Series: Ric Tyler unpublished report series

Historic Building Record of redundant, Grade II Listed office/manufactory building commensurate with a 'Level 3' survey as defined by HE, comprising textual account, drawn and photographic record combined with associated archival research. No. 199 Newhall Street is a Grade II Statutorily Listed Building lying within the ‘Industrial Middle’ zone of the Birmingham Jewellery Quarter Conservation Area; it has until recently formed part of the premises of Baker and Finnemore Ltd., a company with a history dating back to the mid-19th century, originally occupying premises at No. 1 James Street and historically involved in the manufacture of steel pens. It is located to the south-east extreme of the wider Harper’s Hill site, where it occupies a prominent location at the south-east end of the street block bounded by Newhall Street, Brook Street and James Street, c.150m west of St. Peter’s Square. The building complex comprises three principal elements; a three-storey office/workshop range fronting onto Newhall Street, built in a simplified and restrained Neo-Georgian style, a large, two-storey purpose-built workshop block fronting Brook Street and James Street with a distinctive ‘saw-tooth’ north-light roof, and a multi-phase, composite group of buildings to the north-west, fronting James Street and abutting the rear of the Newhall Street range. The combined block extends to c.830m2 and is centred on NGR SP 06355 87435. The site, formerly occupied by late-C18th/early-C19th residential housing around a central yard, first indicated on a map of c.1818, was bought by Baker and Finnemore in 1911, the year the firm was incorporated, and sequentially redeveloped shortly thereafter for industrial purposes. The earliest element of the extant complex was the two-storey workshop block, built to the designs of Ewen Harper and Bro., architects, of Corporation Street, Birmingham, with deposited drawings dated 1911; a series of associated buildings, though stylistically distinct, are included on contemporary design drawings and are thus assumed to be contemporary. The Newhall Street frontage block formed part of the original plan, being delineated on primary drawings, though it did not form part of initial works, being appended later over three discrete phases of development. The earliest phase comprised a two-storey, three-bay range, the southern three bays of the extant range, at the angle of Newhall Street and Brook Street, erected in c.1915; this was extended to the north by three bays in c.1936, and the full, six-bay range raised to three storeys in c.1948/9. Baker and Finnemore’s premises were later further enlarged by the addition of substantial workshop ranges to the north and north-west of the historical core in the later 20th century, the whole site remaining in the company’s occupation until 2020, immediately prior to recording related to the current study. The constituent buildings that comprises No. 199 Newhall Street present a group of significant historical interest and considerable architectural merit, the latter in particular with respect to the formal treatment of the Neo-Georgian Newhall Street frontage range, the presence of which was accentuated by its heightening in the late-1940s, and this is reflected in its designation as a Grade II Listed Building. The complex combines administrative accommodation with extensive manufacturing workshops, warehousing and stores in a purpose-built, composite site redolent of earlier, 19th-century ‘integrated’ manufactories.

Photographic record of unlisted post-medieval barn at Morville Hall to supplement Heritage Assessment, undertaken for National Trust as condition of planning and LBC related to conversion of building to residential use (holiday let units)

Detailed historic building record of multi-phase farm complex associated with late-16th-century house at Benthall, Broseley, Shropshire, undertaken for National Trust.

'Retrospective' HBR in respect of two recently demolished farmsteads south-west of Uttoxeter. Record based upon archival research and review of pre-existing site records (predominantly photographs)

