The tunnels were built between 19411942 as a shadow factory for the rover car company. In fact, the sides of a tunnel book might make you think of an accordion. Photos, maps, personal memories and local books of longbridge. Sep 27, 2016 a huge car factory lies frozen time eleven years after it was shut suddenly. Opened in 1905, by the late 1960s longbridge employed around 25,000 workers, building cars including the original mini. Yet i wholeheartedly believe that there wasnt a car that emerged from the gates. Drakelow tunnels are a former top secret underground military complex beneath kingsford country park north of kidderminster, worcestershire. Haunting photographs reveal how the famous longbridge mg rover plant has lain untouched and abandoned since it closed more than a decade ago. Buy making cars at longbridge by gillian bardsley, colin corke isbn. By march 1940 tunnels were also constructed to link to other parts of the. Sep 27, 2016 car factory frozen in time with vehicle shells still on conveyor belts 11 years after mg rover collapsed.
Transport links to and from the factory were limited as the original longbridge station on the main line had closed as far back as 1849. There are now around 300 workers left in longbridge, and just recently, shanghai. Mg motor uk is opening its gates for twohour tours of the facility starting on 15 march. Francis frith the uks leading publisher of local photographs since 1860. Haunting photographs reveal how longbridge mg rover plant has.
If youve ever fancied visiting longbridge for a factory tour, nows your opportunity. In 1936, and aswel as the shadow factories that existed, an extensive network of tunnels began construction. The suburb is located in a triangle formed by rubery and the bristol road south to the north and north west, the former mg rover car factory to the south east and the lickey hills and cofton hackett park just south. Most of the longbridge site is currently being redeveloped, the remaining buildings still standing are owned by the.
Clubman in the longbridge tunnels page 2 mini chat. The next great longbridgebuilt small car was rolledout in 1959. Inside the eerie factory tunnels safe from german bombers daily mail. It is by far one of the best ive read in a long time. The tunnels which ran beneath austin rovers longbridge plant are mostly all that is left of the plant.
But longbridge is on its way back the giant plant, focus of the british car industry during the tumultuous 1970s, is being recreated as a town of 2,000 homes and. Visitors will be able to learn more about mg, thanks to a factory. A factory was built in 1916 north of the original site on the fields of longbridge farm. The tunnels today are now locked and are not accessible to the public. In 1994 bmw bought rover and the longbridge plant passed into bmws hands. The factory young peoples centre, longbridge, birmingham, united kingdom. The longbridge factory has grown over the years, but is split up into four main areas. Longbridge plant news newspapers books scholar jstor december 2015 learn. Longbridge was commissioned for an underground factory, which was built underneath groveley lane, where aircraft engines and associated components were assembled during ww2. However, photos of the famous mini, which has 11 miles on the clock, emerged and after much searching it was saved by former factory worker steve morgan, from northfield, who got permission to remove it in 2012 shortly before the tunnels were due to be filled in making it the last ever mini to leave longbridge. You only have to visit the pride of longbridge rally, which this year takes place on 15 april at cofton park, directly opposite the former factory s main entrance, to see the huge groundswell of enthusiasm that exists for blarg cars. The reason its different from most science fiction books is that it has old inventions, a plague, and and they eat mush, but in modern time.
The tunnels which ran beneath austin rovers longbridge plant are. Thanks to tablet computers and smartphones, combined with ebook technology, you can browse for new. The factory 5 devon way longbridge birmingham b31 2ts west midlands phone 0121 464 8850. Final longbridge factory mini sold at auction bbc news. Longbridge tunnels, birmingham aug 20 derelict places. After the war, the factory returned to producing automobiles and the tunnels were abandoned. Known as the north works it was built on the bristol road between the halesowen branch railway and longbridge lane. The longbridge plant in birmingham, west midlands, was once a powerhouse employing 25,000 workers. The longbridge works of the austin motor company is situated seven miles south of birmingham on the main road that runs from the city centre to worcester. For four years the factory lay empty and on the books of e a olivieri, a birmingham financier at a price of. The eerie factory tunnels safe from german bombers where. Factory frozen in time with cars on conveyor belts 11 years.
Inside the eerie factory tunnels safe from german bombers where. Longbridge tunnels, birmingham aug 20 i popped down a couple of weeks ago without my camera and decided to pop back down technically i was on 1 10 so this is a dinner hour visit the entry is starting to get a bit dodgy, someone has gone through one of the bottom steps and one of the steps higher up started to crumble below my foot which. Longbridge plant is an industrial complex in longbridge, birmingham, england, currently leased by saic as a research and development facility for its mg motor subsidiary. The last mini to leave the longbridge factory has sold for.
Page 1 of 31 longbridge tunnel mini posted in introduce yourself. It is also the first book ive read by publisher, great little books, llc. Perhaps this work tailed off so they then decided to go into tin printing. The austin factory at longbridge in june from english heritage book. The last mini to leave the longbridge factory has sold at auction for. Every nook and cranny of the factory found itself in use even down to the mysterious ww2 tunnels, which were used for the storage of anything from discarded tools to preproduction prototype cars. The story follows will burrows, a 14yearold archaeologist, who stumbles upon an underground civilization called the colony. Even if you dont like science fiction you might still enjoy this book. New life for longbridge transformation of iconic factory into youth space. Yet i wholeheartedly believe that there wasnt a car that emerged from the gates of longbridge without a number of flaws. Longbridge tunnel mini introduce yourself the mini forum. Please dont comment about tunnel access your comments will be deleted tunnels are now sealed and houses built on its location.
