GARDEN SUBURB A BRIEF HISTORY HISTORY

1 Stride Treglown / Bournville Garden Suburb: A Brief History

History and story of

The Cadbury story is a fascinating study John Cadbury retired in 1861 handing of industrial and social developments over the business to his eldest sons covering well over a century and a half. Richard and George. It is to their leadership that the success of the Cadbury has been the ‘first name enterprise is owed as the company John Cadbury 1801-1889 in chocolate’ since John Cadbury prospered. It is John’s sons who opened his first shop in the centre of established Bournville Village. in 1824, trading as a coffee and tea dealer. Soon a new sideline was introduced - cocoa and drinking chocolate, which he prepared himself using a mortar and pestle. It was his lifelong involvement with the Temperance Society that led to John Cadbury providing tea, coffee and cocoa as an alternative to alcohol, believed to be one of the causes of so much misery and deprivation amongst working people in Britain at that time.

However, the actual founding of the Cadbury business, as it is known today, dates back to 1831 when John Cadbury first made cocoa products on a factory scale in an old malthouse in Crooked Lane, Birmingham.

In 1847 the business moved to larger premises in Bridge Street, which had its own private spur linking the factory via the Birmingham Navigation Canal to the major ports of Britain.

Business continued at the Bridge Street site for 32 years and by 1878 the workforce had expanded to 200, so more space was needed. This heralded the move to Bournville and the building of what is now one of the largest chocolate factories in the world.

2 Stride Treglown / Bournville Garden Suburb: A Brief History

Early image of Bournville

Established by Richard and George When the time came to move the Bournville Cadbury, two Victorian businessmen with Cadbury Brothers’ factory from its industrial and social vision far beyond central Birmingham location a green Village and their time, the story of Bournville is one field site was chosen. It was the move to of industrial organisation and community Bournville that opened up opportunities its Trust planning covering well over a century. for the Bournville village development. It embraces the building of a factory in a pleasant ‘green’ environment in stark In 1900 George Cadbury decided contrast to the oppressive conditions that the time had come to preserve the of the Victorian industrial scene; the Bournville village for future generations, enhancement of working conditions and securing its rural aspect and so the overall quality of life for employees and was formed. the creation of a village community with a balanced residential mix. The Bournville Trust today remains at the forefront of improving housing conditions The Cadbury family were all members in this country, maintaining the ideals of of the Society of Friends or and the founder. the Quaker ideals had a major influence on the building of the business and the In 2016 Stride Treglown acquired Bournville community. Bournville Architects from the Bournville Village Trust. Ian Tipton, the office lead, Working and housing conditions in the introduced us to this fascinating history centre of Birmingham in the 19th century lesson. We read the 1901 Garden Cities were very poor and caused great programme and the Shaping Future hardship for the working classes leading Places Symposium was born. to high mortality rates. Through his work with the Quaker Adult School Movement, George Cadbury was well aware of these problems.

3 Stride Treglown / Bournville Garden Suburb: A Brief History

19th Century Birmingham

In common with the central areas of most Crimes and other social problems were Through his devotion to the Adult School cities and large towns in the Victorian the result of these awful conditions. Movement, George Cadbury often era, housing and working conditions for visited his pupils and their families. the working classes in Birmingham were A Royal Commissioners’ report in the poor. 1840s showed that nearly one quarter He quickly got to know the poorer areas of Birmingham’s population of 220,000 of Birmingham, learning about people’s People lived in slum areas in ‘back-to- lived in 2,000 undrained streets, many misery, poor health and suffering caused back’ houses. Most of them had a living­ of which were quagmires. by the appalling housing conditions. kitchen area of about 130-160 square feet that opened directly from the street, Most of Birmingham’s water came from When the Bridge Street factory became with a bedroom above and over that an wells or watercarts from which it was too small and it was time to move, attic with a low ceiling. The houses were sold by the gallon. It was often so dirty George Cadbury had a new vision built in double rows, each surrounded that it was only fit for washing and of the future, shared with his brother on three sides, with other blocks at right scouring. Deaths were twice that of the Richard. angles forming courts. These courtyards suburb of , a few miles from were often behind shops, with factories the centre of Birmingham. and numerous private slaughterhouses crowded amongst them.

