Historian Carl Chinn: So-called ‘Archway of Tears’ too valuable for hospital to demolish
THE historic remains of Birmingham’s last workhouse must be saved as a hospital Trust threatens to tear it down.
The entrance to the workhouse, known as the Archway of Tears because of the sorrow suffered by those desperate enough to enter it, has stood on the Winson Green site of City Hospital since 1852.
After workhouses were abolished in the early 20th Century it became part of the hospital.
Much of the workhouse was demolished in the early 1990s and all that is left is the main entrance.
But bosses from the Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospital Trust claim it is unsafe, riddled with asbestos and needs to be torn down, prompting outrage from conservationists.
Birmingham historian Carl Chinn said: “It is upsetting. This is the last remnant of a building which was hated by the working classes but it stands as a symbol of not only that oppression but also the dignity and resilience of those at the lower end of society.”
Prof Chinn, whose great great grandfather died in the workhouse along with many more Brummies, unveiled a plaque on the site in 1999.
The inscription reads: “To all those who through no fault of their own were forced to enter the workhouse. In life they endured misfortune, in death may they rest in peace.”
He said: “The plaque allows us to pay respects to those members of our families who ended up there because they had nowhere else to go.
“We should not be obliterating the past. It would make a great museum of the NHS in Birmingham and the Black Country. It is after all a reminder of why we needed and created the NHS in the first place.”
The first City Hospital was a direct extension of the Union Workhouse.
Prof Chinn is being backed in the campaign to preserve the arch by the city’s Victorian Society and leading conservationists.
Cllr Peter Douglas Osborn (Cons, Weoley) said: “It is absolutely essential we retain the Archway of Tears. old Birmingham It’s emotional aspect and most importantly historical aspect is something the city needs to remember. The NHS should not be allowed to demolish it.”
He said his father, like many Brummies used the building as a motivator for their children to work hard and do well. “You’ll end up in the workhouse,” was often the quip.
There is no legal protection for the building as an application by the Victorian Society to have it listed was turned down in 2010.
At the same time Birmingham Conservation Trust carried out an appraisal of the building and suggested a community centre could be created once the hospital closes in 2018.
Much of the existing City Hospital, will be demolished when the majority of services are moved to the new Midland Metropolitan Hospital in Cape Hill.
Only the Eye Hospital and Treatment Centre will remain, leaving the rest of the site to be cleared for new housing.
The NHS is allowed to pull down the building, but has submitted a notice of demolition to the council.
The notice states there are ‘structural elements which are unsafe’ and asbestos in the building.
The Trust’s only concession to campaigners is that the white stone archway under the building will be dismantled and preserved.
Trust chairman, Richard Samuda, said: “There is no suitable future usage for the building known as the Archway of Tears due to its derelict condition, ongoing health and safety risks, and no viable alternative use following feasibility studies.
“However, we are excited by the potential for the development of new clinical services on the site.
“The building is not statutorily listed. We have therefore submitted the required ‘prior notice of demolition’ to Birmingham City Council.
“We recognise the interest from conservation groups and the history of the site, and we would therefore seek to remove the archway so that it can be incorporated into a future development.
“We will also be working with Birmingham City Council archivists to create a record of the building.”
We should not be obliterating the past Prof Carl Chinn