Bournville Quaker Friends Meeting House - enjoy our visit shared with you!

The purpose built Bournville Quaker Meeting House on Lindon Road, Bournville was completed in 1905 to the designs of William Alexander Harvey as part of the Bournville Village Trust, a Trust created by the Cadbury family.

Enjoy this article and photography with us.

In 1879, Cadbury's relocated their factory from central Birmingham to their new site to the south of the city, now known as Bournville Village.

Following the opening of the new factory in 1879, George Cadbury built a number of houses for key workers close to the factory.

The Bournville Village Trust was established in 1900 and the purpose built Quaker Meeting House was built in 1905 to the designs of William Alexander Harvey.

Internal changes to the meeting room carried out in 1935 included the removal of the rostrum; the replacement of a platform; and the removal of panelling within the arch of the south hall.

An extension was built in 1960 for a children's room with a smaller library and cloakrooms. This was designed by Selby Clewer, the chief architect of the Bournville Village Trust. The library was opened in 1988 to make a lobby area, and the main hall was re-roofed, internal front doors were added, and ancillary facilities were reconfigured.

You enter the House through the green doors.

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As you go in to the building there is a pair of black and white portrait photographs of Dame Elizabeth Cadbury (1858 - 1951) and her husband George Cadbury (1839 - 1922).

Outside of the Friends Meeting House is a bronze bust of George and his ashes were buried there following his death.

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There is also a plaque to celebrate the planting of a Cedar Tree outside the buiding on the 24th June 1948 by Elizabeth Mary Cadbury during the year of her 90th birthday. This has now grown into the tree that is wrapped with Christmas lights between November and January each year.

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The house is a magnificent space similar in design to Bournville Village Primary School which was also designed by architect William Alexander Harvey.

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A roll of memory contains some of the Cadbury family and a number of other Quaker's who have passed away.

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A wonderful organ and clock can be found above the door.

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Outside is the Cedar Tree, on this occasion used to announce "Quakers for Climate Justice".

dndimg alt="Bournville Quaker Friends Meeting House" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/BVT Quaker FMH 11092021 (10).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

We hope you enjoyed our post with greaat photography from Elliott Brown.

More posts and features and a map of City Gems can be found at www.BirminghamGems.com. 

Photos taken by Elliott Brown can also be found on Twitter: ellrbrown

Bournville Parish Church: St Francis of Assisi - enjoy our visit shared with you!

Bournville Parish Church: St Francis of Assisi was opened in 1925, 3 years after the death of George Cadbury who had always wanted an Anglican church in the Bournville village. The church was designed by William Alexander Harvey. The South Chapel was built in 1966.

Enjoy this post and photography by Elliott Brown taken during Birmingham's Heritage Week (September 2021).

The church is located on Linden Road.

Despite being a Quaker, George Cadbury had always wanted an Anglican church to be built in Bournville. The Hall was built in 1913 and the church followed in 1925. 

The South Chapel was opened in 1966 by Laurence and Joyce Cadbury in memory of their children, Julian, Anthea and Lindsay.

Here are some exterior photos of the church.

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dndimg alt="Bournville Parish Church" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/BVT BPC St Francis 11092021 (3).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

Now inside the church.

The ceiling inside St Francis of Assisi Church in Bournville is in the style that William Alexander Harvey was noted for.

dndimg alt="Bournville Parish Church" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/BVT PC SFA int 11092021 (1).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

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Here is the pulpit inside the church.

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Here is the alterpiece inside the church.

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Next to the alterpiece is the organ.

dndimg alt="Bournville Parish Church" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/BVT PC SFA int 11092021 (5).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

There is a stained glass window in memory of Lt. John Barclay who was killed flying from H.M.S. Seahawk on 11th March 1953, aged just 24.

dndimg alt="Bournville Parish Church" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/BVT PC SFA int 11092021 (7).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

The South Chapel opened in 1966 by Laurence and Joyce Cadbury in memory of their children, Julian, Anthea and Lindsay (who all sadly died very young).

Alexander Lindsay Aitkin Turner (1927 - 1964) aged 37, Anthea Karen Turner (1936 - 1964) aged 28  and Julian St. John Cadbury (1926 - 1950) aged 24.

dndimg alt="Bournville Parish Church" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/BVT PC SFA int 11092021 (8).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

dndimg alt="Bournville Parish Church" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/BVT PC SFA int 11092021 (9).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

We hope you enjoyed our post.

