Outside the main entrance of the Black Country Living Museum

We continue our digital tour of the Black Country Living Museum through my photos taken on a visit from August 2011 (almost 9 years ago). With a look at the buildings outside of the main entrance. The Rolfe Street Baths from Smethwick. Also a building from Wednesbury. A replica Titanic anchor was outside the museum back then. Also a Chassis Press.

In this second digital tour of the Black Country Living Museum, we look at the buildings that were rebuilt at the main entrance of the museum, and now used as exhibition rooms. There was also a Chassis Press outside of the museum that you can see from Tipton Road in Dudley. During my visit of August 2011, there was also a replica Titanic anchor, based on one originally made by Hingley at Netherton in the Black Country (this is no longer there). It was made in 2010 for a Channel 4 documentary and was on loan to Dudley Council at the time.

Rolfe Street Baths, Smethwick

A look at the Rolfe Street Baths. Originally built on Rolfe Street in Smethwick in 1888. The building was a striking example of the Arts and Crafts movement of the period. The building closed down and was dismantled brick by brick in 1989. Later to be rebuilt at the Black Country Living Museum in 1999. The original architects was Harris, Martin & Harris of Birmingham. The baths was originally built by the Smethwick Local Board of Health to provide washing and recreational facilities. These days the building at the museum houses the Museum's reception and exhibition galleries.

In 2011 you could see the replica Titanic anchor outside of the Rolfe Street Baths (more on that further down the post).

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What looks like a ghost sign painted on the side of the building reads:

ROLFE STREET

BATHS

FIRST BUILT IN SMETHWICK 1888

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First look at the façade of the Rolfe Street Baths. It is a striking example of late 19th century architecture. It has ornamental brickwork and terracotta panels.

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The terracotta panels has false gables on the façade depicting fish, herons and wildlife rarely seen in the industrial surroundings that the building was once in.

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The building has decorative cast iron arches and columns which support the roof in the pool hall (best seen from the inside).

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Remarkably the building had surviving being dismantled from Smethwick and re-erected here in Dudley. It's hard to tell that the building wasn't originally at this location.

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The former entrances to the Female and Male baths. The building used to have 2 swimming pools with 28 slip baths, 2 showers and a munipical laundry.

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These green doors are probablt no longer in use, but were retained for decorative use only. You can see some bricks that don't exactly match the originals. Perhaps some were broken or missing, and they had to use new bricks in the restoration at the museum.

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Façade from a factory in Wednesbury

This was a façade from a building originally built as a factory in Wednesbury. It was moved to the museum by the West Midlands County Council Task Force. It was opened at the museum by H.R.H. The Duke of Gloucester on the 24th October 1985. Finance for the building was provided by Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council and the then West Midlands County Council (abolished in 1986). This is now the Pre-Paid Ticket Entrance. There is also a door for disabled or elderly people in wheelchairs to use. And they can get access to their coach nearby.

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In the middle of this building was an anchor.

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Inside was this plaque that was unveiled back in 1985 by the Duke of Gloucester.

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The Titanic Anchor

Something you won't see on your visit to the museum now is this replica of The Titanic Anchor. It was made in 2010 by Sheffield Forgemasters International Ltd for a Channel 4 documentary. It was on loan at the time to the museum from Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council.

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The original anchor was made by N. Hingley & Sons Ltd in 1911 at their factory in Netheron, Dudley. The original anchor weighed 15.5 tons.

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In 2011 the Titanic anchor replica was seen outside of the Black Country Living Museum near the former Rolfe Street Baths building. But it was eventually moved to a more permenant location in Netherton where it remains today.

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One of the museum volunteers seen in period costume close to the main entrance of the museum, not far from the Titanic Anchor replica. The anchor is now lying face down in Netherton.

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Wilkins & Mitchell Chassis Press

Probably the first thing you would see when arriving at the museum on Tipton Road would be this Chassis Press. The  Wilkins & Mitchell Chassis Press was built in 1913 for Rubery Owen Ltd based in Darlaston at the time. It was erected and maintained by The Hulbert Group of Dudley. Wilkins and Mitchell Limited was established in 1904 in Darlaston. They produced machine tools and presses. Their machines could be found in factories all around the world. The Chassis Press here was in use until 1970. It's possible that it could have been installed at the museum site from 1978, or in the 1980s.

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A close up look at the Chassis Press. Four gear wheels at the back and two large gear wheels at the front.

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There was so many gear wheels here that used to turn when it use. You can also see a smaller gear wheel in front of the larger ones.

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It's now just a monument that you would see as you arrive or leave the Black Country Living Museum. A reminder of how successful it was when in use from 1913 to 1970 in Darlaston.

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Side view of the Chassis Press with the gear wheels.

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On this side you can see four gear wheels at the bottom.

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Clearly this wheel used to drive the gear wheels.

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One last look at the Chassis Press before getting back in our coach and returning to Birmingham,

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Photos taken by Elliott Brown.

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