Site:  

16 Boxwood House,

Edward Street / Bromsgrove Road

Grid Reference:    

SP 0379 6756

Description:

Group of industrial and domestic buildings including two mid 19th century villas, one of which belonged to the Ivy Needle Works of Abel Morrall Ltd, established in 1845, part of which still survives to the rear.

No.16 Boxwood House

Brick with hipped slate roof. 3 bays and 2 storeys with rendered first-floor sill band and modillion eaves course. Ground floor has canted bay windows with flat roofs. First-floor windows have gauged brick heads. Glazing and glazing bars partly missing. Central entrance has round-arched head on imposts, panelled reveals, boarded door and fanlight. Small 2-storey outbuilding to rear with yellow brick dressings and circular window in gable end.

Probable Masters House

Painted brick with hipped slate roof. 3 bays and 2 storeys with plinth and band at first-floor level. Windows have segmental heads on ground floor. Probably all 12-pane sashes originally, of which two partly survive on the first floor. Central entrance had fine porch, now altered, but with fluted stone columns. Six-panelled door with fanlight. Two-bay wing to rear retains its sash windows.

Industrial buildings to rear

Brick. Roughly L-plan. Large multi-paned windows. Also 3 adjoining single-storey ranges, with gable ends fronting onto Edward Street that have blocked windows with circular openings above.

Significance:

A site of historic importance that includes the remains of one of the towns most important needle factories. It also includes two well-proportioned villas of considerable architectural merit, now in poor condition. Together with Nos. 42-52 (qv) and Ashleigh Works (qv), they survive as an indication of the former importance of this main route into the town centre during the 19th century.

History:

This building........