More posts and features and a map of City Gems can be found at www.BirminghamGems.com. 

Photos taken by Elliott Brown can also be found on Twitter: ellrbrown

St Mary's Church, Handsworth - enjoy our visit shared with you!

St.Mary's Church in Handsworth, Birmingham (also known as Handsworth Old Church) is home to the memorial sculptures of James Watt, Matthew Boulton and William Murdoch. Given its history and the importance it played at the time, it is often referred to as "The Industrial Cathedral of Birmingham". Enjoy this great post from Elliott, a regular Birmingham Gems contributor.

During the Birmingham Heritage Week, Elliott went along to visit St Mary's Church in Handsworth, easy to get to on the no 16 bus that takes you to Hamstead Road.

It was quiet inside the Grade II listed Anglican church which is built on ten-acre of grounds, located adjacent to Handsworth Park.

The church is the resting place of famous progenitors of the industrial age, James Watt, William Murdoch and Matthew Boulton and has been described as “the Cathedral of the Industrial Revolution”.

Elliott's been waiting two years to get inside of this church, mainly for the memorials to James Watt, Matthew Boulton and William Murdoch.

The church has origins back to the 12th and 13th centuries, although what you see today is a complete rebuild from the 19th century. Architects who worked on the building in the 19th century included William Hollins in 1820, Thomas Rickman in 1826 (the South Chapel built in memory of James Watt), and later J A Chatwin from 1876 to 1880. More recently the roof was repaired during 2019 to 2020.

It is a Grade II* listed building.

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Tour of the interior of St Mary's Church, Handsworth

You enter the church from the side door from the churchyard.

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Below stained glass windows is information panels on James Watt and the Industrial Revolution (probably provided by the Birmingham Museums Trust).

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Down here you will find the monuments to Matthew Boulton, William Murdoch (spelt Murdock) and Joseph Grice. The South Chapel on the right leads to the statue of James Watt.

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The organ.

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Here are two examples of stained glass windows at St Mary's Church, Handsworth.

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Here's the pulpit.

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And a piano.

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There's somewhere to light candles under a colourful cross.

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The lecturn resembles golden eagles.

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Monuments

The marble statue of James Watt (1736 - 1819) is located in the South Chapel. It was sculpted by Francis Legatt Chantrey.

This is currently the only place to see a statue of James Watt in Birmingham (the 1866 statue of James Watt formerly at Chamberlain Square by Alexander Munro has been in storage since 2015).

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The Monument to Matthew Boulton (1728 - 1809) is by Flaxman.

dndimg alt="Matthew Boulton St Marys Handsworth" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Matthew Boulton St Marys Ch Hwrth (Sep 2021).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

The Monument to William Murdoch (spelt here as Murdock) (1754 - 1839) was also by Flaxman.

dndimg alt="William Murdock St Marys Handsworth" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/William Murdock St Marys Ch Hwrth (Sep 2021).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

There is also a marble bust of William Murdoch in the cafe area (just behind a TV). A childrens book about James Watt was on the left.

dndimg alt="William Murdoch" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/William Murdoch St Marys Ch Hwrth (Sep 2021).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

Other memorials here include this one to Joseph Grice Esquire.

dndimg alt="Joseph Grice" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Joseph Grice St Marys Hwrth (Sep 2021).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

Also there is a memorial/monument to Sarah Russell, and later her husband John Russell.

dndimg alt="Sarah Russell" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/S Russell St Marys Hwrth (Sep 2021).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

Also to be found here are these tombs.  A medieval armoured soldier and below him another one.

dndimg alt="Tomb St Marys Handsworth" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Tomb St Marys Hwrth (Sep 2021) (1).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

There was also this tomb of a couple found close to the area with the monuments to Boulton, Watt & Murdoch.

dndimg alt="Tomb St Marys Handsworth" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Tomb St Marys Hwrth (Sep 2021) (2).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

We hope you enjoyed this informative post and photography.  The full feature on St. Mary's Church can be found HERE.

More posts and features and a map of City Gems can be found at www.BirminghamGems.com. 

Photos taken by Elliott Brown can also be found on Twitter: ellrbrown

Bournville Village Primary School - enjoy our visit shared with you!

