200-year-old Mock Tudor mansion that was once home to the Cadbury chocolate dynasty is destroyed in 'arson attack'

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A 200-year-old house which was once home to a member of the Cadbury chocolate dynasty has been destroyed in an arson attack.

More than 100 firefighters tackled the blaze at Northfield Manor House in Birmingham after being called to the scene shortly after 8.30pm last night.

The timber-fronted house, which is two miles away from the former site of the Bournville factory, was lived in by George Cadbury, a son of the firm's founder, John, from 1894 until his death in 1922. 

The historic building, which was last used as student accommodation, has been empty for seven years and there are fears it may now have to be demolished.

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Burning: West Midlands Fire Service, who were at the scene throughout the night, confirmed the fire was 'suspected arson' and are now investigating

Arson attack: Firefighters tackle the blaze at the 200-year-old Northfield Manor House in Birmingham which started last night

 

Devastating: Crews were at the property for most of the night. It was the home of George Cadbury, son of the confectionery giant's founder, John

Inferno: The fire destroyed most of the timber-fronted house which has been empty since it was sold in 2007 

A West Midlands Police spokesman said no-one was injured in the fire and confirmed that a forensic team will examine the area when it is deemed safe.

Chief Fire Officer Phil Loach said on Twitter that it was a 'suspected arson'.

'Firefighters stopped the fire spreading beyond the main house but high unsupported chimneys are making the area hazardous,' he tweeted.

He added: 'There are signs of forced entry, the main part of the building has been severely damaged and the flames have spread through the roof.

'The building is in an unsafe condition, there are a number of large chimney stacks which are also unstable.'

Crews remained at the site throughout the night, but could not stop the fire from ripping through the property. 

Barry Whitehead, who lives near the manor house and watched the blaze, said: 'The fire was very intense. The fire crews were very brave to tackle such an intense heat. The smoke could be seen for miles around and as we are almost next door we can still smell it in our flat.' 

Response: Emergency services were at the scene throughout the night but could not stop the fire destroying parts of the historic house, including the bay windows

Long operation: This morning, firefighters were still trying to put out the last parts of the fire. Residents described how the smoke could be seen for miles 

Aftermath: A fire engine is parked outside the wrecked house the morning following the devastating fire. Most of the windows have been blown out

Investigation: A CCTV camera hovers over what remains of the roof of the historic house in Birmingham. Forensic officers will assess the scene when it is safe

Structure: Most of the wooden roof supports have disintegrated while the chimney stacks and brick walls remain standing 

Gutted: Firefighters try to put out the fire as it ravages through the roof of the property which was built in 1809

Resident Thomas Beet-Richardson, 30, from Northfield, said: ‘It’s devastating to see a huge piece of Birmingham history go up like this. It’s a beautiful building and to think somebody might have done this on purpose is heartbreaking.

‘The city has lost a huge part of the  Cadbury story.’

People on Twitter spoke of their shock at the news of the blaze at the historic property.

Birmingham Northfield Labour MP Richard Burden tweeted: 'Awful to hear of fire blazing at Northfield Manor. Part of our heritage & our history.'

Anthony McCourt added: 'So sad to see the original George Cadbury home (Manor Farm) in flames tonight.'

The home has stood derelict since it was sold by Birmingham University in 2007. It had been used as student accommodation for more than 50 years, but rising costs and problems with adhering to health standards meant it was unsafe.

It had just been purchased by Banner Homes for redevelopment and was in the middle of the planning process before the fire. 

Before: The house has stood derelict for the last seven years after it was sold by the University of Birmingham - who used it as student accommodation

Debris: A picture of the interior taken in 2011 shows that the house was covered in debris and was run down

Poor condition: The future of the house was already in doubt, but there are indications it may have to be torn down as a result of the fire

Fittings: Shelves and wardrobes remain from when Northfield Manor House was used as a University of Birmingham halls of residence. It has been empty ever since it was sold in 2007

Instruments: One of the items in the house was a grand piano. It is not known whether this was destroyed in the fire

Fears: The house, pictured in 2011, was sold seven years ago because the costs of maintaining it had soared and there were concerns it could not adhere to health and safety regulations

HOMEOWNER WHO TOOK OVER THE FAMILY BUSINESS AND BUILT A VILLAGE FOR HIS FACTORY WORKERS 

Social reformer: George Cadbury moved into the house in 1894 with his family

The house, formally known as Manor Farm, was the home of George and Elizabeth Cadbury. 

The land which the house stands on was bought in 1809 by Daniel Ledsman.  

George, the third son of the firm's founder John, then bought the property in 1890 and moved in four years later. He lived there with his family until his death in 1922. 

His wife continued to reside there until her own death in 1951, aged 93.

The house was then purchased by Birmingham University and was converted into halls of residences by 1958.  

Additional wings of the property were added throughout the latter part of the 20th century, but it was sold in 2007, and has been left empty ever since and has stood derelict every since. 

It had been bought by Banner Homes for redevelopment and was in the initial planning application stage before the fire. 

Northfield Manor is two miles away from Bournville, the model village the Cadbury family built to house employees who worked at their nearby factory.  

George and his brother Richard, who took over the company after the death of their father, were concerned for the well being of their workers, most of whom lived in slum city conditions.

So they acquired land outside of Birmingham and moved the factory to a country location.

There they built a town called Bournville, named after the nearby river, where the workers resided in bigger houses with their own gardens. It was seen as a huge improvement from the grimy city conditions.