Sarehole Mill
Birmingham’s Community Museums are gearing up to open for their 2011 season.
Soho House, Sarehole Mill and Blakesley Hall all reopen from Saturday 9th April, while Aston Hall reopens on the following day. All are fascinating places to visit, with a rich history and fascinating collections of exhibits showing the diverse development of the city.
Everyone knows that JRR Tolkien was inspired by Sarehole Mill, but what’s less well-known is that Soho House, off Soho Road in Handsworth, was the home of industrialist Matthew Boulton and a meeting place for the Lunar Society, the fathers of the Industrial Revolution. Blakesley Hall in Yardley is a magnificent example of a timber-framed Tudor merchant’s house while Aston Hall is steeped in history from its building in the seventeenth century up to the present day.
A programme of events at the museums for the coming year includes include Soho’s Steam Day, a Falconry Day at Blakesley Hall and A Call to Arms, demonstrations of sword-fighting and archery at Weoley Castle, which along with the Museum of the Jewellery Quarter is open throughout the year.
Aston Hall, Blakesley Hall, Sarehole Mill and Soho House are open from Tuesday to Sunday plus Bank Holiday Mondays, 12- 4pm although Aston is close on Villa home matchdays.
The Museum of the Jewellery Quarter is open Tuesday to Saturday 10.30-4pm with an admission charge while the Weoley Castle Ruins viewing area is open every day.
For details of these and other attractions in the city, visit www.bmag.org.uk