The Birmingham Conservation Trust has done a fantastic work in the restoration of listed and historic buildings all over the country like Back to Backs, for example.
One of those important places is an iconic (and also intriguing) centenary construction placed in Jewellery Quarter: Newman Bros Coffin Fitting Works.
For nearly a century, Newman Brothers produced high quality coffin fittings that were sent out across the world. Birmingham was the centre of this kind of business and the company had employed over 100 people there.
Besides, Coffin Works was one of the only three manufactures of this kind in Britain. They also produced shrouds and coffin linings that were synonymous of quality.
Their popularity leads the company to important works such as adorning the coffins of Winston Churchill, Lady Diana, and the Queen Mother.
It was a time when burials had another kind of significance and every single worker at Coffin Works had the responsibility and pleasure of delivering an outstanding service until 1999, when the factory closed its doors for good.
Since 2003, when the site was sold, it became an enjoyable but challenging task for those responsible for the restoration of the historic building. They are trying to preserve the structure features as much as possible. All the content found in the build was cataloged and stored in 2007 as fundamental part of the heritage of the factory.
During the tour visit in 2013, when the place were being restored, I could see The Coffin Works for inside and understand a bit more about the history of this Victorian factory itself. It was a unique opportunity to check how Birmingham Conservation Trust and all staff involved get passionate about this project open to the public since October 2014.
To book your visit to The Coffin Works, please, visit: http://www.coffinworks.org/newmanbros/visit/
Published September 16th 2013 here.