The Birmingham Heritage Week open days were held in Bournville on Saturday 11th September 2021 at about 11 venues. Elliott Brown popped to three venues that day, starting with the Bournville Village Primary School (formerly Bournville Junior School). The school opened in 1906, and celebrated their centenary in 2006. The Carillon was not open, but you could hear the bells ringing.

Although the Bournville Carillon was not open to the public on Saturday 11th September, you could hear it ringing when getting off the bus on Linden Road. However Bournville Village Primary School was open with an entrance on Woodbrooke Road.

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You enter through the doors in the entrance hallway.

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The main school hall was designed by William Alexander Harvey and is a truly magnificent space.

dndimg alt="Bournville Village Primary School" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/BVT Prim Sch int 11092021 (3).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

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Just look at the stained glass window unveiled in 2006 on the centenary of the school opening in 1906. It was unveiled by HRH the Duke of Gloucester and is stunning!

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Bournville Village Primary has some great values. 

dndimg alt="Bournville Village Primary School" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/BVT Prim Sch int 11092021 (5).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

 

There is a black and white photo portrait of the schools founder George Cadbury (1839 - 1922).

dndimg alt="Bournville Village Primary School" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/BVT Prim Sch int 11092021 (7).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

 

There was also a black and white portrait photo of his wife, Dame Elizabeth Cadbury (1858 - 1951). George married his second wife Elizabeth in 1888 and they celebrated their silver wedding anniversary in 1913. A tablet was placed in the main school hall in 1913 by the residents of Bournville to celebrate the occasion. Sadly George died in 1922, and Elizabeth was a widow for 29 years (until her own death in 1951).

dndimg alt="Bournville Village Primary School" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/BVT Prim Sch int 11092021 (8).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

 

Through some of the locked doors, you can see corridors to classrooms, and also see the classrooms from the main hall.

dndimg alt="Bournville Village Primary School" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/BVT Prim Sch int 11092021 (9).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

We hope you enjoyed our post.

More posts and features and a map of City Gems can be found at www.BirminghamGems.com. 

Photos taken by Elliott Brown can also be found on Twitter: ellrbrown

Model Boating at Bournville Lake at The Valley Parkway

On regular Sunday's the Bournville Radio Sailing and Model Boat Club meet to use their remote controlled boats on Bournville Lake at The Valley Parkway, near Bournville Lane. The club has a history going back to 1900, although has been on this site since 1926. On Sunday morning, 15th August 2021, the club was back. Also some archive photos from 2017 and 2018.

Bournville Radio Sailing and Model Boat Club

The Bournville Radio Sailing and Model Boat Club, also called Bournville Model Yacht & Powerboat Club, was founded in the year 1900 as the Bournville Model Yachting Club at Rowheath Park. By 1926, George Cadbury Jr (son of the late George Cadbury who died in 1922) commissioned an area of marshland on the now famous Bournville Village Trust, to be reclaimed, and a concrete pool of even depth was created. The surrounding park is called The Valley Parkway by Birmingham City Council. The club has their own Boat House on site, and regularly meet on Sunday mornings for model yachting, and Sunday afternoons for model power boating. They sometimes also meet on other days for model boating.

 

26th March 2017

That Sunday there was model RNLI  powerboats on Bournville Lake at The Valley Parkway.

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4th October 2018

On a Thursday morning walk through The Valley Parkway, I only managed to get one photo of a model yacht in the lake. See the project gallery for more photos. They don't usually sail the model yachts on Thursday's. At weekends they regularly meet on Sunday mornings for model yachting, and on weekdays, they meet on Wednesday mornings, and sometimes Tuesday afternoons. It's the power boat sessions that meets on Tuesday and Thursday mornings.

dndimg alt="Valley Parkway Bournville" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Valley Pway Bville (Oct 2018) (9).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

 

15th August 2021

A Sunday morning walk along Bournville Lane, to see if I could see any activity from the Bournville Model Yacht Club. Luckily, there was a whole bunch of them out at Bournville Lake, with a lot of model yachts, as you can see in the gallery below. The members seem to be mostly retired men and women.

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dndimg alt="Valley Parkway Bournville" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Model Yachts Bournville TVP (Aug 2021) (8).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

Photos taken by Elliott Brown. Can be found on Twitter: ellrbrown