Museums, archives and heritage in West Midlands

Birmingham, parliamentary and municipal borough and parish, on NW. border of Warwickshire, 88 miles SE. of Liverpool and 113 NW. of London by rail – municipal borough (comprising also Edgbaston parish and part of Aston parish), 8400 acres, population 400,774. Birmingham is situated on the verge of a great coal and iron district, nearly in the centre of England, and built on a rising ground, the workshops and warehouses being in the lower parts of the city. It is the principal centre of metal manufactures, consisting of articles in iron, gold, silver, brass, steel, &c., valued at over £5,000,000 per annum. Of these the most important are the manufacture of fire-arms and swords, in some recent years as many as 500,000 gun-barrels being tested annually; the manufacture of boilers and engines, the largest works, founded in 1757, being at Soho; the steel pen manufacture, 900,000,000 pens being annually produced; the making of railway carriages and waggons; jewellery and electro-plate manufactures, which are continually on the increase; iron casting of all kinds; galvanised ironware; fancy-goods in leather, wood, papiér-maché, &c.

Wolverhampton, parliamentary and municipal borough and manufacturing town, parish, and township, Staffordshire; parliamentary borough, comprising also the townships of Bilston, Wednesfield, and Willenhall, and the parish of Sedgley, 18,888 acres, population 164,332. Wolverhampton stands on the summit of an eminence, amid a network of railways and canals. It is now the largest manufacturing town in the county, and is known as the Metropolis of the Black Country. Situated in the heart of the great midland mining district, with extensive beds of coal and ironstone in its vicinity, it possesses enormous iron foundries, where articles of every description of ironware are produced. Steel, brass, tin, papier mbche, and japanned wares are also extensively made, with galvanised ironware, chemicals, colours, varnishes, &c. Wolverhampton has long been noted for its locks and keys.

Coventry, parliamentary and municipal borough and market town; municipal borough, 1430 acres, population 42,111. In the 15th century it was noted for its woollens; then for its dyeing; then for its weaving of camlets, shalloons, &C. At present its staples are ribbons, silk, and watches; but it has also woollens, carpets, cotton, art metalwork, and ironfounding.

– John Bartholomew, Gazetteer of the British Isles (1887)

Note: West Midlands was formed in 1974 from parts of Warwickshire, Worcestershire and Staffordshire.

Aston Hall

Trinity Road, Aston

Birmingham B6 6JD

07842 029477

www.bmag.org.uk/aston-hall

One of the last great homes to be built in the flamboyant Jacobean style, the mansion which was built between 1618 and 1635 for Sir Thomas Holte. In 1643 the house was badly damaged in an attack by Parliamentary troops. Today the house is displayed as a series of period rooms containing fine furniture, paintings, textiles and metal work from the collections of Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery.

Bantock House Museum

Finchfield Road

Wolverhampton WV3 9LQ

01902 552195

www.wolverhamptonart.org.uk/bantock

Bantock House, once the home of the Bantock family, allows you to discover the secrets of Wolverhampton’s history. As you wander through the house you can admire our exquisite decorative arts collection that includes enamels, steel jewellery and japanned ware.

Collections: The collections on display at Bantock House highlight local trades of the 1700 and 1800s, including Japanned ware, Enamels, Steel Jewellery and Locks.

Birmingham & Midland Society for Genealogy & Heraldry

5 Sanderling Court, Spennells

Kidderminster DY10 4TS

01562 743912

www.bmsgh.org

The Birmingham and Midland Society for Genealogy and Heraldry is the principal family history society for the counties of Staffordshire, Warwickshire and Worcestershire.

Birmingham Assay Office

Newhall Street

Birmingham B3 1SB

0121 236 6951

www.theassayoffice.co.uk

Founded by an Act of Parliament in 1773, The Birmingham Assay Office houses a spectacular collection of historic silver and jewellery and a library containing many rare historic books on hallmarking, jewellery, precious metals, science and art.

Birmingham Back to Backs – National Trust

50-54 Inge Street/55-63 Hurst Street

Birmingham B5 4TE

0121 666 7671

www.nationaltrust.org.uk/birmingham-back-to-backs

Carefully restored 19th-century courtyard of working people’s houses. Birmingham’s last surviving court of back to back housing – the story is told through the experiences of the people who lived and worked here. Covers four different periods, from 1840 to 1977.

