What is the future for historic nailmaker’s cottage?
A nail-maker’s cottage in in Halesowen was given Grade II listed status almost a decade ago – but looks in danger of disappearing, despite its official protection.
The unique, historic building on Hagley Road in Hasbury was listed because of its unique link to a part of the Black
Country’s industrial history, and because it is thought to be the only surviving example of a house built from local sandstone.
Labourer
It was originally built as a farm labourer’s cottage in the early 1700s, with a nail shop being added around a hundred years later.
But the listing only provides theoretical protection – with its roof reduced to a skeleton of lathwork, the interior is now open to the elements.
Former Bugle writer John Workman recently went to see how the cottage is faring, and took the photograph on the right, which shows that there is very little left, other than the stone walls.
“The making of nails was an important industry in the Black Country and north Worcestershire for centuries and enjoyed its heyday in the early decades of the 19th century,” John said.
Staggering
“It reached its peak in 1820 when there were more than 50,000 nailmakers at work at cottage forges, churning out a staggering quantity of foundry nails, rose head spikes, clout nails, die deck spikes, mop head nails and tenter hooks.
“The wages earned by nail-makers was, during the nineteenth century, below the wages earned by people in other trades. It was estimated in 1842 that a strong man making nails, working a fourteen hour day, five days a week, could earn 20 shillings.
Earnings
“By the early 1860s the nailers’ earnings had dropped in comparison with other trades, as there was an excess of nail-makers compared with the amount of work available, even though there were 30,000 less in 1861 than in 1830.
“The 1851 census recorded 29,000 nailers, nineteen thousand males and ten thousand females.”