Jewellery Quarter

The Jewellery Quarter is an area of central Birmingham, England, in the north-western area of Birmingham City Centre, with a population of 19,000 in a 1.07-square-kilometre (264-acre) area.

The Jewellery Quarter is Europe's largest concentration of businesses involved in the jewellery trade and produces 40% of all the jewellery made in the UK. It is also home to the world's largest Assay Office, which hallmarks around 12 million items a year. Historically the Jewellery Quarter has been the birthplace of many pioneering advancements in industrial technology.

Industry in the area declined over the course of the 20th century, affected by factors such as changes in consumer demand, production methods, the impact of the World Wars and global manufacturing competition. However during the 21st century the Jewellery Quarter has transformed again to incorporate a significant amount of new residential accommodation, blending urban living within a historical industrial landscape and the retained jewellery trade.

A survey of 1553 named one of the first goldsmiths of Birmingham, Roger Pemberton. During the 18th and 19th centuries Birmingham prospered from the Industrial Revolution and developed into a large industrial town manufacturing a wide range of products, often from various metals. Many large foundries and glassworks attracted workers from all areas of Britain. A considerable trade developed in the manufacture of gilt buttons, cap badges, pins and small metal “toys”, a term from the era used to describe a whole range of intricate metal objects.

According to the Birmingham Directory of 1780 there were 26 jewellers at the time. Because the definition of a jeweller was not explained in the directory, it is thought that it may contain many irregularities and the number of actual jewellers may be lower. It is thought that by the start of the 19th century there were around 12 jewellery manufacturing companies, employing approximately 400 people.

In 1747 the Colmore family obtained a private act of Parliament, Colemore's Estate Act 1746 (20 Geo. 2. c. 16 Pr.), that allowed them to release land on what is known as the Jewellery Quarter today to help satisfy the demands of an increasing population. The largest tract of land was Newhall, which had been purchased from the Manor of Birmingham by William Colmore. In 1560 it was described as a rabbit warren and by 1620 New Hall Manor had been constructed on the site. The large manor house gave its name to the area. By 1746 the Colmore family had moved out and let the manor to tenants. Beyond that there were enclosed fields leading to Birmingham Heath. Sandpits were located on Hockley Hill and the product of the pits was used for moulds, which were used in the local metal-casting industry.

The area was crossed by three roads. The road from Wednesbury and Wolverhampton, which now consists of Constitution Hill, Great Hampton Street and Hockley Hill, was turnpiked in 1727. This was followed by the turnpiking of the road to Dudley, consisting of Summer Row, Parade and Summer Hill Road, in 1760 when Summer Row was cut to provide a better route into the town. Both roads were heavily used by traders and carriages transporting raw materials from Staffordshire into Birmingham. The completion of the Birmingham Canal in 1769 led to the improvement of these roads. Warstone Lane, now Warstone Lane, Hall Street and part of Icknield Street, connected the Wolverhampton road to the Dudley road. Ladywood Road, which is now Ladywood Middleway, was also connected to the area as a result of Warstone Lane.

The demand for houses declined briefly in the 1750s and began to increase again in 1759. Additional streets were laid out between Colmore Row and the Great Charles Street Queensway area in the 1760s. The plots in the Great Charles Street area were first let in 1760. Demand for the land was further stimulated by the completion of the Newhall Branch Canal in 1772 and by the end of the 1770s almost all of the Great Charles Street and Lionel Street area had been built up. Construction of houses continued up into the area now known as the Jewellery Quarter and it became a wealthy residential area consisting of upmarket Georgian houses. It was particularly stimulated by the donation of 3 acres (12,000 m²) of land by Charles Colmore for the construction of a church.