Jewellery Quarter in remembrance

A Fellow Blog, for the Birmingham Conservation Trust, reported in October on the Planning Approval Granted for Newman Brothers’ Coffin Works.



The works were featured on BBC2's Restoration programme in 2003, revealing their rich heritage to the world. Production had stopped in the factory in 1998 following over 100 years of production. The building was designed in 1892 by Richard Harley for Alfred Newman who ran the business with his three sons; Horace, George and John with the factory opening in 1894. The company made some of the world's finest coffin furniture including fittings for the coffins of Churchill, Chamberlain and Diana, Princess of Wales, with the last sets of cast brass gothic handles from the factory being used on the coffins of Cardinal Basil Hume and Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother.

The Birmingham Conservation Trust's planning consent will transform the three story grade II* listed building into workspace for artists and a visitor attraction recreating the former workshops and showcase brass handles, crosses and other ornamental coffin fittings.

Advantage West Midlands has invested approximately £1.5 milion towards the £3.9 million project.

The following images are from the planning application showing the plans aimed at creating museum space on ground,first and second floors alongside commercial lets on the ground and first floor.

West Courtyard Elevation






Comments

Anonymous said…
Thanks for a great write up on one of the Jewellery Quarters historical resources. As a fellow Birmingham resident I follow your Blog with interest. I like your thorough research and inclusion of photographs and diagrams. I know that bloggers sometimes do not appreciate how valuable readers find their blogs so I'm writing this comment to give you some very well deserved feedback! Keep up the great work. PS Look forward to more Jewellery Quarter posts ;-)

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