Poor ventilation and limited daylight resulted in a complete lack of washing ‘Why should an industrial area be and sanitary facilities; the atmosphere was heavily polluted and gutters were in squalid and depressing? a putrid state, reeking with the contents of water closets. Why should the industrial worker not enjoy country air and occupations without being separated from his work?

If the country is a good place to live in, why not work in?’

4 Stride Treglown / Bournville Garden Suburb: A Brief History

On 18 June 1878, the ideal site was This was eventually pulled down, but the The move to found; fourteen and a half acres of land old pear tree from its garden proudly between the villages of Stirchley, King’s stands outside the main Cadbury Bournville Norton and , about four miles reception at the Bournville factory to south of the centre of Birmingham. this day.

This ‘Greenfield site’ was sloping meadow land with a trout stream, the Bourn, and a solitary building Cottage.

When the workers arrived at Bournville Before long Bournville’s own railway The factory in they found many new innovations; a sidings were built to transport the ever field adjoining the factory where the increasing output from the factory. a garden men were encouraged to play cricket Within 10 years of the move to and football; a garden and playground, Bournville, the number of employees had just inside the entrance to the works for risen from 230 to 1,200; by 1899 the the girls, and a kitchen where workers number was 2,700 and it had risen to could heat up their dinners, which was a 7,500 by 1919. forerunner of the staff dining rooms. Every element of cocoa and chocolate Conscious of the need to transport production, from the roasting of the workers from their homes in the centre beans to the production of the packaging of Birmingham to the new Bournville materials, took place at the Bournville factory, the Cadbury brothers negotiated factory, handled by Cadbury employees. special workmen’s fares to the Stirchley The new site could be said to be ‘many Station before building began. factories within a large factory.’

Sixteen houses were built on the site for By 1889 the original area of the factory foremen and senior employees. These buildings had doubled and then trebled were mostly semi-detached and spaced by 1899. While the Cadbury business out with an ample garden. prospered, it was for the advances in working conditions and social benefits The factory was a mile from the nearest for its workforce that the company goods station so raw materials could not became famous. be delivered by canal barge or narrow boat. The Cadbury products had to be transported by horse and cart to Lifford Station.

George Cadbury was a housing good planning open to all, not just ‘tied’ Bournville reformer deeply interested in improving houses for Cadbury workers. people’s lives by providing a community development of decent homes for working men and George Cadbury wanted to create a their families. When the factory was mixed community in terms of both class established, George Cadbury began and occupation. In this aspect, the to devote more of his spare time to Bournville village differed from other these ideals. A Building Estate was communities built by industrial reformers established, open to anyone who wanted such as Port Sunlight built for Lever Bros’ to live there; it would be a model of employees.

5 Stride Treglown / Bournville Garden Suburb: A Brief History

Dame was involved Gradually this dream became reality and A village in in the original planning of Bournville with houses arose. Many of the first tenants her husband George. Extracts from her were men in Mr Cadbury’s Adult School the garden memoirs tell us how these plans became Class, who met every Sunday at 8.00am reality. in Bristol Street. They had previously lived in the city centre and had never ‘When I first came to Birmingham we had a garden, while workers in the were living at Woodbrooke. Morning factory also became tenants. after morning I would walk across the fields and farmland between our home They too enjoyed their homes in the and the Works, planning how a village healthy surroundings, cultivating their could be developed, where the roads gardens, rewarded in many instances by should run and the type of cottages and splendid crops of apples from the belt of buildings. apple trees which each tenant found at the bottom of their garden.’

By the time the building of Bournville For Bournville, George Cadbury chose Housing was started, the ‘tunnel-back’ house a rectangular cottage style similar to had become the basic type of house country dwellings, all with a large designs built in Midland towns. Developed to garden. As a private individual he provide cheap, large scale housing purchased 140 acres adjoining the in compliance with the Public Health factory and in 1895 143 cottages Acts that had condemned the ‘back-to- were built. The first houses were built back’ housing, they were built in long in straight rows with no more than four rows with entrance to the back through houses in a terrace, but this soon gave common passages, built over on upper way to more interesting layouts. floors.

