Brindley Place & the Jewellery Quarter, Birmingham

Description

(D/A)The start is outside the Council House in Victoria Square. This point can be easily reached on foot from most city centre car parks, the railway stations and bus termini. Facing the 'Floozie in the Jacuzzi' and with your back to the Council House (grid ref SP066869), turn right and right again to continue past a fountaion on your left and up stairs to enter the thoroughfare through the Library building and into Centennary Square. Go past the Hall of Memory and continue across the square to enter the glass doors of the Symphone Hall and Convention Centre complex. Continue through this building to exit with the canal immediately in front of you. Go across the bridge and continue half right to reach Brindley Place with its many modern buildings.

(1)After visiting Brindley Place, retrace your route back across the canal bridge turning left to gain the towpath alongside the canal. Continue past the Malt House pub and over a cast iron bridge over the canal. Turn right on the other side and walk under Tindal Bridge past Cambrian Wharf basin to reach Saturday Bridge. Leave the canal here and take the steps up to the road. Go left along this road as far as a roundabout. You need to cross over and take Frederick Street which leads north into the Jewellery Quarter.

(2)Stay on the right hand pavement of Frederick Street passing the splendid Argent Centre which was once home to a gold pen and pencil manufacturer. Keep a careful eye on the pavement as there are a number of interesting brass plaques set under your feet that highlight some of the many achievements of this area of Birmingham.

(3)Reaching the Chamberlain Clock you will note the many shops and workshops that are still producing and retailing jewellery. It is worth a short detour left along Warstone Lane for a visit to the cemetry with its catacombs towards the northen end. This Cemetery is the last resting place of some of Birmingham's industrial entrepreneurs although it has a sad air of decline.

(4)Return to the Clock and continue east along Warstone Lane to reach Caroline Street on your right. Turn down this street to reach St Paul's Square with its fine church built bewteen 1777 and 1779. From the front of the church go half right to reach Newhall Street. Turn left passing the Birmingham Assay Office on your left. Continue across Great Charles Street passing "the Exchange", built as an exchange for the Bell Edison Telephone Company on your left. Reaching Colmore Row turn right and you will return to the Council House and the start of the walk.