Bournville

Bournville was originally known as Bournbrook, it consisted of a scattering of farmsteads and cottages linked by winding country lanes, the only visual highlight being the Georgian built Bournbrook Hall. The bluebell glades of Stocks Wood were said to be a relic of the Forest of Arden and there were Roman remains nearby. In 1879 George and Richard Cadbury moved their Cocoa and Chocolate factory from Bridge Street, Birmingham, to a greenfield site beside Bournbrook Hall, four miles south a location was chosen that was cleaner, healthier and amenable to longer term expansion plans, mainly rural but already served with a railway station and canal network.

The Cadburys renamed Bournbrook, Bournville and began their factory in the new suburb of Birmingham.

Workers were treated with great respect and excellent wages and working conditions were rewarded for a loyal and hard working workforce, there were pioneering pension schemes, joint works committes and a full staff medical service.

The Cadburys were particularly concerned with the health of their workforce, including beautifull Gardens and the encouragement of swimming, walking, and all forms of outdoor sports. Later on George Cadbury bought 120 acres of land close to the works and planned, at his own expense a Model Village which would 'allviate the evils of modern more cramped living conditions', these almost 'Arts and Crafts houses were traditional in design but with large gardens and modern interiors, they were designed by the resident architect William Alexander Harvey, these designs were used as a blueprint for many other Model Village estates around Britain.

In 1900 the Bournville Village Trust was set up to formally control the development of the estate indipendantly of George Cadbury or the Estate. The trust centred on the provission for schools, hospitals, museums, public baths and reading rooms.

There was an almost campus feel that surrounded the village triangular green, with infant and junior schools, the School of Art and the Day Continuation School (originally intended for young Cadbury employees) and a host of events such as fates and Maypole dances.

Bournville once saw a busy network of Trams that served the whole of greater Birmingham, but these have since been dismantled to make way for busier roads.

Today the trust still exists and has continued to exercise an international influence on housing and town planning generally. Now containing 7,800 homes on 1,000 acres of land with 100 acres of parks and open spaces Bournville is still a very desirable area of Birmingham to reside in. The Cadbury factury is still one of Birminghams main employers and all manor of Chocolate products are manufactured there.

Bournville is served by many bus routes, the Bristol Road into Birmingham City Centre and a tain route into Birmingham which then continues to north east towards Nottingham and south west towards Cardiff, Wales