Further information Websites birminghamcivicsociety.org.uk visitbirmingham.com birminghammuseums.org.uk CITY HERITAGE TRAIL libraryofbirmingham.com Books WH Haywood The Work of the Birmingham Civic Society from June 1918 to June 1946 (BCS, 1946) Phillada Ballard (editor) Birmingham’s Victorian & Edwardian Architects (Oblong / Victorian Society, 2009) Andy Foster Pesvner Architectural Guide to Birmingham (Yale, 2005) George T. Noszlopy Public Sculpture of Birmingham (Liverpool University Press, 1998) George T. Noszlopy & Fiona Waterhouse Birmingham Public Sculpture Trails (Liverpool University Press, 2008) Credits Trail written and edited by Chris Rice Colour photography by Chris Rice Historic images courtesy of Birmingham Archives & Heritage, Birmingham Museums Trust Designed and produced by Dave Walsh Creative © Birmingham Civic Society 2018 @BirminghamCivic Information contained within this guide is correct birminghamcivicsociety.org.uk at the time of publishing. The Civic Society Today Today the Society continues Birmingham to lobby for an improved urban environment and strongly Civic Society promotes active citizenship. The Society’s Next Generation Awards encourage young people to play a role in the future of their Birmingham Civic Society was city and the Renaissance Awards founded on 10 June 1918. recognise the most successful Its members were inspired, conservation projects in the city. in part, by a desire to create a better society following the The Society continues to advise devastation caused by the on planning and environment First World War. issues and to oversee the Blue From the outset, the Society’s Plaque programme. main objective was to One of the Society’s other major influence the regeneration of contributions to civic life the city after the end of the First World War. It was an influential voice is through Birmingham Trees in helping to create new parks and other public amenities and for Life. Since it was launched in preserving and improving the quality of the built environment. in 2006, this programme has In its early years, under the guidance of Honorary Secretary William planted more than 70,000 new Haywood (1876-1957), the Society focussed its efforts on buying land trees in Birmingham’s parks and to create public open spaces. It also provided designs and funds to make improvements to some of the city’s existing parks. open spaces. In the 1920s and 30s the Society campaigned to preserve Stratford The Civic Society is open to House (successfully) and Aston Almshouses (unsuccessfully). everyone and is made up of It also played a leading role in preventing the Repertory Theatre from people who value the city they closing by raising additional funds. In 1939 the Society ensured the live or work in. Cathedral’s Burne-Jones stained-glass windows would be protected from German bombing raids by moving them to safe storage in a The Birmingham Civic Society City Heritage Trail mine in Wales. The purpose of this trail is to help both residents and visitors to After the Second World War the Society was unable to prevent the discover the many different aspects of Birmingham’s heritage, and loss of notable buildings during the wholesale redevelopment of the Civic Society’s role in helping to preserve it. the city centre. However, it played an important role in rescuing The city centre route will take between 1 and 2 hours. The out of and restoring a number of important pieces of public art. town trail is most easily done by car, although all of the sites included In the 1950s the Society erected the first of its Blue Plaques which are accessible by public transport. honour significant people who have lived or worked in the city. @BirminghamCivic Stratford House, Bordesley birminghamcivicsociety.org.uk This pleasant walk takes advantage of some of the Birmingham Civic Society more distinctive and attractive aspects of the city and should take between 1 and 2 hours. Please note this map is an approximate guide to the relative sites listed City Centre Heritage