1–7 Constitution Hill, Birmingham 10.10.11

The former H.B. Sale factory (grid reference SP067876), at 1–7 Constitution Hill, Birmingham 19, England, at the acute junction with Hampton Street, is a Grade II listed building. The red brick and terracotta structure is extremely thin, with a tower at one end.

It was designed in 1895 and 1896 by William Doubleday and James R. Shaw for H. B. Sale, a die-sinker that still occupies premises on Summer Lane within 100 metres of the original building. The original plans were for five stories, but only four were built. A fifth storey was added in the mid-20th century before planning laws were in force to protect the integrity of original structures and as a result, the fifth floor is not of the same architectural style of the 1895 building. The tower is original, built in 1896 as a memorial to Lord Roberts of Kandahar (1832–1914) who led a successful campaign in Afghanistan in 1879 before a career in India.[1] Plans show three independent shops and offices at ground level. Each upper floor, measuring approximately 900 square feet (84 m2), was designed as a single workshop with an office in the tower. There was an engine room and dynamo in the basement.

 

 

At the Junction with Summer Lane