Route Developer: Martin Phelan
Route Checker: Ann Griffiths
The start/finish of this walk is on the No. 11 bus route running along Linden Road - the longest municipal bus route in Europe. Bournville Station with fast, frequent services between Lichfield and Redditch is a few minutes walk away to the east along Mary Vale Road. Shops on Mary Vale Road and at Bournville Green, where there is also a bank.
[1] From Leverton & Halls cafe, facing the cafe, turn right - opposite are the almshouses. Turn left into Linden Road and continue steeply downhill to cross Bournville Lane and continue ahead past the entrance to Bournville Park.
(A) The Tudor style shops at the start are thought to be the first shops in Bournville - built in 1897. The first houses in Bournville were built in 1895 on the north side of Maryvale Road.
(B) The Almshouses - 33 of them, with free coal, water and gas, were built 1897-8 for over-60s, preference being given to Cadbury's employees.
Over to the right is the site of the Cadbury Factory.
(C) George and Richard Cadbury moved from Birmingham to this site in 1879. The Recreation Grounds opened in 1896 and the pavilion in 1902. Next to these is the Works Dining Rooms block, though the building incorporated many other facilities, completed in 1927. The statue in front of this building was given in 1933.
[2] Cross Linden Road by the pelican crossing, almost opposite Bournville Parish Church. Turn left then right into Sycamore Road, passing the Sycamore Road shops to the zebra crossing, facing the Carillon Visitor Centre.
(D) Bournville Parish Church, dedicated to St Francis of Assisi, was opened in 1925.
(E) The Sycamore Road shops were built over the period 1905-08.
(F) The Carillon Visitor Centre was built as a Rest House in 1914 a gift from Cadbury employees to mark the silver wedding anniversary of George and Elizabeth Cadbury. It is a copy of the yarn market at Dunster, Somerset.
[3] Cross the zebra crossing and turn right to the Bournville Village Information Board. Continue on past the Birmingham City University Centre for Visual Arts and cross Maple Road to Selly Manor and Minworth Greaves.
(G) Selly Manor was moved from its original site by George Cadbury and opened as a museum in 1917. It dates from the 1300s. Minworth Greaves was also moved to this site and opened in 1929 - it is a two-bay cruck type open hall house and also dates from the 1300s. Both are worth a visit.
[4] Turn left uphill to the Bournville Garden Centre entrance/exit. From here a clear path leads uphill beside Stock's Wood.
(H) Stock's Wood is thought to be a relic of the Forest of Arden. It is an area of great conservation value and because of the sensitive nature of the site is not open to the public.
[5] At the upper end of the path turn right along Acacia Road and at the junction with Willow Road cross when safe and turn right downhill. On the right is Bournville Triangle, with the war memorial and memorial benches.
[6] At Willow Road/Laburnum Road junction note on left the Victorian postbox. Cross Laburnum Road to turn right and continue ahead into Sycamore Road. Ahead is the Bournville Junior School and Carillon. Pass the shops, return to the pelican crossing, cross and turn left to retrace your outward steps, re-crossing Bournville Lane, to climb steeply back to the start point.
(I) It is not known whether the Victorian postbox occupies its original site, but it is probably one of the few remaining examples left in Britain.
(J) Bournville Junior School and Carillon were completed in 1906. The Carillon was inspired by a similar building in Bruges.