Trail within this publication and is not drawn to scale. ’s Liver y St t PaulSt Paul’s S r Church ee S n t y ow e a Hi sw t ll Squar en Qu ee e tr u e S e L Q ns t ud w e g C et ay ol e a r te m t tre H Liver or S il S e l C n s ir o e y S c i u t t Snow Hill s a arl t r Charlotte St ee reet Colmore h r Station o el n Square p o St Q r t C u o Li e en C ea t s e w N e a e Gr tr y whal S l l l a Chur w w o Old et ch R rn s Square re o re e C S o ri St t tr o e e n e d e i Prio t n t Colm S M ry Queens tr u t e S P h w S m T ay Flee sway tr d h n M E ili e p a e ’ t s Lionel rga Plac Bu Summer Row Quee w t re o S nd t Birmingham ll E t S e R St e Cathedral le t p re tre Museum & m e e Dalton Dale S Art Gallery T t Council 1 s t Gr le House e y e r w e A at ha o r lb C R t ert S Street swa Q e Temple R n en u or ow Victoria Square io e e m t e 4 a ol r Qu n C o St Michael’s t et s 2 W t p e y r e e Catholic w ee r r l a t e t o l t t il e S l er o C Church a lo e S r H A t y Chamberlain e S 3 s U e n tt pl io et g oor Str Square e n e less Ca m d r i S M d r tr r e r St nn e t s e 5 T b et L e ane Arena Be T Ne re Town e am t Birmingham Cambridg Library of unne P Hall New Str C S Birmingham ar eet a P gh d l in The REP Centenary is fo Hi e Paradise St ld Square New C St Street i Hill Street r International rcu ee 6 s t S t Convention teph e et enson Stre Moor Street Centre tre S Station ad ay ro w B s en Bru t ue ne Q l ee Bullring S t New Street r s Shopping e in B e Station rt r t a Centre id Str M n t Brindley ge S S Place t uf S vigatio ee fo tr Na t tr l ee S k Hill St 10 t 7 e t day re e re t St r tion Stre S Holli e ta et d Gas Street et S oa St Digbeth H Br Basin St Martin’s G reet Church as St re Edgbaston Street e 9 igh St t Bright John Que Hill St Gran y re St a et Mailbox w vil r s Birmingham le eet e e n S Severn n et e Markets t sway ue reet Singers Hill Q Synagogue Holliday Str ok The ro et llb Cube e Blucher a cial Str G mmer Sm ra Co nv il Washingt le Mar S t Holloway S r eet t Circus r shal e e t St o l n St Gough Bristol Upper Ridley St re et w Str S tr 8 eet Bath Ro eet Bath Row Birmingham Bennetts 1 Cathedral1 2 Hill Designed by the Warwickshire gentleman architect Thomas Archer, St Philip’s was built as a parish church and was consecrated in 1715. It became the city’s cathedral in 1905. Between 1885 and 1897 St Philip’s was enhanced by the addition of four magnificent stained glass windows designed by local artist Sir Edward Burne-Jones. At the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939 Birmingham Civic Society funded and oversaw the removal of the Burne- Jones windows into safe storage in a Welsh slate mine. The cathedral subsequently suffered severe damage during the Birmingham Blitz and so the Society’s actions almost certainly saved these outstanding works of art from destruction. The Birmingham Banking Company building Bennetts Hill was created as part of the development of the Inge estate in the early 19th century and boasts a number of fine Victorian and Edwardian buildings. These include the former Birmingham Banking The Archbishop of Canterbury Removal of the Burne-Jones Company designed by admiring the Burne-Jones windows windows for storage, 1939 Thomas Rickman and Henry Hutchinson and built 1830- 31. The corner entrance was added by Henry Yeoville Thomason in 1868. The Wellington Number 37 was home to the original offices of the Birmingham Civic Society. Today the building is the Wellington public house. The artist Sir Edward Burne- Jones was born at number 11 and a Civic Society blue plaque commemorates the location of his former William Westley North prospect of St Philip’s Church, 1732 family home. Victoria Birmingham Museum 3 Square 4 & Art Galle1ry Victoria Square was so named following Opened in 1885, Birmingham the unveiling of Thomas Brock’s Museum & Art Gallery is a marble statue of the queen in 1901. must-see venue for anyone wishing to learn more about In 1951 the Civic Society paid for the the history of the city.