Masshouse

Masshouse is a site within Birmingham, United Kingdom under development with the construction of 13 new highrise blocks intended for public services, commerce and residential purposes. When completed, the blocks will have a prominent position on the Eastside skyline.

History

The Masshouse area existed in the Victorian times as nothing else but Masshouse Lane. It was a small lane which was connected to Dale End and the junction at Albert Street and Duddeston Row. The name derives from the establishment of a Roman Catholic chapel (i.e. for the celebration of Mass) there by a Franciscan priest, Leo Randolph, in 1687, followed by a convent in March 1688. Both were burned down by a mob, instigated by the Protestant Lord Delamere, in November 1688.

Showell's Dictionary of Birmingham (1885) describes the building and destruction of the "mass house":

From 1749 to 1943 it was the site of St Bartholomew’s Church, Birmingham.

It was developed in the 1960s into an elevated 800-metre (2,625 ft) road intersection on the A4400 road and was named Masshouse Circus. The area below it was cleared and used as a surface car park. The elevated roadways were made of concrete which created an appearance disliked by locals. Under the roads was a large car park with pedestrian subways. There were six subways: