West Midlands Manual

The front cover of Streets for All: West Midlands which shows blue pavoirs from Longton, Stoke-on-Trent Although geographically compact, the West Midlands shows great variety, from the dense urban development of the conurbation in the centre to the thinly populated rural areas along the Welsh Border and in the Peak District. The influence of topography and geology on local development was crucially affected by the industrial revolution, not least in the appearance of the streetscape.  Bricks could be brought from brickworks further afield, and local ironworks each developed their own range of street furniture, of which good examples still survive in many towns.  Industrially-produced materials that were not strictly local in origin are now as much a part of the character of towns in the region as other, more traditional materials. Their effect is far more varied than is generally supposed, and their survival is worth recording.  These distinct characters have to be thoroughly understood if they are to be properly conserved