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Listed West Midland Buildings

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#1 ·
Ive tried looking for a thread to post these two in, either the search option is shit on this site or we dont have such a thread so thought id create one

Bells Farm in Druids Heath will be restored

Work will begin in October to repair the roof and other external elements
Continue reading the main story

A 17th Century Birmingham farm will be restored for future generations after a project was given the go-ahead.

Bells Farm, in Druids Heath, was in use until 1976 but was then left empty and fell prey to vandalism.

In 1978 more than 1,000 residents signed a petition to save the farm from demolition and the Bells Farm Community Association was formed.

The building was partially restored in the early 1980s and has been used by community groups since 2008.

But in recent years the building has suffered fire damage and must now be made watertight and structurally sound.

Work will begin in October to repair the roof and other external elements of the main building.

The rear wing will also be rebuilt with the project scheduled for completion in March 2012.

The project will cost £639,000 with the funding coming from a range of sources including £308,979 from English Heritage.

'Fantastic news'

A spokesman for Birmingham City Council said the repairs will allow the Grade II* listed building to be taken off the "at risk" register.

Once the work is completed, current occupiers the Spearhead Trust at Bells Farm will seek additional funding to consider a Community Asset Transfer of the premises.

Martin Mullaney, cabinet member for leisure, sport and culture, said: "This is fantastic news for a unique piece of Birmingham heritage and I'm delighted we have been able to reach an agreement.

"Working with English Heritage, the Birmingham Conservation Trust and the Spearhead Trust, we now have a clear plan for this historic site.

"This is a building with a rich history and it now has a bright future as a vital facility for the Druids Heath community."
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-14386102
 
#2 ·
And the other story

17th century Pype Hayes Hall to be sold by Birmingham City Council
by Paul Dale, Birmingham Post
Aug 3 2011

Pype Hayes Hall

One of a dwindling number of 17th century manor houses left in Birmingham is to be sold by the city council which says it no longer needs the building.

The decision to dispose of Pype Hayes Hall at an auction has angered residents in Erdington, who want to keep the imposing landmark for community use.

Built in 1620, the Grade II-listed building was the home of the Bagots family for 250 years, before being sold to the council in 1920.

It lies in Pype Hayes Park and has been used as a children’s home and more recently housed social services officials, but is now empty.

The council said it cannot afford running costs, which are almost £100,000 a year.

Members of the cabinet property sub-committee agreed to the leasehold sale, but insisted on a clause compelling the new owner to restore the building.

It is the latest example of the cash-strapped council raising funds by disposing of historic buildings.

Earlier this year Hawthorn House in Handsworth Wood, a former library, was bought for £775,000 at auction. A bid to lease the property by a community group was turned down.

Labour sustainability shadow cabinet member Stewart Stacey accused the council of raising cash through a “slash and burn” policy.

But culture cabinet member Martin Mullaney said the sale was the best way of safeguarding the future of the hall.

Coun Mullaney (Lib Dem Moseley & Kings Heath) added: “There is a lot of money out there and people will want to buy this building for flats or offices.

“Let’s be honest, if it stays with the council it will be empty for years, get broken into, set on fire and probably burnt to a crisp.”

Local councillors fear investors will be put off by the huge cost of converting Pype Hayes Hall.

Councillor Lynda Clinton (Lab Tyburn) said: “People who live nearby are appalled that the council is prepared to dispose of this asset.

“People do not want to see it sold, it would make a wonderful venue for the community and could be used for weddings and christenings and other events.”

Read More http://www.birminghampost.net/news/...am-city-council-65233-29165724/#ixzz1U0FbIzZf
 
#3 ·
Ahh the search thing on this website is shit

Anyway may aswel use this one i guess now instead of bumping up other threads...

Great Barr Hall price rises as buyer quits deal
by Brett Gibbons, Birmingham Mail
Aug 6 2011
ShareTHE asking price for a controversial derelict stately home has rocketed by almost a third despite the property market slump.