While benefits were achieved with improved accommodation, some argued that the resulting landscape was endless rows of dreary monotonous housing.

6 Stride Treglown / Bournville Garden Suburb: A Brief History

‘When I first came to Birmingham we were living at Woodbrooke. Morning after morning I would walk across the fields and farmland between our home and the Works planning how a village could be developed, where the roads should run and the type of cottages and

buildings.’ Dame Elizabeth Cadbury

Bournville was developed on ‘garden • None of the houses should cost less Design village’ lines with the guiding principles than £150 to build, as they were to being: house ‘honest, sober, thrifty workmen, principles rather than the destitute or very poor.’ • Cottages grouped in pairs or threes, sometimes fours. • Building was restricted on each plot to prevent gardens being • Groups were set back from tree lined overshadowed and to retain the rural roads with each house having its own aspect. front garden and vegetable garden with fruit trees at the back. • The first houses were designed to be sold on leases of 999 years to • All cottages were well built with light, maintain control of the rural airy rooms and good sanitation. appearance of the district; mortgages were available for • A typical cottage would consist would-be purchasers. of a parlour, living room and kitchen downstairs and three bedrooms upstairs. Initially some early houses lacked a bathroom but this was easily added later.

7 Stride Treglown / Bournville Garden Suburb: A Brief History

Garden suburb

Quality housing created by Cadbury and the Bournville Village Trust in the early 1900s

More land was purchased for building The first Garden City, Letchworth, began It was about then that George Cadbury houses for rent as it was recognised that in 1902. This was followed in later years decided the time was right to preserve there would always be those who could by the foundation of Hampstead Garden his works for future generations and to not or did not want to buy their own Suburb, New Earlswick and Welwyn perpetuate the rural aspect of the village, house. The Bournville Estate developed Garden City. protecting it from speculators. The City during the 1890s with cottages of of Birmingham had not yet pushed its various sizes and types being built to suit There is, however, one important boundaries beyond Edgbaston, which different needs. It attracted great interest difference between Bournville and the was four miles away, but to the north of for housing reformers everywhere, not two English garden cities, Letchworth Bournville. Selly Oak was developing least from the Garden City Association. and Welwyn, which are self-contained fast, and to the east and south Stirchley satellite towns. and King’s Norton were spreading. The Garden City Movement was something that George Cadbury was Bournville was included within the He therefore decided to tum his instrumental in developing with other boundary of the city of Birmingham Bournville Building Estate into a reformers, in particular the father of in 1911 as other housing sites were Charitable Trust. modern town planning, Sir Ebenezer developed around it. Therefore, as a Howard, who founded the Association ‘garden suburb’, Bournville approximates in 1900. He once said that Bournville more closely in type to the Hampstead had given him the needed impetus for Garden Suburb in . carrying out his ideas.

On 14 December 1900 The Bournville Original trustees were all members of The Bournville Village Trust was created. George the Founder’s family but later this was Cadbury’s aims as founder were re- extended to include participation by the Village Trust affirmed in a recently refined Statement City of Birmingham, the University of of Purpose for the Trust. Birmingham and the Society of Friends.

‘To provide high quality housing developments, When George Cadbury died in 1922, his widow Dame Elizabeth Cadbury distinctive in architecture, landscape and environment, succeeded him as Chairman until she died in 1935. George Cadbury Junior in socially mixed communities, using best management then became Chairman. One of the practices to promote ways to improve the quality of original trustees, he played a leading role in developing the Trust for 50 years life for those living in such communities.’ until his younger half-brother Laurence succeeded him in the Chairman’s role in 1954. There is still a strong Cadbury The Trust was the creation of George family link with the Trust and several Cadbury and not the company: its members of the family are trustees. existence has always been entirely separate from that of Cadbury Limited.