Birmingham Cathedral

Colmore Row

Birmingham B3 2QB

0121 262 1840

www.birminghamcathedral.com

Birmingham Cathedral has been a place of Christian worship since 1715 designed by the Baroque architect, Thomas Archer. Situated in the heart of the city we are open and staffed every day of the year.

Birmingham City University Art & Design Archives

Parkside Building, 5 Cardigan Street

Birmingham B4 7BD

0121 331 6981

www.biad.bcu.ac.uk/research/archives

Birmingham City University Art and Design Archives contains both art and archival collections. There are 16 different archives and collections in the archives.

Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery

Chamberlain Square

Birmingham B3 3DH

0121 303 2834

www.bmag.org.uk

Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery (BMAG) first opened in 1885. It is housed in a Grade II* listed city centre landmark building.

Collections: There are over 500,000 objects in Birmingham Museums and Art Gallery’s collection. Our collection of Pre-Raphaelite paintings and drawings draws visitors from around the world.

Bishop Asbury Cottage

Newton Road, Great Barr

West Bromwich B43 6HN

0121 553 0759

www.museums.sandwell.gov.uk

An 18th century cottage which was the boyhood home of Francis Asbury, the first American Methodist Bishop. Furnished in period style, and with memorabilia and information relating to Asbury’s life both in West Bromwich and in America.

Black Country Living Museum

Tipton Road

Dudley DY1 4SQ

0121 557 9643

www.bclm.com

Covering 26 acres of former industrial land, Black Country Living Museum is uniquely placed to tell the story of the creation of the world’s first industrial landscape. Over fifty authentic shops, houses and workshops have been carefully reconstructed to preserve the character of the region when its manufacturers bought worldwide fame to Black Country towns. Explore the underground mine and experience the authentic sights, sounds, smells and tastes from the past.

Black Country Society

44 Whitehall Road

Stourbridge DY8 2JT

01384 379972

www.blackcountrysociety.co.uk

The society exists to foster interest in the past, present and future of the Black Country through meetings, talks and the quarterly magazine, The Blackcountryman. Its membership serves not only the local area but also the rest of Britain.

Blakesley Hall

Blakesley Road, Yardley

Birmingham B25 8RN

0121 464 2193

www.bmag.org.uk

After painstaking and careful restoration, Blakesley Hall a stunning, Elizabethan yeoman’s house in Yardley, has reopened its doors to the public. Blakesley Hall has undergone extensive renovations to reinstate the ground floor rooms, as closely as possible, to their original appearance.

Broadfield House Glass Museum

Compton Drive

Kingswinford DY6 9NS

01384 812745

www.dudley.gov.uk/see-and-do/museums/glass-museum

Situated in the historic Stourbridge glass quarter, Broadfield House Glass Museum is one of the best glass museums in the world. It has a magnificent collection of British glass, much of which was made in the Stourbridge area, from 18th century tableware to Victorian cameo vases, historic paperweights to modern sculptural pieces.

Coventry Cathedral

1 Hill Top

Coventry CV1 5AB

024 7652 1200

www.coventrycathedral.org.uk

Coventry has had three cathedrals in the past 1000 years: the 12th century Priory Church of St Mary, the Medieval Parish Church Cathedral of St Michael and the modern Coventry Cathedral, also named for St Michael.

Coventry Family History Society

12 Knoll Drive, Styvechale

Coventry CV3 5BT

0247 669 3904

www.covfhs.org

The society was formed in 1994 to fulfill a growing need and to promote and encourage the study of family history, genealogy and local history in relation to the City of Coventry and its environs.

Coventry History Centre

Jordan Well

Coventry CV1 5QP

02476 834060

www.theherbert.org/collections/archives

Coventry History Centre is the place to research local and family history, using large collections of historical material, including the city’s archives.

Coventry Transport Museum

Millennium Place, Hales Street

Coventry CV1 1JD

024 7623 4270

www.transport-museum.com

The museum displays the largest collection of British cars, cycles and motorcycles in the world and is designated as a collection of national importance. Visitors can explore over 150 years of unique history and there’s something different round every corner.

