Blue Plaque: Soho Foundry

This blue plaque marks the site of the Soho Foundry in Handsworth, established in 1795 by industrialists Matthew Boulton and James Watt to manufacture steam engines at scale. The foundry was central to the British Industrial Revolution: Watt's improved condensing engines, produced here, powered mines, mills, and manufactories across Europe and fundamentally reshaped how industrial work was done. The associated structure carries a Grade II* listed-building designation. The plaque itself is a modest commemorative marker; its significance lies entirely in what was once built and invented on this ground.