How one of Birmingham's last timber-framed buildings was saved

For centuries, timber-framed buildings lined Birmingham's streets, but only a handful remain in the city today.

The 16th century Golden Lion, a lively pub that originally stood in Digbeth, has finally been rescued from collapse after being hidden behind scaffolding for decades.

Standing in the city's Cannon Hill Park, after being moved in 1911, the black and white timber-framed building is one of the last surviving reminders of what many would consider to be "old Birmingham".

The structure's weathered oak beams have survived civil war, industrialisation, a suffragette arson attack and two rescue missions to save it from disappearing altogether.

Now, supported by Historic England, Birmingham Conservation Trust has overseen extensive repairs to stabilise the structure and secure its future, with preserving the building's historic timber frame central to the project.

Over the last few years, a team of specialists has also carried out restoration work to the roof, chimneys, floors, windows and doors, and added lime plaster with lime coating to walls.

Plans on what the Golden Lion will become have yet to be confirmed.

Irene De Boo, from Birmingham Conservation Trust, said the building was moved timber by timber, adding: "It was the first building in Birmingham to be saved in this way."

The early history of the Golden Lion is not known, but the building once stood on land owned by the Guild of the Chapel of St. John.

While the current structure is not medieval, it was rebuilt sometime between 1616 and 1644, using a mix of new and much older timbers - some dating back to 1411.

The structure became known as the Golden Lion in the late 1700s when, at its height, it was a thriving public house brewing it's own beer.

Over the years, it has served as a cutler's house, six tiny homes and businesses, a scrap shop, and even a rangers' hut.

But back then, buildings like the Golden Lion were not unusual.

While industry rapidly created wealth and fuelled growth, many factory workers lived in extreme poverty in overcrowded back-to-back housing tucked away in courts reached only through narrow alleyways off a main road.

At the same time, wealthy industrialists and influential local politicians had ambitions to transform the city around them.

That and civic pride fuelled a building boom that created many of the landmarks still admired today.

Victorian Birmingham was "a city of striking contrasts", said De Boo.

But the transformation came at a cost.

De Boo said: "The renewal and improvement of the city centre could only be achieved by demolishing what went before; this included slums but also Birmingham's timber-framed heritage and most of its Georgian buildings".

From the 1880s onwards, she said, the pace of development and demolition led to fears that the last surviving historic buildings would be lost forever - the Golden Lion was among those at risk.

The Birmingham Archaeological Society started a campaign in 1911 to save the building after the high street was due to be re-widened prompted its move to the park.

The same year, it was dismantled and moved to safety in Cannon Hill Park, giving the building a new lease of life. It soon became a cricket pavilion within the grounds of the park.

However, a year after its relocation, it was damaged in a suffragette arson attack.

Despite surviving war, fire and redevelopment, the Golden Lion was once again facing an uncertain future.

Scaffolding first went up around the building in the 1990s and remained in place for around three decades.

"No one had seen the building properly in 30 years," De Boo added.

Following local interest to save the building, the trust said it decided to take on the project.

It was awarded government funding of £344,265 from Historic England, towards a total project cost of £398,759.20.

The remaining funding came from 10 local trusts, including the John Feeney Charitable Trust, the Architectural Heritage Fund, The Pilgrim trust and The Birmingham Municipal Charity.

"The timber framing is really important and so we wanted to keep it as part of this restoration project, which is why you can still see this timber framing today," a member of the project team said.

The Trust said when it began to explore the structural condition of the building, the roof was leaking and the timber was rotting.

"We really had to do something", De Boo said.

For the first time in a generation, visitors can properly see the building in its full glory.

De Boo said: "People are stopping and pointing, they can't believe it, because the building was just hidden for so long. We have saved it from falling down which is very important."

The building is still in need of insulation, secondary glazing, running water and more electrics.

"Now we are raising further funds for the fit-out of the property so it can be used properly - anything we need to make it work."

Birmingham Conservation said organisations have been queuing up to discuss future uses, with possibilities including a craft centre, restaurant or bistro - but its main goal is to ensure the building is in active use and does not remain a relic.

For De Boo, the significance of the Golden Lion extends beyond whatever business eventually occupies it.

"The Golden Lion reflects a very important bit of Birmingham history and how normal people lived," she said.

It also represents a city that has largely disappeared. While Victorian Birmingham's growth brought grand civic buildings and prosperity for some, it also swept away much of the timber-framed town that came before it, she added.

One member of the restoration team said: "Once a timber-framed city, we have none of that left."

"Having it back in use now for the community to be able to come and... see and enjoy... how often do you get to see a timber-framed 18th century building in Birmingham?"

"There are a handful, and this is one of them, and that is what makes this so special."

De Boo said: "Considering what bad condition the building was in, it feels like we really saved it in the nick of time. We're very proud, it looks beautiful.

"What's nicest is how people respond. It lifts that end of the park completely and it's such a nice thing to walk past."

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