I have just spent the weekend with my youngest daughter and her fiancé, we decided to meet up and stay in a hotel somewhere instead of them driving all the way up to Wales. The decision was made to stay in Bourneville, just four miles outside Birmingham, an easy train journey for me, which gave me the opportunity to put my Senior Railcard to good use instead of driving! There was an ulterior motive in selecting the Birmingham area as my daughter wanted to visit Cadbury World, I must admit I was a little sceptical but was looking forward to exploring the village of Bourneville as I had heard a lot about it. Well I was pleasantly surprised as the tour of Cadbury World was very much more interesting than I had anticipated and far more orientated towards adults and the history of chocolate than I had expected.
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| The hotel where we stayed is one of the original buildings that were there in 1879. |
Bourneville village is a very special place as it was set up by the Cadbury family. In 1879, they moved their business to Bournbrook Hall, 4 miles (6.4 km) to the south of Birmingham. The location was chosen as it was regarded as cleaner, healthier and more amenable to longer-term expansion plans. Although rural, it was already serviced by a railway station, which itself was located right next to the canal.
The Cadburys named the area 'Bournville' after the Bourn Brook (now known as The Bourn); with 'ville' being French for 'town' then the Cadburys began to develop their factory in the new suburb. Loyal and hard-working workers were treated with great respect and relatively high wages and good working conditions; Cadbury also pioneered pension schemes, joint works committees and a full staff medical service, way ahead of the times!
In 1893, George Cadbury bought 120 acres of land close to the works and planned, at his own expense, a model village which would 'alleviate the evils of modern more cramped living conditions'. By 1900, the estate included 313 cottages and houses set on 330 acres of land and many more similar properties were built in the years leading up to World War I, with smaller developments taking place later on in the 20C. These almost 'Arts and Crafts' houses were traditional in design but with large gardens and modern interiors, and were designed by a resident architect William Alexander Harvey. These designs became a blueprint for many other model village estates around Britain. It is also noteworthy that, because George Cadbury was a temperance Quaker, no public houses have ever been built in Bournville; however, since the late 1940s, there has been a licensed members' bar at Rowheath Pavilion.
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| The above photos show Bourneville Village shops, the Village Green and the Parish Church 'St Francis of Assisi'which was built in 1925. Up until that time services had been held in the adjacent village hall, to which the church was later connected to by cloisters. |
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| The Rest House was built in 1914, designed by local architect W.Alexander Harvey, based on a medieval market hall in Dunster, Somerset, the original home of the Cadbury family. The Rest House was a gift from Cadbury employees around the world in recognition of the Silver Wedding Anniversary of George and Elizabeth Cadbury. As the name suggests it offers space to sit, reflect and enjoy the surroundings. The building is now a visitor centre, selling local crafts and souvenirs as well as exhibiting the history of the Bourneville Carillon |
The Bournville Carillon was erected in a semi-rural location in 1906, before the onslaught of urban development and the building of the busy main road by which it now stands adjacent.
This carillon ranks as one of the finest and largest in Great Britain, having 48 bells hung below a domed copper cupola above the tower of of the junior and infant schools on Bournville Village Green. It is owned and administered by the Bournville Village Trust, Normally the carillon will be played twice every Saturday commencing at 12.00 noon and 3.00 p.m. for approximately one hour on each occasion. We were able to enjoy the live concert broadcast live whilst we were exploring the village on Saturday afternoon.
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| Selly Manor Museum |
Selly Manor is a historic building that George Cadbury rescued from a nearby location when it was threatened with demolition and had re-erected in the village. It is now a museum, which sadly this time I did not have time to visit. Maybe a return trip one day!
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| Men's Sports Pavilion |
The Men's Recreation Ground was laid in 1896 and the Men's Pavilion was opened in 1902, a gift from the firm to the male employees to celebrate the coronation of Edward VII.
Having found the concept of Bourneville Village of great interest I was intrigued about our visit to Cadbury World on Sunday. As I mentioned at the start of this post I found the tour more interesting than I had anticipated and far more orientated towards adults and the history of chocolate than I had expected. Below is a brief description of what to expect from your visit followed by some of my photos. The link to my full album of the visit can be found at the end of this post.
A trip to Cadbury World will uncover a world of chocolate delights and interesting facts about the history, making and the magic of Cadbury confectionery.
With fourteen different zones, there is plenty to interest the whole family. From learning how your favourite confectionery is being made and uncovering the fascinating story of Cadbury chocolate, choosing your own delicious taste sensation covered in warm liquid Dairy Milk.
You'll discover the origins of the cocoa bean amidst trees and waterfalls in the Aztec jungle, before jumping on board the magical Cadabra ride and meeting the infamous Cadbury drumming gorilla!
The average visit time to Cadbury World is around three hours. There are places to eat and drink, and you'll be able to stock up on all your favourite treats at The World's Biggest Cadbury Shop
Photos above from the areas where photography is allowed from tableaus in the Aztec Jungle to Advertising and finally. Did you know how long various Cadbury chocolate products have been in production?
Official visitor video produced by Cadbury World.
I actually enjoyed letting the train take the strain and look forward to more weekends like this one.
I hope you have enjoyed your virtual visit today. I have included some further information and links in case you are planning your own trip, or just wish to learn a little more about Bourneville and Cadbury's World.
Address: Linden Road, Bourneville, Birmingham, B30 2LU
Phone: 0844 880 7667
Hours:
| Monday | 10:30 am – 4:30 pm |
| Tuesday | 10:30 am – 4:30 pm |
| Wednesday | 10:30 am – 4:30 pm |
| Thursday | 10:30 am – 4:30 pm |
| Friday | 10:30 am – 4:30 pm |
| Saturday | 10:00 am – 5:30 pm |
| Sunday | 10:00 am – 5:30 pm |
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There is car parking on site, but it is also just a short walk from Bourneville Station which is on the Longbridge Line from Birmingham New Street.
All photos are my own taken in November 2013.
More photos from this trip may also be viewed individually in the collection entitled
All rights reserved by LindyLouMac Photo Collection 
