The environs of the town, especially Edgbaston and Harborne, contain many tasteful residences, erected by the wealthier merchants and tradesmen; whose pretty suburban villas have all gardens and pleasure grounds attached. In the neighbourhood of Birmingham are many fine old houses, or halls, as they are called, well deserving of a visit from the antiquary or artist; and the far famed glories of Warwick, Kenilworth, Shakespeare-sainted Stratford, Guy’s Cliff, and other places of renown, are within a short drive.
In this brief survey of the past and present condition of Birmingham, it will be seen how rapidly its greatness and importance have been achieved by the perseverance, spirit, and ingenuity of its inhabitants. We may expect as rapid, and almost as great improvements from the additional consequence and advantages it will receive from the great works now nearly completed. The finished line of railway from London to Liverpool through this place, may, with confidence, be looked to as another great era in its history, from whence to date still increasing wealth, power, and intelligence.
CHAPTER II.
ROUTE.
BIRMINGHAM TO WOLVERHAMPTON,
Fourteen Miles.
BIRMINGHAM AND VAUXHALL STATION.
Distance to Liverpool and Manchester, 97¼ miles.
DISTANCES BY ROADS FROM THIS STATION TO THE FOLLOWING PLACES:—
*** Those printed in small capitals are market towns.
| Places W. of Station. | Places E. of Station. | ||
| Edgbaston | 2½ miles. | Erdington | 3 miles. |
| Harborne | 4— | Castle Bromwich | 4½— |
| Halesowen | 8½— | Sutton Coldfield | 6½— |
| Stourbridge | 12½— | Water Orton | 6½— |
| Curdworth | 7½— | ||
| Coleshill | 8½— | ||
| Wishaw | 9— | ||
| Middleton | 9½— | ||
| Drayton Bassett | 11½— | ||
| Tamworth | 13— | ||
The Birmingham Station of the Grand Junction railway, closely adjoins that of the London and Birmingham, which greatly facilitates the arrangements of travellers proceeding along the entire line. Until the completion of the permanent buildings, those at Vauxhall have been temporarily used. To a stranger coming into the station-yard for the first time, the whole scene is one of great novelty: the long train of treble-bodied coaches, waiting under a broad covered way for passengers and baggage; the bustle and animation of the host of porters, guards, conductors, &c.; the amazement depicted on some of the faces of the lookers-on; the state of “intellectual complication” evinced by others, especially those who, having various items of property to convey with them, are tremblingly solicitous for the welfare of sundry “red-striped carpet bags, trunks with wrappering over,” bandboxes which will be ruined by a drop of rain, and fish-baskets which have a mortal antipathy to be squeezed. Other important-looking passengers make up their minds to take things as a matter of course, and not betray any vulgar surprise; and from their extremely over-done nonchalance, would fain persuade you they had made a journey round the globe in a first-rate train, and reached the antipodes by a tunnel. These valiant and adventurous individuals are by far the severest sufferers by the anti-cigar-act, passed by the Company, for which the unsmoking part of the community, especially the fair sex, are greatly indebted. The traveller may refer to the company’s regulations at full, in the appendix at the end of this volume. Supposing all preliminaries adjusted, we commence our journey.
Passing the station at Vauxhall, (closely adjoining to which are Vauxhall Gardens,) the railroad proceeds by Duddeston, and passes over the Coleshill road near Saltley Chapel, a small pigeon-house like edifice to the E. of the line. Aston Church soon appears on the W., above the rich woods surrounding it; and the high chimney of the Birmingham Water Works (lately established to supply the town) is passed on the E. The steam engines, Hercules and Atlas, erected here for pumping the water from the reservoir, into the pipes for conveyance to Birmingham, are perhaps the grandest and most perfect of their kind ever fabricated. Yardley Village and Perry Barr form the distant view. The railroad now passes over the Aston embankment, and a viaduct of ten arches, beneath which runs the high road to Sutton, and the Fazeley Canal. From this point the last view is gained of the town of Birmingham, on the W.; and on the E. a prospect of Gravelly Hill, now nearly levelled, and the village of Erdington. A short distance onwards the line passes the front of Aston Hall, a fine old baronial residence in the Elizabethan style of architecture, erected by Sir Thomas Holt in 1620, and in which he entertained Charles I. previously to the battle of Edge Hill. It is situated in a fine park, richly ornamented with stately timber of ancient growth, and thriving modern plantations. All the views of this fine old mansion are strikingly beautiful; but the one commanded from the railroad line, looking up the avenue of lofty elms, (which the line crosses,) is the most imposing.
James Watt, Esq., the present proprietor, has, it is said, expended £10,000 in preventing the line of railroad from passing through his park, which the Company intended it to do; and in consequence of this opposition a great curve appears in the course of the line at this part. Iron works in the neighbourhood have been in operation from remote antiquity. [14]
The Church, which re-appears at several points of the line, is a beautiful and venerable structure, with a fine tapering spire, and remarkably musical bells, the sweet tones of which will scarcely reach the ears of railroad travellers. Part of the village of Aston is observable from the railroad, and also the grounds