Warstone Lane Cemetery
The area for our site within the cemetery is the area labelled catacombs, in the centre of the cemetery.
About the site
Warstone Lane Cemetery was owned by the Church of England Cemetery Company and was opened in 1848 for Anglicans and Nonconformists and is located in the City's Jewellery Quarter. It was acquired by the Birmingham City Council under a compulsory purchase order in 1951.
The Cemetery lodge which is built from Staffordshire Blue Stone is a Grade II listed building and are now privately owned offices.
The cemetery's name and several of the surrounding streets, comes from the 'War Stone' that was deposited by a glacier during the Ice Age and which served as a Parish boundary marker. However the cemetery has also been known by other names, such as Brookfields Cemetery and The Mint Cemetery, due to it's close proximity to the coin producing 'Mint' nearby.
The cemetery's memorial chapel of St.Michael's was used for worship from 1854 to 1878. The chapel stood above the semi~circular rows of catacombs, which made use of the features of the site after it had previously been used as a sandpit quarry.
Coffins were lowered from the chapel above down into the catacombs below by way of a catafalque.
In 1846 the Birmingham Cemeteries Act required all coffins interred within the catacombs to be sealed with lead or pitch, due to the 'Unhealthy vapours and unpleasant smell emanating from them'.
The catacombs which had previously been accessible when vacant, have now all been sealed due to becoming the unsavoury haunt of drug users and rent boys.
The church then fell into disuse and was demolished in 1953.
The Cemetery lodge which is built from Staffordshire Blue Stone is a Grade II listed building and are now privately owned offices.
The cemetery's name and several of the surrounding streets, comes from the 'War Stone' that was deposited by a glacier during the Ice Age and which served as a Parish boundary marker. However the cemetery has also been known by other names, such as Brookfields Cemetery and The Mint Cemetery, due to it's close proximity to the coin producing 'Mint' nearby.
The cemetery's memorial chapel of St.Michael's was used for worship from 1854 to 1878. The chapel stood above the semi~circular rows of catacombs, which made use of the features of the site after it had previously been used as a sandpit quarry.
Coffins were lowered from the chapel above down into the catacombs below by way of a catafalque.
In 1846 the Birmingham Cemeteries Act required all coffins interred within the catacombs to be sealed with lead or pitch, due to the 'Unhealthy vapours and unpleasant smell emanating from them'.
The catacombs which had previously been accessible when vacant, have now all been sealed due to becoming the unsavoury haunt of drug users and rent boys.
The church then fell into disuse and was demolished in 1953.
Public & Private Spaces
As stated above the cemetery is now owned by the City Council of Birmingham and the land is open to the public for them to walk through the cemetery. It does have an official opening hours and they are 10:00 - 16:00 but there are no means of locking up the site to stop people trespassing after these hours. This is the same as the other cemetery on the other side of the jewellery quarter, called Key Hill cemetery. It was opened in 1836 as a general cemetery for burial to all creeds and denominations. Up until the 1930s, part of the site was still used for quarry casting sand, mostly for the jewellery industry. The cemetery, a Grade II registered historic garden, is a green haven containing a wide variety of flora and fauna, including 19 species of bird. It contains catacombs and influential figures
Around the site the most known attraction is the Jewellery Quarter area dates back more than 250 years and is still home to over 500 jewellery businesses. A designated conservation area with over 200 listed buildings, it has been described by English Heritage as ‘a unique historic environment in England – a national treasure’, which has few, if any, parallels in Europe. The Jewellery Quarter also contains Birmingham’s last remaining Georgian Square in the tranquil surroundings of St Paul’s, with its fine restaurants, bars and galleries.
Not only does the Quarter have a heritage, it also has an expanding, thriving business community, a growing residential population and an established retail sector that boasts over 100 jewellery retailers, specialist retailers, bars and restaurants.
Not only does the Quarter have a heritage, it also has an expanding, thriving business community, a growing residential population and an established retail sector that boasts over 100 jewellery retailers, specialist retailers, bars and restaurants.
Mostly around the site there is businesses either building being rented or owned. Most of the businesses are too do with jewellery but there is a expanding living population around the area home to around 6,000 residents. In the 18th Century, the Jewellery Quarter created a substantial number of new houses that were built for manufacturers in the area, while the artisans continued to live in modest terrace houses. By the 19th century some of these houses were replaced by manufactories and the residential community within the Quarter declined.
Over the past decade, apartments and townhouses have sprung up in converted buildings or on land that has become derelict. This has brought life back into the Quarter and much needed facilities necessary for a successful urban village.
Over 6,000 residents now live in the Quarter with more than 30 restaurants, bars and cafés. Other centrally located facilities include a Post Office, a Tesco supermarket and Tesco Express, pharmacy, dentist, gyms and several hair salons.
