Hams Hall Power Station
The City of Birmingham bought land at Ham Hall, and built an electricity generating station (Hams Hall A), from 1928. Located north of Coleshill Parkway railway station, the location allowed easy access for coal supply trains from the London, Midland and Scottish Railway mainline. Built under the direction of Richard Alexander Chattock (1865–1936), Birmingham City Electrical Engineer.
Two more stations (Hams Hall B and C) were later built on the site, reputedly the largest in Europe at the time of their construction. The City's electricity generating and supply functions were nationalised in the late 1940s.
The Central Electricity Generating Board took over responsibility for the site from Birmingham and founded an environmental studies centre, re-erecting Lea Ford Cottage (a local medieval timber-framed building) there to preserve it. Still owned by site owner E.ON, it is now known as Hams Hall Environmental Studies Centre. The area alongside the confluence of the River Blythe and River Tame became the West Midland Bird Club's Ladywalk Reserve.
All three stations were closed and demolished in the 1990s. The land was cleared, on which was built Hams Hall Distribution Park, with only electrical sub-stations remaining.
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