A Google search on burgage plots led me to your exquisite illustrations, and I am writing to ask whether I might reproduce one of them for an exhibition next month. I am researching the medieval past of Ashburton in Devon, and have established from the Tithe Map that the modern town, like Birmingham, retains a large number of medieval plot boundaries. My research is part of a long-term project funded by the Dartmoor National Park, and we are putting on our first interim exhibition early in September. It would be wonderful to be able to use one of your illustrations, because we would never be able to match them with our own resources and skills.
Hi Alan. Thanks for getting in touch and it’s great that the images have helped you. They are actually images of an incredible scale model on display at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery. I have no issues with you using the images, but as the copyright belongs to Birmingham Museums Trust, also check with them. I used to work there and have permission to use them online and I don’t see why they’d have any issues with you using them. You’re probably best to contact Linda Spurdle, digital content manager and she can put you in touch with the picture librarian. If you send me your email I’ll send contact details. Thanks!
Thanks, Sarah, that’s very helpful and very positive! My email address is alan.lambourne@zen.co.uk, and I would be very happy to approach the Museum for permission.
Burgage plots were characteristically long and narrow, but pressure to subdivide land on account of prosperity and population growth resulted in subdivision of plots making them smaller as you can see in the top right-hand corner of the image.
A cattle horn core found during the Bull Ring excavations in the late 1990s. Horn cores were the only waste product from the cattle, as everything else including the meat, skin and horn were sold.
The beginning of Park Street around where Selfridges is today.
A man who means business! Roger le Moul’s courtyard house, located on what later became Moor Street.
Start of Super Montem or High Street in 1296. This was no doubt used by drovers to bring their cattle to market in the town.
Depiction of medieval Birmingham at the end of the 13th century, with St Martin’s Church sitting at the centre of the town.
A Google search on burgage plots led me to your exquisite illustrations, and I am writing to ask whether I might reproduce one of them for an exhibition next month. I am researching the medieval past of Ashburton in Devon, and have established from the Tithe Map that the modern town, like Birmingham, retains a large number of medieval plot boundaries. My research is part of a long-term project funded by the Dartmoor National Park, and we are putting on our first interim exhibition early in September. It would be wonderful to be able to use one of your illustrations, because we would never be able to match them with our own resources and skills.
Best wishes – Alan Lambourne
Hi Alan. Thanks for getting in touch and it’s great that the images have helped you. They are actually images of an incredible scale model on display at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery. I have no issues with you using the images, but as the copyright belongs to Birmingham Museums Trust, also check with them. I used to work there and have permission to use them online and I don’t see why they’d have any issues with you using them. You’re probably best to contact Linda Spurdle, digital content manager and she can put you in touch with the picture librarian. If you send me your email I’ll send contact details. Thanks!
Thanks, Sarah, that’s very helpful and very positive! My email address is alan.lambourne@zen.co.uk, and I would be very happy to approach the Museum for permission.
Alan