Bournville | The Chocolate Box Utopia episode artwork

EPISODE · Apr 9, 2026 · 43 MIN

Bournville | The Chocolate Box Utopia

from The Country House Podcast

In this episode we travel to Bournville, the extraordinary model village laid out by George Cadbury on the southern fringe of Birmingham. Part garden suburb, part moral experiment, Bournville married vernacular Arts and Crafts architecture to a Quaker vision of dignified working-class life: light, air, gardens, schools and not a pub in sight!Join us as we explore its origins, its architectural character, and the philanthropic convictions that shaped every cottage and cul-de-sac - and ask what this quietly radical corner of England still has to teach us about building well, and building decently, today.If you enjoy tuning in, please consider supporting us by joining one of our membership tiers on our Patreon page - we love getting to know members of our community. Please also like, share and comment as you see fit. For more information, please visit our website. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode we travel to Bournville, the extraordinary model village laid out by George Cadbury on the southern fringe of Birmingham. Part garden suburb, part moral experiment, Bournville married vernacular Arts and Crafts architecture to a Quaker vision of dignified working-class life: light, air, gardens, schools and not a pub in sight!Join us as we explore its origins, its architectural character, and the philanthropic convictions that shaped every cottage and cul-de-sac - and ask what this quietly radical corner of England still has to teach us about building well, and building decently, today.If you enjoy tuning in, please consider supporting us by joining one of our membership tiers on our Patreon page - we love getting to know members of our community. Please also like, share and comment as you see fit. For more information, please visit our website. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

NOW PLAYING

Bournville | The Chocolate Box Utopia

0:00 43:33

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of The Country House Podcast?

This episode is 43 minutes long.

When was this The Country House Podcast episode published?

This episode was published on April 9, 2026.

What is this episode about?

In this episode we travel to Bournville, the extraordinary model village laid out by George Cadbury on the southern fringe of Birmingham. Part garden suburb, part moral experiment, Bournville married vernacular Arts and Crafts architecture to a...

Can I download this The Country House Podcast episode?

Yes, you can download this episode by clicking the download button on the episode player, or subscribe to the podcast in your preferred podcast app for automatic downloads.
URL copied to clipboard!