Historic Building Record of series of redundant manufactory buildings variously to Levels 1, 2 and 3 as defined by HE. Each comprising a written account, and drawn and photographic records combined with associated archival research. The Harper’s Hill site is located within Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter, c.1km NW of the city centre. Extending to a total area of c.1.48ha and centred on NGR SP 06275 87500, it is bordered by Regent Place to the north, James Street to the east, Brook Street and Graham Street / Newhall Street to the south and by properties fronting Vittoria Street to the west; Northwood Street bisects the site, aligned approximately east-west. The wider application site is fully built over, comprising street frontage ranges with related back-buildings and associated yards, extending to 15 discrete building units / complexes. Following a brief synopsis of the historical development of the wider area and a more detailed review of the available historical sources pertaining to the site under consideration, the HBR report presents a detailed description and analysis of the site and its unlisted constituent buildings, structures and yards, commensurate with ‘Level 1’ through to ‘Level 3’ records as appropriate, according to their acknowledged relative significance, as defined by Historic England in ‘Understanding Historic Buildings: A Guide to Good Recording Practice’. Nos. 109 Northwood Street and 199 Newhall Street, both Grade II listed buildings, are reported elsewhere. In summary, historical sources indicate that the Harper’s Hill site was developed largely within the grounds of the former ‘Harper's Hill House’ villa, erected in c.1775 on land released from the Colmore estate, and demolished about 100 years later in c.1875. The first developments were residential as opposed to industrial in nature, and were concentrated to the south of the villa’s southern bounding wall, flanking the north side of Graham Street and in the street block of Newhall Street/Brook Street/James Street, all of which are illustrated on Pigott-Smith’s map of 1828. The first purely industrial buildings had been erected by the time of Pigott-Smith’s second town plan of c.1855 to the west side of James Street, though major development did not occur until the later 19th century, after the demolition of ‘Harper's Hill House’ had freed up a large area for new building. Northwood Street was extended westwards from its junction with James Street, and a series of purpose-built industrial ranges erected in fairly rapid succession to both the north and south sides thereof. The northern part of the site had become essentially fully developed by the middle years of the 20th century, including the introduction of infill ranges and the covering over of yards, with the southern section experiencing development only after the clearance of early ‘court’ housing in the 1950s. With the exception of buildings fronting Graham Street to the south, the majority of the buildings gradually came under the common ownership of the firm of A.E. Harris & Co. (Birmingham) Ltd. during the second half of the 20th century. Later developments largely comprised the removal of earlier, outdated ranges and their replacement with larger, utilitarian structures, more suited to the accommodation of modern production machinery and processes. A total of eight broad ‘phases’ of development were identified, from the early-19th century through to the early-21st century. The Harper’s Hill site can be seen to have included buildings of varied quality, date, architectural merit and historical significance.

Historic Building Record and Analysis of mid-16th-century service range (coach house / brewhouse / laundry) and associated yard and outbuildings to inform National Trust Conservation Management Plan.

Historic Building Record and Assessment of an early-mid 19th-century multi-yard farmstead (buildings mainly Grade II Listed) in the ownership of the National Trust and associated with John Nash's Grade I listed Cronkhill Villa of c.1802-5. Undertaken to inform the NT's decision making process for conservation, adaptation and future use of the buildings.

Photographic and written record of power station buildings accompanied by archival research. West Burton ‘A’ Power Station is located on the west bank of the River Trent in north-east Nottinghamshire, hard on the border with Lincolnshire (the river here forming the county boundary), c.10km north-east of Retford and c.50km NNE of the county town of Nottingham. West Burton was one of 13 oil- and coal-fired power stations built by the Central Electricity Generating Board (CEGB) based around the 500MW turbo-generator set built during the 1960s. Released for construction in 1961, the plant was commissioned between 1967 and 1968 and was officially opened on 25th April 1969. Together with nearby Cottam, and Ratcliffe-on-Soar, it is one of three such ‘super-stations’ of 2,000MW capacity within the lower Trent Valley. The power station comprises a standard grouping of structures based around the generating core of boiler house, turbine hall with attached control room, and precipitator block, served by paired chimney stacks (replaced) to the north and a massive, enclosed 400kV switch-house located axially to the south. A total of eight natural-draught cooling towers are split into two discrete groups of four, to the east and west of the generation buildings, in linear and lozenge arrangements respectively, while an extensive coaling plant, associated stock area and enclosing rail loop are sited to the north-east, adjacent to the supply rail lines. All constituent buildings of the plant are described to a level commensurate with a ‘Level 2’ record as defined by Historic England, cross-referenced to a comprehensive photographic record and illustrated with copies of original design drawings/diagrams and early photographs as appropriate. Further, a review of the readily available archival sources at the National Archives, the Nottinghamshire Archives and on-site at the power station itself, allowed for a context, both historical and technical, to be established in which to interpret the form and function of the site and its component parts. The station as a whole is considered within its landscape setting, and its ‘Heritage Values’ are assessed in evidential, historical, aesthetic and communal terms, in line with Historic England guidelines. The programme of historic building recording allowed for a detailed study and record of the buildings, their construction, operation and general developmental history to be made, so far as possible from a non-intrusive survey, in accordance with current Historic England guidance. Together with similar studies at a number of contemporary power station sites, it forms part of a significant ‘preservation by record’ of an important class of industrial heritage asset.

HE Level 3 record and assessment of locally listed Board School of 1873, undertaken to inform programme of conservation / restoration.

Level 2/3 historic building record of series of farm outbuildings, largely of 18th/19th century date, associated with Moseley Old Hall, Featherstone, South Staffordshire