The Museum of the Jewellery Quarter

When the proprietors of the Smith and Pepper jewellery manufacturing firm decided to retire in 1981 they ceased trading and locked the door, unaware they would be leaving a time capsule for future generations.

Tools were left strewn on benches; grubby overalls were hung on the coat hooks; and dirty teacups were abandoned alongside jars of marmite and jam on the shelf. Children will be fascinated by the ordinary factory that seems to have been frozen in time.

In the eighty years before its closure little changed with the working practices or equipment used within the family owned business. Even the decor had more in common with early 20th century trends than a thriving business in the early 1980s.

Today the factory is a remarkable museum, which tells the story of the Jewellery Quarter and Birmingham's renowned jewellery and metalworking heritage. If you book a guided tour you and your family can see a demonstration of how jewellery was made without machines!