West Midlands

The home of the metal basher, the Black Country, but also the city of a thousand small workshops. The image is of the Cadbury sports pavilion at Bournville.

Stoke on Trent

This town, the amalgamation of pottery villages, was home to the foundation of a British luxury goods industry in the form of pottery. You can read more by following this link.

Leek

Home to a Croda International chemical plant.

Newcastle-under-Lyme

Lucas (Rist) wiring harnesses were produced in the former BSA shadow factory.

Stafford

Originally known for shoe making (most notably Lotus shoes) and railway locomotive manufacture, Siemens Brothers Dynamo Works Limited set up in Stafford and subsequently became part of GEC. English Electric ran their tank factory here in the Second World War. They too became part of GEC. Also home to GEC Nelson Laboratories and GEC Turbine Generators, Power Transmission, Transformers and Dorman Diesels. Perkins Diesels still manufacture in the town. You can read more by following this link.

Crewe

A railway town. Bentley motor cars took over the former Rolls-Royce factory when Rolls-Royce Motors was sold. BAE Systems produce munitions at nearby Radway Green. You can read more by following this link.

Armitage

Home to Armitage Shanks bathrooms.

Wolverhampton

Home to boiler makers John Thompson, a diversified engineer making metal products ranging from drums for Servis washing machines to chassis for Land Rover. Rubery Owen, which owned BRM about whose Design Award I write in Vehicles to Vaccines, was based here. You can read more by following this link.

Walsall

Historically a centre of the leather industry, particularly saddlery. Later it became known for its fine leather products including handbags for the late Queen. GEC owned Berlec Ltd which manufactured furnaces here.

Cannock

Neighbouring Cannock Chase had the largest coalfield in Staffordshire. Cannock was known for its edge tools (chisels). In the First World War a large number of soldiers were trained here. Lucas manufactured automotive lighting

Birmingham

My first introduction to the Industrial Revolution was a study of Birmingham. This city of workshops caught my imagination as is evident from the essay I wrote which tells the story of the city up to the date of the Great Exhibition. I include some of this and some of Birmingham’s later industries in the post which can be accessed by following this link. Birmingham is a city with a remarkable capacity for reinvention.

Coventry

Home of the British motor industry with the first factory producing vehicles to Daimler’s designs. William Lyons set up SS Cars in Coventry later changing its name to Jaguar and taking over Daimler, amongst others. I write of these in Vehicles to Vaccines. You can read much more on Coventry manufacturing by following this link

Rugby

Home to electrical and railway engineering. Read more in the link.

Warwick and Leamington

The University of Warwick had a specialism in the motor industry. At nearby Leamington Spa Automotive Products manufactured parts of the motor industry from a seventy acre site. Read more on this link.

Nuneaton

Courtaulds produced rayon in the town. Nearby Atherstone was a centre of hat making.

Rocester

JCB headquarters founded 1945

Stourbridge

The area close to the river Stour had all the ingredients for industrialisation. The Stour itself powered mills and then under the ground there was coal, iron ore, high quality clay, lime and sand. Stourbridge was thus home to glass making. Follow this link to the Stourbridge Glass Museum.

Dudley

Dudley was home to nail making and much more – a genius for reinvention. Read more in this link.

Telford

Nearby Coalbrookdale is regarded as the home of the Industrial Revolution. Telford was a new town designated in 1963. Read more in this link.

Redditch

Home to needle making. A new town designated in 1964. Read more in this link.

Droitwich

Originally known for the production of salt. Vax vacuum cleaners have been made here since 1977

Kidderminster

Home to the carpet industry. You can read more by following this link.

Worcester

Up until 1826 Worcester was a centre of fine leather glove manufacture when the removal of tariffs resulted in the market being flooded with cheaper imports. Home to Willis Shoe Company, Royal Worcester porcelain and Lea & Perrins Source. SIG (Carmichael) fire engines.

Malvern

Home to Morgan Motor Company and Malvern Water.

Hereford

Historically known for its cider and beer and home to HP Bulmer’s cider. A munitions factory employed over 5,000 in the First World War and a Royal Ordnance shell filling factory was located here in the Second World War. This factory specialised in alloys and after the war the factory was taken by Henry Wiggin Ltd, specialist metals founded in Birmingham.