Dudley Archives & Local History Service

Dudley Archives and Local History Centre, Tipton Road

Dudley DY1 4SQ

01384 812770

goo.gl/8CG42W

Our aim is to acquire, preserve and make available for public research any and all material relating to the present Dudley Metropolitan Borough area. This includes both manuscripts, such as parish records, council minutes and files, title deeds and maps, and also printed material, in the form of books, pamphlets, posters and newspapers, and audio visual material.

Dudley Museum & Art Gallery

St James’s Road

Dudley DY1 1HP

01384 815575

www.dudley.gov.uk/see-and-do/museums

Town centre museum and art gallery combining permanant art, geology and fossil collections with contemporary exhibitions, local interest shows and hands-on exhibitions related to the school curriculum. Home to the Brooke Robinson collection – a Victorian gentleman’s collection of paintings, furniture, Greek and Roman pottery, Oriental and European ceramics, and enamel snuff boxes.

Edgbaston Museum

Warwickshire County Cricket Club, The County Ground, Edgbaston

Birmingham B5 7QU

0121 4464422

www.thebears.co.uk

A museum dedicated to the famous test venue and home of Warwickshire County Cricket Club. From memorabilia commemorating one hundred years of test history including kit used by some of the greats, to the achievements and history of the Warwickshire side itself.

Electric Railway Museum

Rowley Road, nr Coventry Airport and the Air Museum

Coventry CV3 4LE

02476 997397

www.electricrailwaymuseum.co.uk

Electric Railway Museum is a UK based charity which aims to promote the heritage of all electric trains in the UK through traction and rolling stock restoration, display and operation along with work in gathering historically relevant technical and photographic archives.

Galton Valley Canal Heritage Centre

Brasshouse Lane

Smethwick B66 1BA

0121 558 8195

www.museums.sandwell.gov.uk

Situated just off the Birmingham main line canals, the centre gives visitors an insight into some of the most important civil engineering feats in the area. As well as our displays and exhibitions at the main heritage centre site we also look after the New Smethwick Pumping Station and the original site of James Watt and Matthew Boulton’s Smethwick Engine.

Haden Hill House

Halesowen Road

Cradley Heath B64 7JU

01384 569444

www.hadenhillhouse.sandwell.gov.uk

A Victorian gentleman’s residence, furnished in period style, and surrounded by 55 acres of beautiful parkland.

Herbert Art Gallery & Museum

Jordan Well

Coventry CV1 5QP

024 7683 2386

www.theherbert.org

We provide places for the people of Coventry and visitors to the City to meet, celebrate and explore their cultural and creative past, present and futures.

Himley Hall & Park

Himley Park, Himley

Dudley DY3 4DF

01384 817817

www.dudley.gov.uk/himleyhall

Himley Hall, situated between Kingswinford and Wombourne, started life in the 18th century when a medieval manor house on the site belonging to the Earl of Dudley was demolished to make way for a great Palladian mansion. The 180 acres of grounds were designed by Capability Brown to include a great lake fed by a series of waterfalls from a higher chain of smaller pools.

Jaguar Heritage

Browns Lane, Allesley

Coventry CV5 9DR

024 7640 1288

www.jdht.com

Established for the nation in 1983, The Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust maintains a unique collection of motor vehicles and artefacts manufactured by Jaguar Cars Limited and the many other renowned marques associated with the company.

Lace Guild, The

The Hollies, 53 Audnam

Stourbridge DY8 4AE

01384 390739

www.laceguild.demon.co.uk

The Lace Guild is the largest organisation for lacemakers in the British Isles, and our membership is international. Our aims are to provide information about the craft of lacemaking, its history and use; to promote a high standard of lacemaking; and to encourage design, development and professional presentation of lace.

Lapworth Museum of Geology

School of Earth Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston

Birmingham B15 2TT

0121 414 7294

www.lapworth.bham.ac.uk

The Lapworth Museum of Geology has the finest and most extensive collections of fossils, minerals and rocks in the West Midlands. Dating back to 1880, the museum is one of the oldest specialist geological museums in the UK.

Library of Birmingham

Centenary Square

Birmingham B1 2ND

0121 242 4242

www.libraryofbirmingham.com/archives

There are millions of individual items in the collections, dating from the 12th century to the present day. For safe keeping and preservation, these are stored in environmentally-controlled conditions inside the Library’s ‘golden box’.

