The Flickr Hamshallpowerstation Image Generatr

An unusually subdued advert for the Smethwick based Henry Hope & Sons Ltd; usually the company's publicity and advertising was noted for its use of typography and design which is somewhat lacking in this July 1933 advert that shows the use of their products in electriicty generating or power stations. Hope's were a major manufacturer of architecture ironmongery and window systems and one of their specialities was large scale glazing systems for industrial buildings such as these.

The four generating stations seen here are all very much of the second generation "super" stations. These were actively promoted by the Government backed reorganisation of the British electriicty industry starting in the 1920s that looked to rationalise the generation, supply and distribution of electrcity that had developed in a highly fragmented and inefficent fashion. The development of the National Grid saw various existing and proposed new generating stations designated as "selected" stations and these four fit that designation.

Ironbridge "A" station seen here on the banks of the River Severn was developed by the West Midlands Joint Power Authority, an early example of cooperation in the then fragmented electrical generation and supply industry in the UK that was seen as slowing the growth of the business. The WMJPA came into existance in 1925 and was it included both municipal undertakings (Walsall, West Bromwich, Cannock, Shrewsbury and Wolverhampton) and the local private undertaking the Midland Electric Corporation. One of the reasonings behind the Joint Authority, given added credence by the formation in 1926 of the Central Electricity Authority, was to build new 'super' generating stations and inter-connecting 'grid' lines. The site at Ironbridge had been selected in 1927, on the banks of the River Severn the waters of supplied the coal fired station, and construction of the first phase was completed in 1932.

London's now famous Battersea Power Station was constructed London Power Company, an undertaking that had been formed in 1925 made up of several of the smaller private electricity companies in the Capital and that was, in many ways, part of the Government inspired trend towards larger and more efficient generation units.

The LEP started work on the site at Vauxhall in 1929 and the intention was always to build the station in two phases. To help calm fears regarding the visual appearance of the buildings, so close to Central London, the company commissioned the eminent architect Sir Giles Gilbert Scott as the consultant architect although it is worth recalling that the consultant engineers also played an important role in the design of the building. These included Leonard Pearce (who had been head of Manchester's municipal undertaking until 1926), Henry Allott and T P O'Sullivan. The main architects were Halliday & Agate and the main Art Deco finishes in the interior, notably the control room, are credited to Halliday. It is seen here in early days with one completed chimney, the second under scaffolding. The other two of the later four were constructed as part of a pot-war expansion of the station.

The Shropshire, Worcestershire and Staffordshire Electric Power Company was a major regional player in the generation and supply of electricity and was formed in 1903 to exploit opportunities to provide supplies to smaller authorised undertakings and smaller areas without supply. The company acquired a series of existing and smaller generating stations. During the First World War the company nearly entered into agreements with the massive Birmingham municipal undertaking to jointly build two new 'super' stations at Nechells and Stourport but the scheme foundered and whilst Birmingham built Nechells, the company went ahead alone and constructed Stourport in 1927 and closing several smaller and inefficent plants at the same time.

The final station shown was the pride of the City of Birmingham's Electricity Supply Department, arguably the largest municipal undertaking in the country. As can be seen above, the original plan to jointly develop Stourport fell through and after work at the 'land locked' Nechells site was completed the city decided to construct a major new power station to the east of Birmingham at Hams Hall where coal and water were easily available. The inital phase, the A station, was commissioned in 1929 and was soon recognised as being one of the largest power stations in Europe. Such was the demand for electricity in the city that Hams Hall "B" was planned in 1937 and work started, being completed during wartime conditions in 1943 and B station was extended between 1947 and 1949.

Henry Hope & Sons Ltd were a long established manufacturer of architectural metalware and glazing systems based in Smethwick. Their publications and advertising always met high standards of typography and publishing and this wonderful and substantial book is no exception as it was printed at The Curwen Press in London and demonstrates much of their acknowledged skill.

The catalogue - Publication No. 260, issued in December 1951 - was for drawing office use giving details of specifications, sections and other information and covers a vast number of building types and architectural styles. Needless to say, although Hope's windows were sold for 'older styles' their galvanised steel glazing systems fitted well into modern architectural styles and they produced special systems for large scale projects such as office blocks, factories and power stations.

