# Hercules Works. Birmingham.



## themousepolice (May 14, 2011)

here we are again and so quick after the previous post, what took you so long?

a familar shape on the Birmingham Sky line this gutted yet lovely building doesnt seem to know where it lives....... its been described as being in the Birmingham suburbs of Aston, Vauxhaul, Digbeth and Eastside.

commonly known as THE HERCULES its proper name was the Belmont Row Works on Cardigan Street it was the headquaters of the ECCLES RUBBER AND CYCLE COMPANY. built 1899, closed 1999, destroyed by fire in 2007 (18th Jan) collapsed in high winds two days later.

they made their own bicycles for along time then supplied BSA and HAWKES with tyres and frames etc until those other companies moved production overseas. visited in May 2011, recall local paper saying it had been bought by a development firm so i thought id better check it out before security became too tight... can not find it anywhere else on this website, which suprizes me, so i guess its a new find, thouigh saying that ive found some pics of it on here just now and youve described it as THE CO-OP building ?????? not sure where you get this info but i assure you its wrong.




100_2761 by annoyingly good, on Flickr

love the terracotta brick work and different entrances.




100_2763 by annoyingly good, on Flickr




100_2762 by annoyingly good, on Flickr




100_2765 by annoyingly good, on Flickr

my arty shot of the lift shaft.



100_2766 by annoyingly good, on Flickr




100_2767 by annoyingly good, on Flickr




100_2768 by annoyingly good, on Flickr




100_2783 by annoyingly good, on Flickr

1st floor totally missing and most of the site is cleared




100_2770 by annoyingly good, on Flickr




100_2769 by annoyingly good, on Flickr




100_2779 by annoyingly good, on Flickr

still trying to work this out, naked lady, spanner, fuse and old cloth tool kit..............



100_2780 by annoyingly good, on Flickr

alot of the fallen masonary has been gathered and stored in the furthest part of the building. it does seem that bits fall down at random though. take care.



100_2771 by annoyingly good, on Flickr

in the cellar



100_2773 by annoyingly good, on Flickr

on the sunny side of the building



100_2776 by annoyingly good, on Flickr

with the main roads into Birmingham one side, the goods yard at Curzon Street (back in 1899) the other and the Canal running at the edge of the site. and strange almost forgotten air shafts, vents, postal holes all over the place. plus signs that it was far bigger than what is left.




100_2775 by annoyingly good, on Flickr
this must of been an excellent place 50 years ago.

i must give thanks to TranKmas and his brilliant posts that prompted me to visit more sites in Birmingham and semi thanks to Fluffy5518 for being a big girls blouse and always putting 'i often wondered what that place was like'


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## King Al (May 14, 2011)

Nice one TMP, looks like it was a grand building once


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## night crawler (May 14, 2011)

You have to admire the front of the place with Offices adorned over the main Entrance and Workpeople and Goods entrance on the other. Good post TMP.


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## ImmortalShadow (May 14, 2011)

themousepolice said:


> still trying to work this out, naked lady, spanner, fuse and old cloth tool kit..............
> 
> 
> 
> 100_2780 by annoyingly good, on Flickr


It's like an industrial version of Cluedo 

Some great photos there, and a nice site to find. Nice one


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## themousepolice (May 14, 2011)

Jimba said:


> It's like an industrial version of Cluedo
> 
> Some great photos there, and a nice site to find. Nice one



miss Scarlett with my lead piping in the bedroom....... hang on a mo.......


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## burtonbrewery (May 14, 2011)

Is this the build ing i can see as i look out of the train window heading into newstreat station form tamworth?

Cheers Burton Brewery


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## themousepolice (May 14, 2011)

burtonbrewery said:


> Is this the build ing i can see as i look out of the train window heading into newstreat station form tamworth?
> 
> Cheers Burton Brewery



yes indeed. it used to be surrounded by other factories but now just grassy wasteland and the borded up Moby Dick pub. sticks out like the proverbial sore thumb now


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## fluffy5518 (May 15, 2011)

So thats what it looks like on the inside...........!!!


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## fluffy5518 (May 15, 2011)

Only kiddin' !!! It hasn't got an inside !!!
Nice work BB would like to have a looksie around here BUT are the natives friendly !!! Was sure a lovely lookin' building and just imagine what this area was like in the 1950's in all its bustling glory !! I think there used to be an engine shed not far from here a few years ago before the current owners destroyed it !!:icon_evil


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## Snips86x (May 15, 2011)

Love the arched entrance. Great images. Thanks!


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## borntobemild (May 15, 2011)

fantastic building - thanks for sharing


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## themousepolice (May 15, 2011)

fluffy5518 said:


> Only kiddin' !!! It hasn't got an inside !!!
> Nice work BB would like to have a looksie around here BUT are the natives friendly !!! Was sure a lovely lookin' building and just imagine what this area was like in the 1950's in all its bustling glory !! I think there used to be an engine shed not far from here a few years ago before the current owners destroyed it !!:icon_evil



9 pics inside. not bad concidering. not too friendly. youth grafitti rules around hare and there is a skater park not far away, a security firm patrols the place, apparently and there are 2 BCC CCTV camera's accross the road. take heed on the engine shed comment...... your shit hole is next on the list to go, sold off and staff moved to Foxhall Jct


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