Locksmith’s House, The

54 New Road

Willenhall WV13 2DA

0121 557 9643

www.bclm.co.uk

The Locksmith’s House shows the lifestyle and working conditions of the Hodson lockmaking family of Willenhall at the turn of the century. The Victorian house and lockmaking workshops are typical of the many small businesses which once flourished in the town which has been the heart of lockmaking since the Industrial Revolution – the Hodson family business was established in 1792.

Modern Records Centre, University of Warwick Library

Modern Records Centre, University Library, University of Warwick

Coventry CV4 7AL

024 7652 4219

www2.warwick.ac.uk/services/library/mrc

The Modern Records Centre holds nationally important archives for the study of social, economic and political history, mainly from the mid 19th century onwards. The centre was founded in October 1973 with the principal objectives of locating and preserving primary sources for modern British social, political and economic history, with special concentration on the national history of industrial relations, industrial politics and labour history. The record centre contains the archives of national trade unions, employers.

Museum Collections Centre

25 Dollman St

Birmingham B7 4RQ

0121 303 0190

www.birminghammuseums.org.uk/bmag

The museums Collections Centre in Nechells has brought together 80 per cent of Birmingham Museums and Art Gallery’s stored collections under one roof. The 1.5 hectare site, close to Duddeston Station, holds hundreds of thousands of objects. Among the collections are steam engines, sculptures, an entire collection of Austin, Rover and MG motor cars, a red phone box and even a Sinclair C5.

Museum of the Jewellery Quarter

75-80 Vyse Street, Hockley

Birmingham B18 6HA

0121 554 3598

www.bmag.org.uk/jewellery_quarter

Built around the preserved workshops and offices of Smith & Pepper, a Birmingham jewellery firm, the award-winning Museum of the Jewellery Quarter offers a fascinating insight into the city’s historic jewellery trade. Visitors can enjoy a guided tour around the perfectly preserved ‘time capsule’ factory – little changed since the beginning of the century – and see demonstrations of jewellery making.

Oak House Museum

Oak Road

West Bromwich B70 8HJ

0121 553 0759

www.oakhouse.sandwell.gov.uk

Oak House is a delightful half timbered yeoman’s house, furnished with contemporary furniture. The house is a ten minute walk from the centre of West Bromwich, and near to the Lodge Road metro stop.

Pen Museum, The

Unit 3 The Argent Centre 60 Frederick Street, Birmingham, West Midlands B1 3HS, United Kingdom

Birmingham B1 3HS

0121 236 9834

www.penroom.co.uk

One of Birmingham’s great attractions and centres of information about the city’s fascinating history. Dedicated to steel pen making in Birmingham.

Collections: Current themes are Birmingham manufacturers; pen manufacturing processes supported by social history of workers; the history of writing and methods of communicating. The core collection comprises of items from Birmingham and the Birmingham pen-related trades.

Priory Visitor Centre

Coventry Arts and Heritage, Priory Row

Coventry CV1 5EX

024 7655 2242

www.theherbert.org

Discover Coventry’s first cathedral at the Priory Visitor Centre and Undercrofts. For hundreds of years the ruins of Coventry’s first cathedral lay hidden beneath the city centre. The ‘Phoenix Initiative’, Coventry’s Millennium project, gave archaeologists the opportunity to excavate this important site.

Red House Glass Cone

High Street, Wordsley

Stourbridge DY8 4AZ

01384 812750

www.dudley.gov.uk/see-and-do/museums

The Red House Glass Cone lies in the heart of the Glass Quarter, Stourbridge, West Midlands. It was built at the end of the 18th century and used for the manufacture of glass until 1936.

Collections: Newly installed exhibition galleries tell the story of glassmaking in the area and the history of this unique glassworks. Glass and archive material from the Stuart Collection which spans over 100 years will also be on display.

Ruskin Glass Centre

Wollaston Road, Amblecote

Stourbridge DY8 4HE

01384 399400

goo.gl/JU1CDC

Situated in Stourbridge’s historic glass quarter, the Ruskin Glass Centre houses a wide range of skilled craftspeople, including some of the leading British studio glass companies. Visitors can view the whole array of glassmaking processes including blowing, cutting, kiln work, stained glass and lampwork. There are also other craftspeople including photographers, printers and publishers and glass repairers.