In post-war Britain the newly nationalised electricity industry was keen to catch up with the replacement of generating stations that wartime delays and use had marked down as in urgent need to replacement as well as carrying on with the move to modern, larger generating stations able to cope with increasing demand for electricity. The British Electricity Authority (later the CEA and then CEGB) inherited schemes planned by pre-nationalisation undertakings as well as designing new stations themselves. The catalogue has a extensive section on power stations as glazing, for light and ventilation as well as for aesthetic reasons, played an increasing role in their designs. Hope's not only specialised in window frames but also the many geared opening and ventilation systems.

This plate shows the mighty Hams Hall B Generating Station that was not actually in Birmingham but beyond the city boundary - the site was however associated City of Birmingham Electricity Supply Department, the municipal undertaking that had first developed Hams Hall in the 1920s. The inital phase, the A station, was commissioned in 1929 and was soon recognised as being one of the largest power stations in Europe. Such was the demand for electricity in the city that Hams Hall "B" was planned in 1937 and work started, being completed during wartime conditions in 1943 and B station was extended between 1947 and 1949. Birmingham's was one, if not the, largest municipal generating and supply undertaking and in scale it challenged several of the larger private generating companies.

Again, at the time the two stations, the pride of Birmingham's supply department, were again arguably the largest concentration of generating equipment in Europe and the plant set records for thermal efficiency. As noted here the architects for this scheme were J Alfred Harper & Son and the consulting civil engineers, L G Mouchel & Partners Ltd.

The stations were nationalised in 1948 and the BEA constructed a third "C" station here that was commissioned in 1958 to 1958. Hams Hall "B" was decommissioned in 1981. The whole site has now been cleared and forms a retail distribution site.

Before and now. Looking down Church hill to the junction with Blythe road as seen from the steeple of st Peter & st Paul church in Coleshill. With Hams Hall power station in the distance date 1959,,, the colour image was taken Dec 2021

Ex-LMS / WD Armstrong Whitworth DE Shunter WD 883 at Ham Hall power station in March 1967, with a Ford Consul MkII in the background..
The loco had been built for the LMS in 1936 as 7063, and was taken over by the War Department in 1943, becoming WD 70216, and was renumbered to WD 883 in 1952. It was purchased from the (then) MOD in 1963, and ended up at Hams Hall power station in 1966, and was withdrawn - and scrapped - in 1967. None of the class survived.
The last power station at Hams Hall was demolished in 1993, and today (2021) the site is occupied by an industrial estate.
Restored from a faded unfocussed grainy blue-colour-shifted original..
Original slide - Property of Robert Gadsdon

See - approximately - where this photo was taken

A problem with HST availability in the summer of 1983 resulted in some services reverting to locomotive-haulage. One such working was a Plymouth - York turn that produced a Class 50 throughout. On 13th August 1983 No. 50003 'Temeraire' approaches Water Orton heading the 1423 York - Plymouth service. Hams Hall Power Station can be seen in the distance - I am not certain, but think this is likely to be Hams Hall C that closed in 1992. Copyright Photograph John Whitehouse - all rights reserved

Almost without exception, the UK's local authorities issued such 'official handbooks' during the mid-20th Century and, often running to several editions, they are a rich seam for looking at local history as they cover civic and municipal services along with various commercial and industrial concerns based there. The City of Birmingham, as befitted one of the UK's largest city authorities, produced in the 1920s and '30s, annual editions that vied with the City of Manchester's similar productions. The editions contain a series of sections dealing with the city's governance, the services provided - that at the time included the council's many trading undertakings such as gas, electricity, water and transport, along with social services such as hospitals that were then mostly run by the city council.

One of the largest trading undertakings was that of the city's Electric Supply Department that was most likley the largest such municipal supply undertaking in the UK. The Council had acquired the private generating company in 1900 along with those in Aston and Handsworth when both areas were annexed by the city in 1911. Work had started on a new generating station on a site in Nechells in 1914 but this was paused due to the outbreak of war and work only recommenced in 1918. The station was opened in 1923 by the Prince of Wales and became known as the Prince's Station. In post-WW2 years, and under nationalisation, a second station, Nechells B, was opened in 1954 but generation ceased on the site in 1982.

During the 1920s requirement for power grew dramatically and with growing Governmental control of the industry larger, more efficient generating stations were favoured and Birmingham began to construct a new power station on a greenfield site to the east of the city at Hams Hall. Constructed in 1928 the first phase of the station was opened, by the Duke of York, on 6 Novemebr 1929. The station was considered to be one of the largest and most efficient in Europe at the time and was an earlier user of pulverised coal as fuel. In time the City would open the second phase, as B station in 1942, and a third and final phase (four units were originally planned for) opened in 1956/58 by the nationalised industry. The stations closed in order of construction in 1975, 1981 and 1992.

