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Bournville

For many people the Industrial Revolution resulted in a bleak and miserable life in one of the city slums. Although conditions improved as the eighteenth century moved towards its end, in Glasgow, the city with the worst conditions, 85% of the living accommodation still consisted of three rooms or fewer in 1911. Attempts to change this situation can be seen in the long terraced streets of northern towns, with two up two down, four, five or even six room houses. Ironically such housing is sometimes viewed nostalgically as fostering communities that later housing could not emulate. At the time of the Industrial Revolution there were many thinkers, such as John Ruskin and William Morris who were convinced that industrialisation by definition destroyed communities. In response there were a few idealistic industrialists determined to prove otherwise. George Cadbury, who had made his fortune in the cocoa and chocolate business, started building the village of Bournville in 1878. Rather than building terraced houses, Cadbury's workers would be housed in cottages surrounding a green. The houses were half timbered and were designed to look "traditional" and hark back to pre-industrial times. Two authentically old houses, thirteenth century Minworth Greaves and the Tudor building Selly Manor, pictured above, were also moved to Bournville and reconstructed.

Opening Times: Bournville survives and the two houses Cadbury moved to the village are open to visitors. Selly Manor is open Tuesday to Friday 10am until 5pm and from April to September also open weekends and Bank Holiday Mondays 2pm until 5pm. (Closed over Christmas and New Year.) Minworth Greaves is on the same site.

The Cadbury World visitors' centre can also be seen at Bournville. This is an interactive museum describing the history of the Cadbury company. There is a shop where Cadbury's products are sold. Staff also give out small amounts of free chocolate. Not surprisingly the centre is hugely popular with children.

Directions: Bournville is three miles south of Birmingham off the A4040. Regular train services run from Birmingham New Street. Buses 61, 62, 63 run to Bournville from the centre of Birmingham. Click here for an interactive map centred on Bournville.

Access: there is an adapted toilet, but access to the houses is poor. A photo album tour of Selly Manor is available for those who cannot enter the house. Dogs are welcome in the garden, guide dogs in the house. There is disabled access throughout Cadbury World, except for parts of the packaging plant. There are adapted toilet facilities.

Contact:

+44 (0) 121 472 0199

for Cadbury World phone 0121 451 4259

web site: www.cadburyworld.co.uk