Saint Nicolas Place

81 The Green, Kings Norton

Birmingham B38 8RU

0121 458 1223

www.saintnicolasplace.co.uk

The Tudor Merchant’s House and the 17th century Old Grammar School are set either side of St Nicolas’ Church, a place of worship much of which has stood here since Norman times. Together, they constitute the finest collection of mediaeval buildings in Birmingham. They were restored in 2004 and are owned and managed by Kings Norton Parish Church Council for all to enjoy and use.

Sarehole Mill

Colebank Road, Hall Green

Birmingham B13 0DB

0121 777 6612

www.birminghammuseums.org.uk/sarehole

A 250 year old idyllic watermill only four miles from Birmingham city centre. The original main waterwheel, mill gears and grinding stones can been seen in action on milling days, every Wednesday and Sunday during the open season. Explore Sarehole Mill’s links with Tolkien. Signposts to Middle-Earth is a family-friendly exhibition explores the connections of JRR Tolkien with Sarehole Mill and the surrounding area.

Selly Manor

Corner of Maple and Sycamore Roads, Oak Tree Lane, Bournville

Birmingham B30 2AE

0121 472 0199

www.sellymanormuseum.org.uk

Selly Manor and Minworth Greaves are two ancient timber-framed manor houses moved to Bournville in the early 20th century by the chocolate manufacturer George Cadbury. They are two of Birmingham’s oldest houses and are beautiful examples of medieval and Tudor architecture, surrounded by an authentic period garden.

Smethwick Heritage Centre

Victoria Park Lodge, High Street

Smethwick B66 3NJ

0121 555 7278

www.smethwick-heritage.co.uk

Our aim is to collect, store, archive and display object and material connected with Smethwick.

Soho House Museum

Soho Avenue, Handsworth

Birmingham B18 5LB

0121 554 9122

www.bmag.org.uk/soho-house

Soho House Museum was the home of Matthew Boulton, one of Birmingham’s most famous sons. Boulton is famous for his associations with James Watt and the Lunar Society and left his mark on industrial development in Birmingham.

Special Collections, University of Birmingham

Special Collections, Academic Services, Main Library, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston

Birmingham B15 2TT

0121 414 5839

www.special-coll.bham.ac.uk

The Special Collections & Archives of the University of Birmingham have been built up over a period of 120 years and consist of approximately 120,000 pre-1850 books dating from 1471 and some 3 million archives and manuscripts, all of which provide a rich resource for teaching and research.

St Chad’s Cathedral

Queensway

Birmingham B4 6EU

0121 236 2251

www.stchadscathedral.org.uk

St Chad’s, the first Catholic cathedral erected in England since the Reformation, was built between 1839 and 1841 to serve the rapidly expanding Catholic population in Birmingham. It was designed in north German 13th century style by Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin (1812-1852), the world famous pioneer of Gothic revival architecture.

St Mary’s Guildhall

Bayley Lane

Coventry CV1 5RN

02476 833328

www.stmarysguildhall.co.uk

St Mary’s Guildhall is one of the finest surviving medieval guildhalls in England.

Collections: The civic collection at St Mary’s Guildhall includes a diverse range of items and artworks that have been amassed at the Guildhall over the centuries, some as donations and bequests, others as specific commissions by the guilds or civic leaders.

Thinktank: Birmingham’s Science Museum

Millennium Point, Curzon Street

Birmingham B4 7XG

0121 202 2222

www.thinktank.ac

Where can you explore deepest space, find out how doctors perform life-saving surgery and travel back in time to Birmingham’s amazing industrial past, all under one roof? From steam engines to intestines, Thinktank has over 200 hands-on exhibits on science and discovery from the past, present and future.

Collections: The science and industry collections consist of around 40,000 objects, including James Watt’s Smethwick engine of 1779, the oldest working steam engine in the world.

Tipton Community Heritage Centre

Tipton Community Heritage Centre, Tipton Library, Unit 19, Tipton Shopping Centre, Owen Street,

Tipton DY4 8QE

0121 522 3722

www.tiptonheritagecentre.sandwell.gov.uk

The centre features a small but informative display covering various aspects of Tipton’s industrial and social history. One focus is on the development of the town following the construction of the first canal in 1769.

