An excavation along the canal in Aston would likely unveil coins from Victorian times and earlier among other artefacts. One site that was excavated uncovered the base of a pumping station that used to be powered by the Boulton and Watt steam engine and has links to Henry Ford - the American industrialist and business magnate who was the founder of Ford Motor Company.
This is just one of the fascinating areas that make up the district of Aston. The area holds the history of what Birmingham used to be like - especially the kinds of businesses that thrived and how the economy evolved. From a branch of the Midlands Bank to a former substation for the Midland Electricity Board - Aston has hosted them all.
Not all these hidden gems have been listed by the Secretary of State in the National Heritage List for England (NHLE) - which is the official register of all protected historic buildings and sites in England.
The ones of local importance have been listed by the Birmingham Conservation and Heritage Panel (BCHP). Locally listed buildings in the area also include a hotel that lent its name to the Holte end of the Aston Villa park.
Previously, we looked at the top 14 areas in Birmingham with most locally listed buildings and locally listed buildings in Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham city centre, and Erdington. Now, here are 31 locally listed buildings and features in Aston:
21. Porchester Street Site of Aston Blast Furnace
The Aston Furnace has been demolished, according to local history forums. It was on the Hockley Brook, near where Porchester Street is today. The current site is grade A listed but has been built on. (Photo - Google Maps) | Google Maps
22. Porchester Street, Francis Sumner Engineering Offices
According to local history forums, Francis Sumner Engineering made military buttons and were operating in the early seventies at least. (Photo - Google Maps) | Google Maps
23. Portland Street, Manor Tavern pub
The Manor Tavern pub is still standing and is locally listed. It is popular with Blues fans. (Photo - Google Maps) | Google Maps
24. Presbytery to Church of the Sacred Heart and St Margaret Mary
The home of the Roman Catholic parish priest is locally listed. The church was established in 1897, and an iron church dedicated to the Sacred Heart and St Thomas of Canterbury was opened in the same year, to serve the growing population of the suburb of Aston; it was prominently situated at the corner of the newly laid out Witton Road and Prestbury Road. (Photo - Google Maps) | Google Maps