Hams Hall was originally fitted out with GEC equipment throughout, and GEC advertised the new station heavily. GEC's main works were, of course, in Birmingham at Witton so it was hardly surprising that local industry was favoured although the two 30,000kv turbo-alternators at the heart of the station were construced by a subsidiary, Fraser & Chalmers, whose turbines business had been acquired by GEC in 1919.

This plate of the Prince's Generating Station, at Nechells, shows the ranks of timber cooling towers that long dominated the local scene.

Almost without exception, the UK's local authorities issued such 'official handbooks' during the mid-20th Century and, often running to several editions, they are a rich seam for looking at local history as they cover civic and municipal services along with various commercial and industrial concerns based there. The City of Birmingham, as befitted one of the UK's largest city authorities, produced in the 1920s and '30s, annual editions that vied with the City of Manchester's similar productions. The editions contain a series of sections dealing with the city's governance, the services provided - that at the time included the council's many trading undertakings such as gas, electricity, water and transport, along with social services such as hospitals that were then mostly run by the city council.

One of the largest trading undertakings was that of the city's Electric Supply Department that was most likley the largest such municipal supply undertaking in the UK. The Council had acquired the private generating company in 1900 along with those in Aston and Handsworth when both areas were annexed by the city in 1911. Work had started on a new generating station on a site in Nechells in 1914 but this was paused due to the outbreak of war and work only recommenced in 1918. The station was opened in 1923 by the Prince of Wales and became known as the Prince's Station. In post-WW2 years, and under nationalisation, a second station, Nechells B, was opened in 1954 but generation ceased on the site in 1982.

During the 1920s requirement for power grew dramatically and with growing Governmental control of the industry larger, more efficient generating stations were favoured and Birmingham began to construct a new power station on a greenfield site to the east of the city at Hams Hall. Constructed in 1928 the first phase of the station was opened, by the Duke of York, on 6 Novemebr 1929. The station was considered to be one of the largest and most efficient in Europe at the time and was an earlier user of pulverised coal as fuel. In time the City would open the second phase, as B station in 1942, and a third and final phase (four units were originally planned for) opened in 1956/58 by the nationalised industry. The stations closed in order of construction in 1975, 1981 and 1992.

Hams Hall was originally fitted out with GEC equipment throughout, and GEC advertised the new station heavily. GEC's main works were, of course, in Birmingham at Witton so it was hardly surprising that local industry was favoured although the two 30,000kv turbo-alternators at the heart of the station were construced by a subsidiary, Fraser & Chalmers, whose turbines business had been acquired by GEC in 1919.

The title page shows the then new station at Hams Hall and noting that the two ferro-concrete cooling towers were, when constructed, amongst the largest built.

Almost without exception, the UK's local authorities issued such 'official handbooks' during the mid-20th Century and, often running to several editions, they are a rich seam for looking at local history as they cover civic and municipal services along with various commercial and industrial concerns based there. The City of Birmingham, as befitted one of the UK's largest city authorities, produced in the 1920s and '30s, annual editions that vied with the City of Manchester's similar productions. The editions contain a series of sections dealing with the city's governance, the services provided - that at the time included the council's many trading undertakings such as gas, electricity, water and transport, along with social services such as hospitals that were then mostly run by the city council.

One of the largest trading undertakings was that of the city's Electric Supply Department that was most likley the largest such municipal supply undertaking in the UK. The Council had acquired the private generating company in 1900 along with those in Aston and Handsworth when both areas were annexed by the city in 1911. Work had started on a new generating station on a site in Nechells in 1914 but this was paused due to the outbreak of war and work only recommenced in 1918. The station was opened in 1923 by the Prince of Wales and became known as the Prince's Station. In post-WW2 years, and under nationalisation, a second station, Nechells B, was opened in 1954 but generation ceased on the site in 1982.

During the 1920s requirement for power grew dramatically and with growing Governmental control of the industry larger, more efficient generating stations were favoured and Birmingham began to construct a new power station on a greenfield site to the east of the city at Hams Hall. Constructed in 1928 the first phase of the station was opened, by the Duke of York, on 6 Novemebr 1929. The station was considered to be one of the largest and most efficient in Europe at the time and was an earlier user of pulverised coal as fuel. In time the City would open the second phase, as B station in 1942, and a third and final phase (four units were originally planned for) opened in 1956/58 by the nationalised industry. The stations closed in order of construction in 1975, 1981 and 1992.