University of Birmingham, Research & Cultural Collections

University of Birmingham Collections, c/o University Curator, Main Library, The University of Birmingham, Edgbaston

Birmingham B15 2TT

0121 414 6750

goo.gl/OiCCs3

The University of Birmingham Collections is a cornucopia of extraordinary artefacts, from West African masks in the Danford Collection, to important 20th century paintings such as Peter Lanyon’s mural in the Arts Building. The University owns, displays and teaches from groups of objects within seven distinct collections, including archaeology, physics and pathology.

Vintage Trains

670 Warwick Road, Tyseley

Birmingham B11 2HL

0121 707 4696

www.vintagetrains.co.uk

Tyseley Locomotive Works is the engineering subsidiary of the Birmingham Railway Museum Trust, which is a registered educational charity. The trust was established to preserve and demonstrate the steam locomotives in the Tyseley collection.

Walsall Leather Museum

Littleton Street West

Walsall WS2 8EQ

01922 721153

cms.walsall.gov.uk/leathermuseum

Discover why Walsall became the British leather goods capital in this fascinating working museum, housed in a restored leather factory. For two hundred years Walsall people have been making some of the world’s finest saddles and leather goods.

Walsall Local History Centre

Essex Street

Walsall WS2 7AS

01922 721305

cms.walsall.gov.uk/localhistorycentre

The research room is open to all members of the public free of charge and you will receive a friendly welcome from helpful staff.

Walsall Museum

Lichfield Street

Walsall WS1 1TR

01922 653116

cms.walsall.gov.uk/museums

Walsall Museum is a friendly and welcoming museum in the heart of Walsall, sharing a building with the town’s central library.

Collections: Collection of social and industrial history from Walsall’s past and present, ranging from 17th century firemarks to 21st century posters. Strong collection of costume and textiles, including the Hodson Shop Collection, a unique collection of unsold shop stock of working-class clothing from the 1920s to 1960s.

Warwickshire County Cricket Club Museum

County Ground, Edgbaston

Birmingham B5 7QU

0121 446 4422

www.thebears.co.uk/history/museum

A visit to the Warwickshire County Cricket Club Museum at Edgbaston is to take a unique journey through the last 113 years of first-class cricket played at this famous ground. Photographs, memorabilia, artefacts and articles are displayed in a way that captures the interest of the visitor .

Wednesbury Museum & Art Gallery

Holyhead Road

Wednesbury WS10 7DF

0121 556 0683

www.museums.sandwell.gov.uk

A Victorian Art Gallery, recently redecorated, housing collections which include fine art paintings, applied art, including one of the world’s largest collections of Ruskin pottery, and geology.

Weoley Castle

Alwold Road, Weoley Castle

Birmingham B29 5RX

0121 464 2193

www.birmingham.gov.uk/weoleycastle

The ruins at Weoley Castle are over 700 years old and are the remains of the moated medieval manor house that once stood here. The site has been inhabited from the 12th century and, according to the Doomsday Book, was part of the estates of William Fitz Ansculf. Excavations have revealed the wealthy status of the castle’s occupants. Finds have included glass from Syria and a range of kitchen equipment.

Wightwick Manor & Gardens – National Trust

Wightwick Bank

Wolverhampton WV6 8EE

01902 761400

www.nationaltrust.org.uk/wightwick-manor

One of only a few surviving examples of a house built and furnished under the influence of the Arts & Crafts Movement. The many original William Morris wallpapers and fabrics, Pre-Raphaelite paintings, Kempe glass and de Morgan ware help conjure up the spirit of the time.

Winterbourne House & Garden, University of Birmingham

58 Edgbaston Park Road, Edgbaston

Birmingham B15 2RT

0121 414 3003

www.winterbourne.org.uk

Winterbourne is a rare surviving example of an early 20th century suburban villa and garden. The house was built in 1903 for John and Margaret Nettlefold, of Guest, Keen & Nettlefold. Botanic gardens display collections of plants from all around the world.

Wolverhampton City Archives

Molineux Hotel Building, Whitmore Hill

Wolverhampton WV1 1SF

01902 552480

www.wolverhamptonart.org.uk

Wolverhampton Archives keeps documents, maps, books, photos, newspapers and more relating to the history of areas now within the city of Wolverhampton.