Great Barr Hall, situated near the former St Margaret’s Hospital in Walsall, was on the market for about £2.2 million.

But the price tag has shot up to more than £3 million following the breakdown of a deal to sell the hall to a mystery purchaser.

Negotiations to sell the 12-bedroom mansion were well advanced but the deal on the Grade II-listed property fell through. It has now been returned to the market at the increased price by Buckinghamshire-based agent Van Weenan.

A spokesman said the price rise reflected the status of the property and the accompanying 50 acres of parkland, currently owned by Manor Building Preservation Trust.

Housebuilder Bovis, which has built a multi-million pounds luxury homes development adjacent to the land, said it was not interested in purchasing the hall

Read More http://www.birminghammail.net/news/...uyer-quits-deal-97319-29189762/#ixzz1UMlDmXls
 
#4 ·
£3m set aside for Moseley Road Baths improvements
by Jasbir Authi, Birmingham Mail Mar 10 2012



MOSELEY Road Baths in Birmingham has been awarded £3 million to restore it to its former glory.

Birmingham City Council has agreed to set aside the huge sum which will be used as match funding in a Heritage Lottery Fund bid for the Balsall Heath baths.

The 105-year-old building has been closed for 15 months and was due to re-open at the end of last month following a long list of delays and setbacks.

It will now open at the start of April after lead-based paint was discovered flaking from the ceiling and falling into the pool.

The latest announcement means it is more likely that the Heritage Lottery Fund will award the £5 million they need to get the first stage of restoration going.

Martin Mullaney, cabinet member for culture, sport and leisure, said: “The total cost of phase one of the restoration works is £8 million.

“With the £3 million agreed by cabinet, this means we would apply for £4.99 million from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

“With the bid under £5 million, it will be considered by the Regional HLF Board. We have a far greater chance of a successful bid at regional level.

“If the bid was for £5 million or more, than it would be considered at the national HLF board, where you are up against the Buckingham Palaces and Stonehenges of the World.”

Coun Mullaney said he would now start the process of preparing the HLF bid, which will most likely be submitted in June.

Phase one of the restoration, which means the baths would be closed for two years, would start in 2014 – the same time as the re-opening of nearby Sparkhill pool.

Another £9 million would need to be found to start phase two of the restoration programme.

Moseley Road Baths are Grade II*listed and the oldest of only three such pools currently operating in Britain.

The baths were also on the Victorian Society’s 2009 list of the ten most endangered Victorian and Edwardian buildings in Britain.

Mike Whitby, leader of the council, had suggested that the baths could be used as a film set for period dramas similar to Downton Abbey and Upstairs Downstairs.
Read More http://www.birminghammail.net/news/...hs-improvements-97319-30500073/#ixzz1okhUkZwR
 
#5 ·
#7 ·
Restoration funds awarded to Brandwood End Cemetery chapels
by Jessica WinchApr 8 2012

Important listed buildings in an old Birmingham cemetery are to be given a new lease of life after 30 years of neglect and vandalism.

Brandwood End Cemetery, in Kings Norton, has won funding from Birmingham City Council to help restore both its Grade II listed chapels while improvements will also be made to its Superintendent’s Lodge.

The current work on the chapels will improve security and is the first stage in a possible full restoration project.

The twin chapels, designed by Birmingham architect J Brewin Holmes in a Gothic style from red brick and terracotta, stand at the highest point in the cemetery ground and are joined by an archway.

The western chapel was originally designated for Anglicans while the eastern chapel was for Nonconformists but both were closed in the 1980s.


Since then they have suffered from vandalism and in 1995 one was attacked by arsonists, severely damaging it.

The grounds were once described as a “fine example of a Victorian landscaped cemetery” with avenues of Scots Pine, Cypress and Wellingtonia. The chapels were listed as Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest in 1997 and Grade II listed in 2001.

