Building Bournville - an Audio Guide
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Building Bournville: a community research project highlighting the working class histories of Bournville.
Discover some of the stories that have been uncovered about the working class histories of Bournville by listening to our family-friendly Audio Guide.
About the project:
Building Bournville has been generously funded by Historic England, Everyday Heritage Grants which funds projects that celebrate working class histories and the historic places that make up everyday life. The grants are for creative projects that focus on heritage connecting people to historic places, specifically those people and places that are overlooked or underrepresented.
You can find out more about the Everyday Heritage grants and other projects that have been funded, here.
In Bournville:
Bournville has a fantastically rich heritage, which includes industrial history, a strong community history, histories around social housing, and around an architectural movement which continues to inspire the world. Yet much of these histories still need to be revealed.
The current traditional narrative of Bournville’s heritage centres on individual key figures within the Cadbury family, namely the two brothers, George and Richard Cadbury. Whilst their stories of founding the village of Bournville, the Bournville Village Trust, and the world famous Cadbury Factory are an important part of the local heritage, it is the stories of the working class people during this industrial time that have been forgotten or left aside as a result. These histories include: working women, Cadbury factory workers, the builders involved in the construction of Bournville, or workers on the crucial transport networks in and out of Bournville, amongst many others.
The land that Bournville is built upon was chosen specifically to built and develop an ever expanding chocolate factory and thriving business. The land was considered to be ideal living and working conditions for Birmingham's working class, yet many of these peoples stories and histories are yet to be uncovered and shared.
The Research:
The research undertaken during this project was conducted by volunteers who have dedicated over 100 hours of their time. They have utilised both the primary and secondary resources at the Roger Cadbury Library and Archive held by the Bournville Village Trust, as well as conducting oral histories and interviewing local residents. Images have been collected from family archives, the Roger Cadbury Library, Modelez archives, and The Bournville Society.
Read the full research report here and learn about the community that brings the village together.
Project Aim
By uncovering the untold stories of the working classes in Bournville this project aims to increase the wealth pf heritage stories and provide a more rounded and inclusive history of Bournville than the typical traditional view of the two Cadbury Brother's innovations. The stories uncovered will be woven into the existing Bournville Heritage tours and expand the local heritage that is shared on a regular basis at Selly Manor Museum.
Family Friendly Audio Guide
Listen to these five fictionalised stories that draw upon real life events and memories of people who have lived and worked in Bournville.
We invite you to listen to these audio guides as you explore Bournville and these sites. How different are they today? Please feel free to share your own memories of these important sites of Bournville with us.
- Ivy at Bournville Junior School (now Bournville Village Primary School), 1910
Eight year old Ivy is one of the first students to attend Bournville Junior School, which opened in 1906. Hear about the classes that she took and a day in her life.
Listen to Ivy's story here. - Robert at the Day Continuation School (discover more at Selly Manor Museum), 1949
Following in his mother's footsteps, attending the Day Continuation School (now College), seventeen year old Robert reflects on the classes available to those attending the adult education school.
Listen to Robert's story here. - Billy at Rowheath Pavilion, 1938
Athletic, eleven year old, Billy invites a new friend to the playing fields, sharing all of the many sporting opportunities available to young teenagers in Bournville.
Listen to Billy's story here. - Ernest and Joan at the Cadbury Concert Hall, 1938
Father and daughter, Ernest (a factory first aider) and Joan (part of the cleaning team), await a train at Bournville station for one of the many exciting Cadbury staff outings.
Listen to Ernest and Joan's story here. - Jim at St Francis Church and Community Centre, 1965
Sixteen year old Jim is a prominent part of the youth club at St Francis Church and shares all the many opportunities and activities available to young people with a new member of the club.
Listen to Jim's story here.