Hams Hall was originally fitted out with GEC equipment throughout, and GEC advertised the new station heavily. GEC's main works were, of course, in Birmingham at Witton so it was hardly surprising that local industry was favoured although the two 30,000kv turbo-alternators at the heart of the station were construced by a subsidiary, Fraser & Chalmers, whose turbines business had been acquired by GEC in 1919.

can just see one of Hams Hall C cooling towers middle right

Station Junction looking towards Birmingham, slow line via Whitacre and Coleshill to left, fast to Water Orton right. Hams Hall Power Station background.

A double page from the 1946 MEG book showing three power stations that MEG were involved in either constructing or supplying equipment to. Shanghai Power Station is most likely to have dated to pre-WW2 and formed part of the "International Settlement" of Shanghai. There are some amazing photos regarding the municipal electricity department , the later Shanghai Power Company and Clifford Rees Webb here ietarchivesblog.org/2018/03/29/clifford-rees-webb-and-the...

The other stations shown are of Midlands interest. The massive Ironbridge A station, in the Severn Gorge adjacent to the town and bridge of that name, was one of the eraliest 'grid' stations developed by one of the pre-nationalisation 'Joint Electricity Authorities' in which both municipal and company electricity undertakings partook so as to bring the benefits of larger and more modern generation equipment in the late 1920s and '30s. Ironbridge A was replaced with the later "B" station that is currently decommissioned. The last image shows the cooling water pools constructed by MEG for the jewel in the City of Birmingham Electricity Department's crown, Hams Hall. The first stage, to be Hams Hall A, was opened in 1929 with the additional B station coming on stream in 1942. A later, third C station was constructed in 1956/8 by the nationalised industry.

A page from a substantial book illustrating the steel work and other engineering contracts carried out by the West Bromwich based Braithwaites. Founded in 1884 as Braithwaite & Kirk the company prospered mainly due to a healthy export business in the 'colonies' as well as in the home market and indeed in 1913 they opened an Indian branch as well as later acquiring additional works in Newport, Monmouthshire.

One of the company's main areas of business was the construction of steel framed buildings and, allowing for the brick skin here, Braithwaite's produced and erected the structure of this, Hams Hall "A" power station. When opened in 1929 it was the jewel in the crown of the municipally owned City of Birmingham Electricity Supply Department who constructed the station to increase their output alongside the city's earlier and urban sited stations. The station was one of the largest in Europe and indeed the Department was one of the largest undertakings in western Europe. Hams Hall was significant in that it was a pioneer in the utilisation of burning pulverised coal. The "A" station was followed by "B" in 1942 and "C", following the nationalisation of the industry in 1948, in 1958. The entire site was finally decommissioned by 1992.

Standing outside the station on sidings is a private coal wagon, owned by Alexander Comley whose head office was at 174 Corporation St in Birmingham and whose sidings were at Windsor St yard.

In The BW Image The Cooling Towers Of "Hams Hall Power Station" Can Be Clearly Seen, The Power Station Was Swept Away Some Years Ago And "Hams Hall Distribution Park Is Now Built There.

The Swindon Cross-Country Class 120 unit working the 12:50 Birmingham New Street to Leicester was recorded near Whitacre Junction heading towards Nuneaton.
In the background Hams Hall C Power Station dominates the skyline, while to the right were the then dormant chimneys and cooling towers of Hams Hall B that had closed in October 1981 after 39 years of operation. Following privatisation in 1990, the C station was operated by Powergen until its closure in 1992. Demolition and clearance of the site was completed and it was redeveloped as an industrial estate, Hams Hall Distribution Park that includes the rail served intermodal terminal.

All images on this site are exclusive property and may not be copied, downloaded, reproduced, transmitted, manipulated or used in any way without expressed written permission of the photographer. All rights reserved – Copyright Don Gatehouse

Class 45 45041 "Royal Tank Regiment" approaching Lea Marston with a parcels, this train would regularly run past my house in Kingsbury at 8-50 every evening during the early 80's . This scene no longer would be recognised except for the fence, Hams Hall power station has gone and tall trees and bushes crowd this view.