Anne Courbet, chairman of Friends of Brandwood End Cemetery, welcomed the move after such a long battle for funding.

Mrs Courbet said: “We’re absolutely delighted. We set up Friends of Brandwood End Cemetery in 2005 and the main aim has always been to restore the chapels to their former glory.

“This work is to make them safe, but then hopefully there will be further restoration.”

She added: “The Victorians created this wonderful building, these twin terracotta chapels, and they are quite unique in this country.

“I feel that we owe it to the Victorians to restore them and to make more people aware of what a beautiful area it is.”

Birmingham City Council has granted more than £76,000 to refurbish the Superindendent’s Lodge, also a Grade II-listed building, which was made uninhabitable by flooding in 2010.

Mrs Courbet said the work included renovating the lodge garden, providing a seating area and refurbishing the toilet block. It is hoped to turn the lodge into a visitors’ centre for the cemetery and for community group use.

Coun Timothy Huxtable, cabinet member for transport, environment and regeneration, said: “We have been working closely with Friends of Brandwood Cemetery over the past few years and I’m pleased that this much-needed work is going ahead.

“One of the main benefits of the project is to renovate the cemetery lodge which will then be available for community use.

“We have consulted with the Friends fully on this project and I look forward to continuing to work with them.”

The Friends have been working with Birmingham City Council since 2005 and have already made improvements to the cemetery in Kings Heath.

Mrs Courbet said initial improvements had already made the chapels look “much more presentable”.

“They look like someone’s caring for them,” she added.

The cemetery opened in 1899 and contains 86,000 graves which attract thousands of visitors every year.

Anyone interested in supporting the Friends can find information on their website, www.fbec.org.uk or email friendsofbec@gmail.com.
Read More http://www.birminghampost.net/news/...emetery-chapels-65233-30721216/#ixzz1rTmY8bH9
 
#9 ·
Newman Brothers Factory..

Application Details
Application Number 2012/02251/PA
Application Type Listed Building
Site Address 13 Fleet Street Birmingham B3 1JP
Proposal Listed building consent for a change of use from factory to office/visitor attraction
Change of Use: The building is currently vacant, but its last use was as a factory. It is proposed that the building is given a new use to secure its future. Birmingham Conservation Trust would operate the building as a heritage visitor attraction, with visits from schools, other groups and individuals. Some activities, for school visits, would take place in the large rooms on the front elevation. There are significant possibilities for educational use and interpretation on several themes. The Trust would occupy the offices at the front as their own headquarters. The remainder would be leased out to small businesses as small office/studio suites – this use will generate an income with which to maintain the building. The uses proposed are low intensity so as to permit the retention of the special character of the building. A utilitarian character or industrial feel would be aimed for. The overall impact of the change of use is intended to save this important listed building and secure its future
 
#10 ·
#11 ·
Today I went to Castle Bromwich Hall Hotel. Grade I listed.

It used to be an office, but had been vacant for a few years.

Very nice. Some of the renovation was short term - presumably until the funds were available for a full revamp - but over all it was a nice venue.


Source: Hoody


http://www.castlebromwichhallhotel.com/

N.B. Slight concern about the website invoice due to be paid on their actual website.
 
#12 ·
In Coventry there are some scheduled ancient monuments - city walls, city gate & various moated sites & the remains of an old religious institution (The Charterhouse).

There's also a canal bridge made in Tipton. It's been relocated to Spon End from its original location on the Oxford Canal.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scheduled_Ancient_Monuments_in_Coventry

Grade I

Some medieval stuff, some modern stuff (The new Cathedral) and some ruins:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grade_I_listed_buildings_in_Coventry

Grade II* - a mix of surviving Georgian buildings, some medieval/post medieval stuff.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grade_II*_listed_buildings_in_Coventry

There are also some Grade II listed buildings. These include the 1960s station, Broadgate House (Part of the precinct) and the vile Coventry market.
 
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