Over the past decade, apartments and townhouses have sprung up in converted buildings or on land that has become derelict. This has brought life back into the Quarter and much needed facilities necessary for a successful urban village.
Over 6,000 residents now live in the Quarter with more than 30 restaurants, bars and cafés. Other centrally located facilities include a Post Office, a Tesco supermarket and Tesco Express, pharmacy, dentist, gyms and several hair salons.
The Jewellery Quarter is well served by public transport and Snow Hill Station now has its own entrance in the area. It is only a 15 minute stroll away from the facilities of Birmingham City Centre. It also has a small train station just behind the jewellery quarter.
Another public space is the Golden Square yet to be completed yet it is a £1.6 million, 43,055 sq ft public realm space in Birmingham’s historic Jewellery Quarter. The square will be located on the site of the former car park outside of The Big Peg office scheme, Jewellery Quarter police station and The Rose Villa Tavern pub on Warstone Lane.The scheme – part of Birmingham’s Big City Plan – will create a focal point for the Jewellery Quarter and provide a flexible space to host events and encourage more footfall into the area. The space will be split into three areas – the plaza, the orchard and the promenade.
The orchard will comprise a tree-lined path up to the promenade, providing access to the existing cafes and shops and the new information point. Funded by the Jewellery Quarter BID, the information point will house a TV screen streaming updates on what’s happening in the area.
The plaza will include benches, bicycle racks and incorporate a retail unit.
The orchard will comprise a tree-lined path up to the promenade, providing access to the existing cafes and shops and the new information point. Funded by the Jewellery Quarter BID, the information point will house a TV screen streaming updates on what’s happening in the area.
The plaza will include benches, bicycle racks and incorporate a retail unit.
There is a small landmark just a hundred yards or so down the road, the Chamberlain Clock. . It was erected on 1904 in memory of Joseph Chamberlain. It is a small landmark that is pronominally known as a point of reference to the jewellery quarter.
There is a museum of the jewellery quarter. For more than 80 years Smith and Pepper produced jewellery from this workshop, which was founded in 1899.The ‘Earth’s Riches’ gallery showcases jewellery made from material found in the natural world, from whale tooth and coral to diamond and platinum. A wide range of original jewellery by local designer makers is sold through the museum shop, as well as a wide variety of gifts and books.
The Museum tells the story of jewellery production in Birmingham over the last 200 years as well as exploring the Jewellery Quarter as it is today. The temporary exhibition space provides a programme of workshops and events for all the family.
Entrance is £5 for visitors aged 16 and above. Concessions £4. Free for children. The charge applies to the tour of the Smith and Pepper factory and the permanent galleries. The shop, café and temporary exhibition space are free to enter.
The Museum tells the story of jewellery production in Birmingham over the last 200 years as well as exploring the Jewellery Quarter as it is today. The temporary exhibition space provides a programme of workshops and events for all the family.
Entrance is £5 for visitors aged 16 and above. Concessions £4. Free for children. The charge applies to the tour of the Smith and Pepper factory and the permanent galleries. The shop, café and temporary exhibition space are free to enter.
There is also a museum dedicated to coffin works, which makes sense as there are two grade 2 listed cemeteries in the area. The coffin work of the Newman brothers were big in the area around the time, but it closed down because of harder times. They ran for over 100 years, from 1894 until 1999 Newman Brothers produced high quality coffin fittings in solid brass, stamped electro-brass, silver and nickel plate, and latterly in moulded resin.
Restoration of the Newman Brothers Coffin Fittings Works in Fleet Street started at the end of July 2013 and this Grade II* listed factory and was open to the public from late October 2014.
For the last 10 years the Trust have been working hard to create a sustainable rescue package for this incredible piece of Birmingham Industrial heritage.
Restoration of the Newman Brothers Coffin Fittings Works in Fleet Street started at the end of July 2013 and this Grade II* listed factory and was open to the public from late October 2014.
For the last 10 years the Trust have been working hard to create a sustainable rescue package for this incredible piece of Birmingham Industrial heritage.
Escape live is a short journey from the cemetery and its a live game where the occupants of the room have 60 minutes to escape the room finding clues that is left behind. It is privately owned and the public have to pay if they wish to play the game.
Site at Night
Daytime At Site
Site Analysis
Location Plan
Scale 1:4000
Scale 1:4000
Site Plan
Scale 1:250
Scale 1:250
Environmental Plan
Showing sun path and average wind directions
Wednesday 18th March 2015
Scale 1:250
Showing sun path and average wind directions
Wednesday 18th March 2015
Scale 1:250