From corn mills to paper and chemicals at Lifford
The River Rea, canals and railway helped turn part of rural Kings Norton into an industrial district.
Before the 19th century Kings Norton remained largely rural, with mills on the River Rea grinding local corn. Industrialisation gathered pace when the canals and railway arrived.
Birmingham City Council identifies the Lifford area — where the Worcester & Birmingham and Stratford canals meet — as an early focus for factories. Among the first were a paper mill and chemical works.
The same broad area later became known as Kings Norton Business Centre, showing how the transport geography of the industrial revolution still shapes local land use.