The Anchorage, Birmingham facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The Anchorage |
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The building in August 2013
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| General information | |
| Type | House |
| Architectural style | Arts and Crafts |
| Address | 137, Handsworth Wood Road, Handsworth Wood |
| Town or city | Birmingham |
| Country | England |
| Coordinates | 52°31′07″N 1°55′47″W / 52.5185°N 1.92978°W |
| Completed | 1899 |
| Designations | Grade II* listed |
The Anchorage is a special old house in Handsworth Wood, a part of Birmingham, England. It's known as a Grade II* listed building. This means it's a very important historic building. It has special protection to make sure it stays safe and doesn't get changed too much.
Contents
What is The Anchorage?
The Anchorage was built in 1899. It was designed in a style called Arts and Crafts. This style focused on traditional craftsmanship. It used simple forms and often showed the natural beauty of materials.
The architects who designed it were Joseph Crouch and Edmund Butler. They built it as a home for Alfred Constantine. He was a person who made jewellery.
How Was It Built?
The house is made mostly of brick. It also has stone details and wooden parts on the outside. These wooden parts are for decoration.
The roof is covered with tiles. It has a small, round tower on top called a cupola. This cupola is not exactly in the middle of the roof.
Art and History Inside
The Anchorage was once filled with amazing art. Sadly, a fire happened around 1977. This fire damaged some parts of the house.
It burned a special balcony in the main hall. This balcony was called a minstrels' gallery. It was a place where musicians might have played.
The fire also destroyed some large paintings. These paintings were called murals. They were named The Hunt and Feast. An artist named Fred Davis created them.
Special Details and Artists
Even with the fire, other beautiful things remained inside. There is metal work made by someone from the Bromsgrove Guild. This was a group of artists and craftspeople. It might have been made by an artist named Benjamin Creswick.
There is also special embroidery by Mary Newill. She was another talented artist. Mary Newill also made some of the stained glass windows in the house. Stained glass uses colored pieces of glass to create pictures.
Protecting The Anchorage
Because The Anchorage is so important, it got special protection on July 8, 1982. This is when it became a Grade II* listed building. This status helps to preserve its unique history and design for the future.
Modern Changes
One of the garages attached to the house has been changed. It was turned into a separate small home. This work was done by HDA Architecture.
From 1983 to 2019, the building was used as a community house. It was a place where people lived together.
