Orphanage Road
Encyclopedia
Orphanage Road is a road in Erdington
, Birmingham
and Wylde Green
, Sutton Coldfield
. Orphanage Road runs from Erdington Library just before Erdington High Street to Penns Lane. Sutton Coldfield.
It was originally named Bell Lane and was renamed for the Orphanage
, which Josiah Mason
built there in 1860 to a design by J.R. Botham. Mason also built almshouse
s adjacent to the orphanage in 1858. The orphanage consisted of a 250 foot tower, famously scaled by Sir Benjamin Stone
to take photographs of the panoramic views over Erdington. The orphanage was formally opened by Mason in 1869 and extended in 1876. The Orphanage building was demolished in 1964, in the mid 20th century, when Victorian architecture
was generally not highly valued and Anti-Victorianism was influential. The trustees thought the orphanage was, "out dated and expensive to maintain." The tower was demolished by replacing the stones at the base with wooden posts which were then ignited. The site was sold for housing.
At the end of Orphanage Road nearest to central Erdington there are plans under discussion for a large new supermarket
.
Erdington
Erdington is a suburb northeast of Birmingham city centre, England and bordering Sutton Coldfield. It is also a council constituency, managed by its own district committee...
, Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
and Wylde Green
Wylde Green
Wylde Green is a residential area within the town of Sutton Coldfield in Birmingham, England in the West Midlands. It was in the county of Warwickshire. The area is in the Sutton Vesey ward.-History:...
, Sutton Coldfield
Sutton Coldfield
Sutton Coldfield is a suburb of Birmingham, in the West Midlands of England. Sutton is located about from central Birmingham but has borders with Erdington and Kingstanding. Sutton is in the northeast of Birmingham, with a population of 105,000 recorded in the 2001 census...
. Orphanage Road runs from Erdington Library just before Erdington High Street to Penns Lane. Sutton Coldfield.
It was originally named Bell Lane and was renamed for the Orphanage
Orphanage
An orphanage is a residential institution devoted to the care of orphans – children whose parents are deceased or otherwise unable or unwilling to care for them...
, which Josiah Mason
Josiah Mason
Sir Josiah Mason was an English pen-manufacturer.Mason was born in Mill Street, Kidderminster, the son of a carpet-weaver. He began life as a street hawker of cakes, fruits and vegetables. After trying his hand in his native town at shoemaking, baking, carpentering, blacksmithing, house-painting...
built there in 1860 to a design by J.R. Botham. Mason also built almshouse
Almshouse
Almshouses are charitable housing provided to enable people to live in a particular community...
s adjacent to the orphanage in 1858. The orphanage consisted of a 250 foot tower, famously scaled by Sir Benjamin Stone
John Benjamin Stone
Sir John Benjamin Stone , known as Benjamin, was a British Conservative politician, and noted photographer.Stone was born in Aston, Birmingham the son of a local glass manufacturer...
to take photographs of the panoramic views over Erdington. The orphanage was formally opened by Mason in 1869 and extended in 1876. The Orphanage building was demolished in 1964, in the mid 20th century, when Victorian architecture
Victorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
was generally not highly valued and Anti-Victorianism was influential. The trustees thought the orphanage was, "out dated and expensive to maintain." The tower was demolished by replacing the stones at the base with wooden posts which were then ignited. The site was sold for housing.
At the end of Orphanage Road nearest to central Erdington there are plans under discussion for a large new supermarket
Supermarket
A supermarket, a form of grocery store, is a self-service store offering a wide variety of food and household merchandise, organized into departments...
.