From J. Bissett’s Magnificent Directory, 1800

In 1761 Matthew Boulton acquired land at Handsworth, some two miles from Birmingham town centre, and began building the Soho Manufactory. Here, he set about becoming what Josiah Wedgwood called ‘the Most compleat Manufacturer in Metals in England’.

Jewellery, ‘toys’, Sheffield plate and sterling silver tableware, ormolu, coins, medals and tokens poured out of his workshops and were exported all over the world. The Soho Manufactory became a must-see stop on the itinerary of well-heeled early industrial tourists, who were fascinated by the sight and noise of its machines and its hundreds of employees at work. So popular was it that Boulton had a tea-house built in the grounds, where visitors could take refreshments after their factory tour.

The Soho Manufactory was demolished
in the 1860s.