The Austin Village walking tour is a highlight of Birmingham Heritage Week. When the different events are advertised on the website, the Austin Village walking tour sells out in minutes. I was so pleased to have got my ticket for the tour, and I turned up on a bright sunny morning to be met by Hazel from the Austin Village Preservation Society. We were a dozen or so in number, and Hazel introduced the tour and gave us the background to the village.
A Village Built for the War Effort
200 houses were built by the Austin Motor Company in 1917 under the guidance of Herbert Austin to house the workforce supporting the war effort during the First World War. 199 houses survive to this day, as one burned down during construction. The materials for the houses were purchased from The Aladdin Company of Bay City, Michigan, USA. The timbers were cut and made ready to be put together in Birmingham. The housing materials were shipped across the Atlantic, with only one boat lost to German U-boats, and then taken from Liverpool to Birmingham.
The village walk: Picturesque and Unique
The houses were designed to be easily put together with only nails and a hammer when they arrived. These unique buildings were designed to house an army of women, who Herbert Austin found were a very productive workforce. Each house was home to 4 to 6 women, whose job was to manufacture vehicles, aircraft, ammunition and equipment to support the country’s war effort during the Great War. Much of the history of how the village originated, and Herbert Austin’s vision, is well documented.
After the war the houses went into private ownership. Over the years the character of the houses has stayed the same, although residents have altered the exteriors, windows have changed, and drives have been upgraded. The historical background of the village was protected with a preservation order and the founding of the Austin Village Preservation Society.
Having lived in the West Midlands for over 40 years, I had never been to Austin Village. Walking around the streets, arranged in a crescent with a central avenue, I was struck by how picturesque the place was. Capturing the houses with my camera as I walked along, I noticed how regular the houses were, yet each had been given individual touches.
Stories, Models and Memories from Residents
Hazel was very good at explaining the social history and had a deep knowledge of the place. Some of the residents joined us too, bringing not only their memories but old photographs, and we were able to see the changes that had taken place. The highlight of the visit was when we visited one of the residents’ front gardens, where she had put out on a large table, a scaled model of one of the houses.
When the roof was taken off, you could look into the rooms and see the original layout. We had a fascinating discussion of what life would have been like for the women living and working in the houses. The model house brought all the surrounding houses to life.
We moved along the streets, stopping to hear stories about the school, the types of trees that were planted and the parties that were organised. Then Hazel led us to her house, and we were able to take away the Newsletter of the Austin Village Preservation Society.
Why the Austin Village walking tour is Birmingham’s Time Capsule
Reflecting, I now know why the Austin Village walking tour is so popular. The area is a time capsule which displays one man’s vision of a place for workers not only to be productive but also to have a good life. The character of the place is unique, and I enjoyed taking photographs and learning about the village.
The Birmingham Heritage week allows access to many different sites across the West Midlands. I have documented several of these visits and this link to the Serbian Church of the Holy Prince Lazar in Bournville is an example.
