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This is my first post but I have been on several explorations. The first few I didn't take pictures just went with born2misbehave. Took a like to the exploring and wanted to capture the experiences for myself. So with new camera in hand me and born2misbehave had a ride to coleshill to have a look around the Farther Hudson Society. The first building was Saint Edwards home for boys. So we popped in and had a good couple of hours exploring. We never made it into any of the other buildings due to the presence of the local priest. Maybe next time.
History
Father Hudson’s Society was founded by Father George Vincent Hudson. Father Hudson was born in 1873 at Kinsham in the parish of Bredon, Worcestershire. He studied for the priesthood at St. Mary’s College Oscott and was ordained in 1898. A week after his ordination he was sent to Coleshill as parish priest.
Development of the Father Hudson’s Society Complex to the south of the centre of Coleshill began in 1905 when work began on St. Edward’s, a large boy’s home for Catholic children. The site expanded and developed until the 1940’s and eventually included its own hospital, nurses’ home, cottage homes, offices, a church and several chapels and three convents for the nuns who worked on the site. Changes in patterns of social care meant that most of the residential buildings had become redundant by the 1980’s and the hospital and school closed at the end of the 20th century. Many buildings are now empty and there are proposals to redevelop part of the site, which is in a Conservation Area. Apart from the Grade II listed church to the south and the former offices to the north, none of the buildings are considered to be of architectural significance. The present proposals include more demolition than a Development Brief adopted by the local authority in 2005 but the basic principles remain. For a variety of reasons it is not felt that the proposals will have a detrimental impact on the character of this slightly unusual Conservation Area.
History
Father Hudson’s Society was founded by Father George Vincent Hudson. Father Hudson was born in 1873 at Kinsham in the parish of Bredon, Worcestershire. He studied for the priesthood at St. Mary’s College Oscott and was ordained in 1898. A week after his ordination he was sent to Coleshill as parish priest.
Development of the Father Hudson’s Society Complex to the south of the centre of Coleshill began in 1905 when work began on St. Edward’s, a large boy’s home for Catholic children. The site expanded and developed until the 1940’s and eventually included its own hospital, nurses’ home, cottage homes, offices, a church and several chapels and three convents for the nuns who worked on the site. Changes in patterns of social care meant that most of the residential buildings had become redundant by the 1980’s and the hospital and school closed at the end of the 20th century. Many buildings are now empty and there are proposals to redevelop part of the site, which is in a Conservation Area. Apart from the Grade II listed church to the south and the former offices to the north, none of the buildings are considered to be of architectural significance. The present proposals include more demolition than a Development Brief adopted by the local authority in 2005 but the basic principles remain. For a variety of reasons it is not felt that the proposals will have a detrimental impact on the character of this slightly unusual Conservation Area.
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