Jewellery Quarter

[brum2003]

does anyone now whats going on with the developments here, there does seem to be alot going on with small scale developments, but some of the larger things have stalled ? any news anyone, I love thjis area, its the most charming part of the city, be great to know development is moving on here

[Biosonic]

IMHO, a *very* sympathetic development by MCD/Turner Woolford Sharp on George St in the Quarter:

[Smileyface]

I didn't get any photos of the developments around the Jewellery Quarter but I did get a pub, some shops, a spooky graveyard and a few derelict buildings....I love this area of Birmingham!

Derelict premises on the corner of Powell Street/Pope street


On the opposite corner....a very "Birmingham" building if that makes sense?


Across the road


Around the corner on Legge Lane there's a mixture of fine architecture and utter dereliction!

[Smileyface]

Camden Drive, just off Legge Lane! This was a total shock and quite a pleasant surprise to me. It's a bit shitty and surrounded by derelict buildings but I love hidden roads like this and it's hard to believe it's in the centre of Birmingham!



Looking back up to Legge Lane




Some of the buildings on Camden Drive. The first one shows the Hyatt Hotel in the near disrtance.

[Smileyface]

Back on Legge Lane and I couldn't resist a BT Tower shot.



Turning left off Legge Lane into Frederick street and this is the Jewellery Quarter proper





Interesting but derelict building on Frederick Street

[Smileyface]

I took a few photos of the cemetery on the corner of Vyse street/Warstone Lane. Very spooky place even in the summer sun, again hard to believe this is in central Birmingham!

[Smileyface]

[Smileyface]

Back to normality

[woodhousen]

i just dont get it....... most cities in the world would love to have something like the jewelry quarter as part of them, but they dont, we do...and its a total gm of a place, a real asset....but people realy are not taking advantage of it. this should be the place to be and the place to be seen...... yet half of it is derelict!

[morestoreysplease]

It's in a transitional period Woody - there are pockets of land being taken up for apartments, but what we don't want is the area to become too much of a yuppie zone to force out the actual jewellers! Yes there are some scruffy bits and we'd like the developers to look at conservation and refurb as much as new build.
A very promising point here - a waitress in the All Bar One on Newhall St goes to the School of Jewellery and she's from Belfast. I asked her why she wanted to come to Brum to learn jewellery design? She said because if you want to learn about jewellery in the UK, then the only place is Brum. That made me very proud and I oredered another goblet of St Pauli Bier.

[Biosonic]

Originally Posted by Smileyface

Interesting but derelict building on Frederick Street

This is also one of my favourite buildings in Birmingham, and if I had the money I would turn this into something like a cafe with 4 flats above. It is truly lovely.

Thanks for the great pics Smiley

Tell me - how do you manage to get near and far objects in focus? The one with the Hyatt looks as if it is a model in the back garden, and the same with the bollard & BT!

[Smileyface]

I love that building too Bio and there several more around the Jewellery quarter that are as eye catching but neglected.

Concerning your question - Everyone seems obsessed with megapixels when it comes to cameras but mine's only a 3.2mp camera! I just have a decent optical zoom on it (x8) and as long as the nearest object that you zoom on is not too close anything within the near distance should also appear as clear. My lens has it's limitations though, as is shown on the tower block thread, when objects over a few miles away start to lose their sharpness.

[Nacho]

Thanks for all the pics Smiley.I imagine if half of those buildings were in the centre they would have disappeared in the fifties and sixties.Now we have a chance to restore most of them.Some wonderful facades there.

[tonyoz777]

apparently the building in the last picture has some sort of preservation order on it, deservedly so in my opinion. rumour has it that its owned by a local guy with a few property interests in the area which, if he is true to form, will eventually receive some sympathetic attention.

the derelict pub in the first batch of shots is the George & Dragon. terrible shame the way this place has been allowed to crumble, if i remember rightly, this also supposedly benefits from some form of listing. i believe that when it closed it was completely original inside, having suffered from noneof the dubious brewery refurbs over the years. it still featured the original bar servery, carved back fitting, outdoor and small "snug" that was served from the main bar through a small hatchway. no doubt all of this heritage has long disappeared on the back of some rusty old transit pick up

[Bachy Soletanche]

I went around this area for the first time in years, and it's amazing all sorts of architectual styles, Georgian, up to modern, all stuck together, higgedly piggedly, and there's some wonderful Victorian workshops and Art deco frontages on every street, all of which I missed in the below picts,









Sorry, but they're not the greatist pictures, the roads are rather narrow and my Camera don't do wide..

But really I was amazed by the place, far out stripping Liverpools Ropewalks for arichectual interest for example.

[Bachy Soletanche]

[Engels]

Are there unused retail units on the right facing the canal here?

[Nacho]

I wonder when work is going to begin on the building in the background.A couple of floors to be added if I remember correctly.

[Bachy Soletanche]

Spindly Mouse? Sorry Brindley House?

You can just about see where they've taped the windows, and I think I did notice something happening at the base, so hopefully, soon.

[Nacho]

Thanks for the update.