Longbridge underground tunnels in 1936, and aswel as the shadow factories that existed, an extensive network of tunnels began construction. Mickey mantle once threw up while having sex with angie dickinson, book claims. Car factory frozen in time with vehicle shells still on conveyor belts 11 years after mg rover collapsed. May 21, 2017 by 1915 sidings had been laid to connect the factory to the branch and thence to the bristol to gloucester main line. Inside the eerie abandoned longbridge rover car factory in. Tunnels is a subterranean fiction novel by british authors roderick gordon and brian williams. Dare to enter a set of tunnels that have been abandoned for over 50 years. However, after a few years and it was sold to the phoenix consortium in a management buyout, for the princely sum of. These tunnels are filled with creepy car parts, deadly beams and plenty. For local government purposes it is a ward within the district of northfield. Derek robinson, or red robbo as he was dubbed by the media, became synonymous with the strikes that severely affected production at the longbridge plant in birmingham in the 1970s. Longbridge is an area of southwest birmingham, england. In her decade tracking serial killers, fbi special agent kelly jones has seen some of the worst humanity can inflict.
Page 2 of 3 clubman in the longbridge tunnels posted in mini chat. Over a period of some ninety years the name of the firm operating from the longbridge factory has changed many times. It was initially selfpublished as the highfield mole in 2005, and rereleased as tunnels by chicken house in 2007. Blackout below birmingham in the abandoned wwii tunnels. T he battered bodyshell of the mini clubman 1275 gt lay in the tunnels under the factory for more than 30 years the. Aug 10, 2016 check out my revisit at the longbridge tunnels, my first visit was back in in 20 and nout has changed in there.
Just below the surface of longbridge, an area just outside of birmingham. In the past, you needed to head to the library or the bookstore to browse through physical books on the shelves to find a new adventure to check out or buy with todays modern technology, though, your next great read is just a few clicks away. The overall effect of a tunnel book is to create the illusion of depth and perspective. The longbridge tunnels, birmingham derelict places. But since the collapse of mg rover, part of the site was redeveloped for housing and commercial purposes. By 1915 sidings had been laid to connect the factory to the branch and thence to the bristol to gloucester main line. Yet the tragedy unfolding at her alma mater chills her to the. By the late 1960s, the longbridge plant was the second largest car plant in the world, employing some 250,000 workers.
The mini clubman was used for testing purposes by bl and the underground tunnels were used during the war military production years and then in later years mainly for storage and testing purposes i think. Dec 02, 2014 entrance to the longbridge tunnels all photographs by the author just below the surface of longbridge, an area just outside of birmingham, uk, amidst the various residential redevelopments, lies. The shadow factory tunnels are what remain of lord austins secret. For ninetynine years, cars were made at longbridge. The mini clubman so famously rescued from the longbridge tunnels in 2012 fell short of impressing at auction. Life after rover soft landing at longbridge britain the economist. The story of longbridge is full of tragedy and the loss of car making there has dealt a huge blow to the midlands manufacturing base.
Feb 26, 2017 dare to enter a set of tunnels that have been abandoned for over 50 years. The factory young peoples centre is a modern, state of the art youth provision in south birmingham. The factory has been a major employer and an integral part of the local community since its foundation. Longbridge tour an account of a visit to the longbridge works in 1929. As such and in consultation with our staff, we have decided to remain open for business unless or until government policy changes. It is science fiction, but a different type of science fiction. Less than a year off its century, the factory closed and 6,000 lost their jobs. Entrance to the longbridge tunnels all photographs by the author just below the surface of longbridge, an area just outside of birmingham, uk.
The factory 5 devon way longbridge, birmingham b31 2ts. But longbridge is on its way back the giant plant, focus of the british car industry during the tumultuous 1970s, is. The shadow factory tunnels under birminghams longbridge site are. Between 1978 and 1979, the then governmentowned british leyland attributed 523 disputes to robinson, the factory convenor at longbridge. Synopsis for ninetynine years, cars were made at longbridge. The popular rural lickey hills country park is half a mile south of rednal, with rednal hill being the nearest peak. Longbridge was commissioned for an underground factory, which was built underneath groveley lane, where aircraft engines.
Sep 27, 2016 the car factory where time has stalled. These abandoned mg rover tunnels at the longbridge plant are crazy. The bodies of two female students are found mutilated and oddly positioned in the dark labyrinth beneath the schoolhaunting symbols painted on the walls above them. Again, credit to all those who have managed to gain access to any of the networks underneath longbridge prior to this visit. The factory expanded and to accommodate workers, austin established a village for his employees bungalows. Haunting photographs reveal how longbridge mg rover plant. Car factory frozen in time with vehicle shells still on.
Entrance to the longbridge tunnels all photographs by the author. Longbridge photos, maps, books, memories francis frith. These tunnels ensured that production of the engines and munitions could continue underground in relative safety. Longbridge has good public transport links, with buses going south, north, east and west. Yes we went through the production line running, and they were building the new mgs six. We were having another look through mike scotts pictures from inside northfield manor earlier, and were reminded of a set of images he took back in 2007 in, on and under the rover plant at longbridge. A huge car factory lies frozen time eleven years after it was shut suddenly. This venture proved to be unsuccessful and the longbridge factory closed down in about 1901. Mg rovers factory at longbridge, near birmingham, was always more than a sprawling collection of assembly lines churning out vehicles. Longbridge, warwickshire photos, maps, books and memories of longbridge wrong place. Longbridge in birmingham, once the site of the largest manufacturing plant in the world, could be transformed into a new place for young people through the myplace initiative, a multimillion pound government programme.