8 Stride Treglown / Bournville Garden Suburb: A Brief History

The creation of a community was schools, places of worship, children’s Healthy foremost in the mind of George playgrounds, allotments, village hall, Cadbury. The Deed of Foundation the Selly Oak colleges and various community clearly provided for both land and recreational areas. buildings for community purposes, covering a wide range of activities; not Improvements in living conditions did only spiritual welfare but also physical succeed in enhancing public health, and educational needs. Parks and open much to George Cadbury’s delight. spaces were also of prime importance in Twenty years after the foundation of the the Bournville planning scheme. village figures published in 1915 show that the general death rate and infant From 1900-1914 there was major mortality for Bournville was significantly activity, with Bournville developing into lower than that for Birmingham as a a lively community with its own shops, whole compared over a five year period.

Following the Quaker ethic, Cadbury for punctuality; Cadbury was the first Model of Brothers developed social and industrial company to introduce the weekly half- reforms, which led the way towards day holiday with its five and a half day social welfare modem industrial relations. A piecework week and the company was a pioneer in system relating pay to output was closing the factory on Bank Holidays. introduced; small rewards were given

The company also pioneered the idea When the site was enlarged in 1895 Worker of workers continuing their education with the purchase of the Bournbrook while working at Bournville. The Day Estate, recreational facilities were also education Continuation School was first set up for enlarged. A swimming pool was built workers to carry on studying subjects and young employees were encouraged schemes such as arithmetic and geography. to play games, while works outings to the Attendance was compulsory for country were organised. Medical and Bournville workers and there was even dental departments were established and a ‘uniform’ for pupils. Some workers in 1906 the pension fund was begun thought the programme was too much with a capital gift from the company. like school so subjects like woodwork, modelling, surveying and household repairs were introduced.

From 1935 onwards the Trustees devoted In the 1930s The Bournville Village Expansion attention to securing the ‘greenbelt’ on Trust purchased several estates close the southwest side of Birmingham, in co- to the Lickey Hills for preservation in elsewhere operation with the City of Birmingham, their agricultural state. These remain the National Trust and other bodies. agricultural land amounting to 3,000 The area known as the Lickey Hills, an acres, administered by the Agricultural attractive rural area to the south west Estates division. of Birmingham had been secured by Birmingham Corporation in the early 1920s.

9 Stride Treglown / Bournville Garden Suburb: A Brief History

At least one tenth of the estate was Laid out along the side of streams on Open spaces reserved for public open space. low-lying land unsuited for building, these parkways bring the countryside Parks and open spaces have continued almost to the front door of the houses. to be an integral part of the overall plan. Main open spaces are linked together by Existing trees have been preserved and parkways, two of which cross the Estate. many new trees and shrubs have been planted over the years; planning and Most of the early community projects planting of flowerbeds and borders were concentrated around the triangular all over the village has always been village green. important.

Bournville Care Village, Phase 1 opened in 2017

10 Stride Treglown / Bournville Garden Suburb: A Brief History

Development has continued through The mission statement of this highly Bournville the decades with research into new professional charitable housing trust is building methods and amenities being as follows: Trust today carried out. Special needs housing for the elderly, single people, unsupported • Promoting social housing of mothers, children in care and the good quality which enhances the mentally handicapped is included in environment the planning mix. Today there are 12 different types of special needs schemes • Managing all housing and estates to on the Estate, from bungalows for the the highest standards for all residents elderly to sheltered housing schemes, a hostel for people with learning • Encourage those residents to difficulties, to ninety shared ownership share in the decisions affecting their homes for first time buyers and self- communities contained flats for single people. Self- build’ co-partnerships, where practically Today the Bournville Estate covers 1,000 all the work is done by the membership acres containing 7,600 dwellings, of itself under the direction of an which 3,861 are secure or assured experienced foreman, have successfully tenancies, 50 are co-ownership built 400 homes. dwellings, 2,234 leasehold properties and 1,466 freehold homes. The Trust Over a hundred years since the first also manages some 400 houses and flats houses in the Bournville Village Estate in Telford Shropshire. In addition, it has were built, the Bournville Village Trust been involved in many housing, planning continues to keep faith with the aims of and environmentally related projects the Founder George Cadbury. over the years, all aimed at improving housing conditions in this country.

Bournville today

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