Cadbury trail hits sweet spot
THEY are the buildings that are ‘chocful’ of history – playing a key part in the story of the famous Bournville factory workers’ village.
Now many are being opened to the public for the first time.
The unique set of buildings in Birmingham’s famous garden suburb will open on Saturday, September 15, offering visitors a rare glance behind their treasured façades.
The Bournville Heritage Open Day event has been organised by Selly Manor Museum and charity Bournville Village Trust as part of the national Heritage Open Day Festival.
It will be one of 5,000 events taking place across England as part of the festival, which celebrates the country’s rich history and culture.
In Bournville, 11 venues will open to the public from 10am onwards, each providing an insight into the wonderful story of the Cadbury family.
There will be tours rs the famous Bournville lle Carillon and bell l tower, made up of 48 bells, and one of only two working carillons in Britain.
It was installed by Bournville’s founder, George Cadbury, following a visit to Belgium in 1906.
Pre-booked tours to t climb the tower and see the instrument and magnificent view of the village will take place throughout the day.
Visitors can also pre-book to see of a stunning set of houses, dating back to 1897, originally built for retired factory workers by George and his brother Richard. The Bournville Experience visitor centr centre, which tells the history his of Bournville through film an and archives, will op open for the day, too, and in includes the ‘S ‘Sweet Delights s shop’, which ex exhibits Cadbu bury chocolates past and present. Dan Daniel Callicott, manag manager of Selly M Manor Museum – founded by George Cadbury and also open for free on the day – said: “Last year more than 2,000 people enjoyed Bournville Heritage Open Day, exploring historic gems on their doorstep for free. This year the event will be even better, with more to do and explore at each venue, including guided tours, live music, trails and activities for all ages.
“It is a unique opportunity to see behind 11 of Bournville’s finest buildings which together tell the story of the Cadbury family and Bournville.”
Father Nenad, from the Church of the Holy Prince Lazar, which will be opening for the event, said: “We are thrilled to invite the extended community to see our richly decorated Serbian Orthodox Church in the heart of Bournville.
“The Church Hall will also be hosting an exhibition of Serbian medieval fresco copies from the monasteries of Kosovo and Metohija. This is a very exciting time for us and we hope to share this experience with you all.”