephChamberlain’s visit to SouthAfrica as Colonial Secretary.Chamberlain was Mayor ofBirmingham between 1873and 1876 and a Member ofParliament from 1876 to hisdeath in 1914.Portrait of Josephy Chamberlain byOswald Burley.For more information please visitwww.jqrt.org

7SCHOOL OF JEWELLERYVIT TORIA STREETFounded in 1890, the School ofJewellery is now part ofBirmingham City University(BCU). It is the largest Jewelleryschool in Europe and ranksamongst the foremost institutionsfor teaching preciousmetalworking in the worldThe Atrium Gallery is accessibleto the public 10am-4pm duringexhibitions.For more information please visitwww.bcu.ac.uk/jewelleryTelephone 0121 331 5940

8THOMAS FAT TORINI /TOYE, KENNING &SPENCERFattorini's are an old firm starting inYorkshire but only starting in thequarter in 1919. Thomas Fattorinihave been designing andmanufacturing medals and badges,trophies and other regalia since 1827.Nearby Toye, Kenning & Spencer onWarstone Lane date back even further.Also manufacturers of medals, badgesand military regalia, Toyes werefounded by a family of Huguenotimmigrants in the East of London in1685 and are considered to be theoldest company in Birmingham. Thecurrent premises were built after theSecond World War.CBE medal madeby Toye, Kenning &SpencerFor more information please visitwww.fattorini.co.uk and www.toye.com

9J W EVANS,ALBION STREETEstablished in 1881, JW Evans silver plateworks is one of the most completesurviving factories in the Jewellery Quarter.The site was rescued and restored byEnglish Heritage between 2008 and 2011.Tours of the factory are available on alimited number of days from April toOctober. Numbers are limited to 10 peopleper tour and must be booked in advance.For more information please evans-silver-factory/ Tel: 0370 333 1181

10THE ARGENT CENTRE,& THE PEN MUSEUMOriginally known as the Albert Works, this spectacularRenaissance-revival building was constructed in 1863as the pen factory of W E Wiley. When first built thefactory boasted a Turkish bath which reused steamfrom the production line!Today the Argent Centre is home to the Pen Museum,which tells the story of the Birmingham pen trade.The museum is open all year round, Tuesday toSaturday 11am - 4pm, Sunday 1pm -4pmAdmission charges applyFor moreinformation please visitwww.penmuseum.org.ukTelephone 0121 236 9834

11NEWHALL HILLMeeting of the Birmingham PoliticalUnion by Benjamin Haydon, 1832Newhall Hill was the site of a number of huge ralliesorganised by the Birmingham Political Union todemand parliamentary reform in the 1820s and 30s.One of the leaders of the Political Union was ThomasAttwood, who along with Joseph Schofield becameBirmingham’s first members of Parliament in 1832.Nearby in a house on Legge Lane the Americanauthor Washington Irving is said to have written hischildren’s story RIP Van Winkle and The Legend ofSleepy Hollow in 1819.For more information please contactinfo@jqdt.org

12V I CT ORIA W O RKS,G R AH A M STREETCompleted in 1840, the Victoria Works was originallythe pen nib factory of Joseph Gillott. It is one of theearliest surviving purpose-built manufactories both inthe Quarter and Birmingham as a whole.During it’s heyday, upwards of 80% of the world’s pennibs were supplied by this factory, which routinely madeover one million nibs a year. Visitors to the factoryincluded the Shah of Persia, the explorer WilliamStanley and US President Ulysses S Grant.Across the street form the Victoria Works is theRamgarhia Sikh Temple which was originally built as aCongregational chapel in 1844.For more information please contactinfo@jqdt.org

13TH E A SSAY OF F IC E,BI R M ING H A MBirmingham's first Assay Office which was established in1773, thanks to mainly the efforts of silversmith andmanufacturer Matthew Boulton. Originally located inthe city centre, this photograph shows the NewhallStreet building which was purpose-built in 1877 but dueto the rapid expansion of the trade was almostimmediately found to be too small.The Assay Office is now located in a new purpose-builtbuilding on Moreton Street. It continues to hallmarkprecious metal items to guarantee fineness and offersgemstone testing.View from the street only.www.theassayoffiice.co.ukTelephone 0121 236 6951

14E L K I N GTON W O RKS,N E WH A LL STREETNew Hall depicted on Westley's map, 1731Across the street from the Newhall Street AssayOffice are the remains of the famous ElkingtonWorks where the process of electroplating was firstsuccessfully used on a large scale.Next door to Elkington is the Birmingham andFazeley Canal. Completed in 1789, the canal was acatalyst for the industrial development of the area.Close to the canal is the original site of New Hall,home to the Colmore family, which wasdemolished in 1787.For more information please contactinfo@jqdt.org

15N E W M A N BROTH ERSCO FF IN W ORKSRestored by BirminghamConservation Trust in 2014, theGrade II* listed Newman Brotherscoffin fittings factory is now opento the public. The factory is whereWinston Churchill and Diana,Princess of Wales coffin fittingswere made.Visitors are invited to step back intime and experience the factory asa time-capsule, with it’s originalmachinery, unusual products andstories of 100 years of operation.Open Wed - Sun 10.45 – 3.00pmAdmission charges apply.The Shroud Room1950sFor more information please visitwww.coffiinworks.orgTelephone 0121 233 4790

16S T PAUL’S SQ UA REThe only surviving Georgian square in Birmingham, StPaul’s was developed in the 1770s and 80s on landbelonging to the Colmore family.Designed by Roger Eykyn of Wolverhampton, St Paul’sChurch was consecrated in 1779. The spire was addedlater in 1823.Known as the ‘Jewellers’ Church’, both MatthewBoulton and James Watt worshipped here.Open to members of the public and groups(pre-booking is advised - please visit website for details)For more information please visitwww.stpaulsjq.churchTelephone 0121 236 7858