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West Midlands Police Museum

Birmingham City PoliceFormer courthouses in EnglandLaw enforcement museums in EnglandMuseums in Birmingham, West MidlandsSparkhill
United Kingdom museum stubsUse British English from August 2015West Midlands Police
West Midlands Police Museum
West Midlands Police Museum

The 'West Midlands Police Museum is located in a Victorian cell block on Steelhouse Lane, Birmingham, England, which was operational from 1891 until 2016. One of two museums operated by the West Midlands Police, (the other being in Coventry) The Lock-up is open to the public and for school/group visits and special events. Visit the website for more details: https://museum.west-midlands.police.uk. The museum houses comprehensive artifacts and archives of the West Midlands Police and its predecessors dating back to before the formation of Birmingham City Police in 1839, as well as a small collection of paintings, including a portrait of Sir Charles Horton Rafter, the longest-serving Chief Constable of Birmingham. The archives contain many records of police officers who served in the area of the present West Midlands Police and are of particular interest to genealogists.The museum re-opened in April 2022 at the Victorian listed cell block at Steelhouse Lane police station following a heritage lottery-funded refurbishment. .

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article West Midlands Police Museum (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

West Midlands Police Museum
Steelhouse Lane, Birmingham Digbeth

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N 52.4842181 ° E -1.8936986 °
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Steelhouse Lane

Steelhouse Lane
B4 6BJ Birmingham, Digbeth
England, United Kingdom
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West Midlands Police Museum
West Midlands Police Museum
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Steelhouse Lane police station
Steelhouse Lane police station

Steelhouse Lane police station is a former police station in central Birmingham, England. It was built for the Birmingham City Police and opened in 1933 as their Central Police Station, replacing a Victorian station on the same site. It was used by their successor, the West Midlands Police, until 2017 where they transferred to Lloyd House, also the force's HQ. The carvings over the entrances, including the coat of arms of Birmingham, are by the local sculptor William Bloye. The station sits on a plot of land at the rear of the former Victoria Law Courts (now a magistrates' court), which was originally acquired for the extension of the court building. It faces Birmingham Children's Hospital. The 1933 station itself, in neo-Georgian style is not a listed building, but the adjacent, late-nineteenth century cell block on the corner of Coleridge Passage was given Grade II protection on 8 July 1982 for its special architectural interest: the three-story building has a brick and terra cotta facade with many ornaments, and it has a slate roof. The station sits in Birmingham City Council's Steelhouse Lane conservation area, which was designated in October 1993. A tunnel links the cell block to the courts.The City of Birmingham Orchestra, (later renamed the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra) held its first rehearsal in the band room at the old station, at 9.30am on 4 September 1920. For around sixty years, until closed in 2005, the station housed a private bar, allowing officers to drink when not on duty.The police station closed for the final time on Sunday 15 January 2017. There are plans to relocate the West Midlands Police Museum to the listed cell block.

Methodist Central Hall, Birmingham
Methodist Central Hall, Birmingham

The Methodist Central Hall, 196–224 Corporation Street, Birmingham, England, is a three-storey red brick and terracotta Grade II* listed building with a distinctive tower at the northern end of Corporation Street. The design complements the Victoria Law Courts opposite, also in terracotta, and includes eclectic details such as the corner turrets resembling Indian chattris. It is located within the Steelhouse Conservation Area. The terracotta was manufactured by the renowned firm of Gibbs and Canning of Tamworth, which also produced decorative works for 179-203 Corporation Street and the interior of the Victoria Law Courts in Birmingham and the Natural History Museum in London. It was built 1903–04 by architects Ewan Harper & James A. Harper. The main hall seated 2,000 and it had more than 30 other rooms, including three school halls. It cost £96,165. The street level has twelve bays of shops (four with their original fronts). The building also runs along Ryder Street and has more original shop fronts. In 1991, the Methodist Church was converted into the Que Club, a nightclub and music venue; however, since its closure in 2002, the building fell empty and was poorly maintained. Currently it is only partially in use and its deteriorating condition has led to it being listed on Historic England's Heritage at Risk Register. The building has been the subject of various proposals for conversion to apartments and offices. In 2018 Birmingham City Council approved plans to restore and renovate the building including a 147-bed hotel.In July 2022, it was announced that Press Up Entertainment, would begin converting the building into a 150 bedroom hotel and event space following a grant of planning permission.