Data from a Building Survey at Fox and Grapes Public House, Birmingham, West Midlands, 2018 (HS2 Phase One)
COPA: Cotswold Oxford Pre-Construct Archaeology, High Speed Two Ltd., Oxford Archaeology Ltd, 2025. https://doi.org/10.5284/1129160. How to cite using this DOI
Data copyright © High Speed Two Ltd. unless otherwise stated
This work is licensed under a The Open Government Licence (OGL).
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High Speed Two Ltd.
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Resource identifiers
- ADS Collection: 5630
- DOI:https://doi.org/10.5284/1129160
- How to cite using this DOI
Introduction
Project Summary
This collection comprises images, reports, and GIS data from a building survey conducted at the Fox and Grapes Public House, Birmingham, West Midlands, in 2018. Commissioned by LM-JV, COPA carried out historic building and setting recording in September 2018, prior to and during the demolition of the building. The survey included external photographic documentation on 11th and 13th September, a laser survey on 14th September, and a building recording watching brief during demolition on 16th September. The work followed the guidelines set out in the Recording and Works Method Statement as far as practicable.Re-Use Value Statement
The programme of archival research refined the chronology of the historical development of the building. The research has reconciled historical and modern street numbering, revealing that it was in a state of flux between the 1810s and mid-1840s, following which it stabilised, and the Fox and Grapes became known as no. 16 Freeman Street. This resolved several discrepancies in previous historical accounts. The research also identified three discrete phases of alterations to the building in the 19th century. These included the construction of new outbuildings in the mid-1820s, significant alterations, probably to the internal fabric of the building, during the late 1830s and a further phase of modifications to the buildings in the yard in the third quarter of the century. A comprehensive list of publican brewers (c.1800- 1895) and brewery tenants (1895-1950) was compiled, and new information was ascertained concerning the identities of early 19th century freeholders.
Recommendations for further historical research include a study of mid 19th century rate books to provide more detail about the freeholders between 1840 and 1895. It would also be useful to study 1920s planning registers held by the Birmingham Archives and Collections to find out more about the refurbishment that took place at the Fox and Grapes public house at that time.
The historic building recording has produced a different understanding of some of the phases and development of the Fox and Grapes public house, mainly that the building appears to have been rebuilt in the 19th century in brick reusing some early 18th century timber elements. Historic building recording of the cellar of the Fox and Grapes public house as detailed in Section 5.3 would be useful to try to answer some of the questions posed. Archaeological excavation of the foundations of the former outbuildings in the yard of the Fox and Grapes public house will be useful in understanding their sequence, phasing and development.
