Marston Green Cottage Homes in the late 19th century
Marston Green Cottage Homes
aka Birmingham Union Cottage Homes
Three sets of cottage homes were built in what is now Birmingham, Marston Green Cottage Homes were the first, built in 1879 by Birmingham Union. When the complex opened in the following year, there were 14 cottages - seven for girls and seven boys. Each cottage housed around 30 children which made for a potential total of 420 children. A school, workshops, an infirmary and a swmming pool were also included.
In later years four more cottage homes, a church and an assembly hall were added.
In 1930, the cottage homes at Marston Green, along with those at Erdington and Shenley Fields, came under the control of Birmingham Council and it was decided that all three were not needed. As a result Marston Green was closed in 1933.
While most of the buildings have been demolished, a few still exist. The lodge, the chapel and two or three of the cottages now form part of Pinewood Business Park on Coleshill Road.
Do you have any other information about Marston Green Cottage Homes? We'd love to hear from you.
LOOKING FOR RECORDS?
For records about Marston Green Cottage Homes, contact Birmingham Archives and Heritage in the first instance. Please note that registers and other documents about the children there are generally 'closed' (ie. not available to the public) for 100 years after they are first made to protect the privacy of those individuals mentioned in the records. Archives and Heritage will be happy to advise you about what it is possible for you to see and what is not.
See our page on accessing records for your rights and restrictions in terms of looking at archives about cottage homes.
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