Big Brum Buz Tour!

During Artsfest 2012, my friend and I decided to go on the open top Buz!

It was a lovely, sunny (hot!) day – yes we did have sun last year – and the top deck of the bus was full. We set off from outside the Council House and began our tour! I was sat near the back of the bus so most of the pictures feature backs-of-heads, and any attempt at getting pictures have buildings have resulted in photos of the top storeys only.

We went along Waterloo Street and Newhall Street first – the architecture around here is amazing! I need to spend more time looking up in this City.

A little while later, we passed a building with a pelican on the top of it! The man doing the commentary on the bus said that the pelican was placed here so the delivery boys would know which building to go to – hardly anyone could read, so buildings had different identifying features on them! Very clever.

After passing through the Jewellery Quarter, we headed down towards Edgbaston via Broad Street. 

We went down the Hagley Road and saw J.R.R Tolkiens house!

On the way back into the City, we passed a delightful building just off Camp Hill Middleway – The internet tells me it is called Stratford House (because it is on Stratford Road), and it was built in 1601! You can read a bit more about it here – I hope to go back and get some better photos of it sooner rather than later!

We then came back in Birmingham via Deritend and Digbeth, where we saw even more examples of grand architecture!

I’d recommend the Big Brum Buz tour if you’re interested in the history of Birmingham – it only took about an hour so it’s not very in-depth information, but it’s enough for you to want to dig and find out more. It’s also a good whip around the city for finding new places to explore, or places to photograph. All in all it was a good way to spend some time, especially with decent weather – but watch out for the low trees!

Rednal Tram Terminus

The Rednal Tram Terminus is exactly as the name suggests; a terminus for the old Birmingham tram network! Trams used to come down the Bristol Road from the City Centre and take people to the Lickey Hills in Bromsgrove for their holidays. The old terminus building is still standing. Use has changed over the years from public toilets to varying restaurants (it is now a Cantonese takeaway).

Around the back of the building, there is a section of old cobbled street, and inlaid in the cobbles are two sections of track, which come to a point at one end. These are the remains of the tram tracks! Some of the cobbles are covered with grass but most of it is uncovered. There are no signs telling you what these are, which I think is a shame. The other end of the tram lines is in the city centre, by the Gas Hall.

Moor Street Railway Station

As far as railway stations in the centre of Birmingham go, I wouldn’t say they have a great reputation. Moor Street station is the exception to this – it’s an absolute gem. Amid all the modern, shiny, chrome, glass-fronted, sky-scraping boob-tube shaped buildings, Moor Street is a charming brick built, low level delight.

Before I show you pictures of this beaut, did you know that before housing a railway station, this area was once a prison?! I only found this out recently – a good source of information can be seen here. Moor Street Station was built c.1909 following the construction of the Victoria Law Courts.

Moor Street Station wasn’t always so lovely and beautiful – it was closed in 1987 due to restructuring of the Birmingham railway stations, and it sustained some damage when a bus crashed into it! It was restored at the turn of the millennium and re-opened in 2003. It was restored in a 1930s style, and the main entrance is through the booking hall and concourse instead of the old passenger terminal.

There is a resident steam engine at Moor Street, you can see her from the concourse, but if you ask the staff at the ticket barrier nicely they might let you through to see her up close. She is a GWR 2884 Class, No 2885.

This is a beautiful building to have a mooch around – it really does feel like you’ve stepped back in time. One of the things I like about it is the café called Moor-ish!

And now, some pictures! These were all taken by me on July 23^rd. If you do go, please bear in mind that this is a working railway station! There will be irate passengers, and obstacles, and possibly angry ticket barrier men, but you are free to walk around the concourse and admire.

You can read more here, here and here. More pics here.

Wast Hills Canal Tunnel

Wast Hills canal tunnel is exactly that – a canal tunnel that passes under some fields south of Brum, and an estate. I visited the north entrance after a walk down the canals after work one lazy Sunday a few weeks ago.

I decided to feature this tunnel on the blog because it’s hidden away, tucked behind some tower blocks near Cadbury Sixth Form College. There is only one tow path and it is narrow and doesn’t look to be well maintained (it isn't tarmacked and was quite squelchy in places!). The estate isn’t the most desirable part of Brum and in previous times I would’ve told everyone and anyone to avoid it! But despite all this, the area has a lot of history with regards to the canal network. To some people it’s just a canal tunnel in an estate; to others, me included, it’s valuable piece of Birmingham’s history and the connection between the canal network and the rise of industry.

The canal is on the Worcester and Birmingham canal, and this tunnel is quite long – some websites say 2726ft, some say 2493 metres – I think the latter figure is correct as a quick play with Google Earth tells me it is ~1.5miles.

Wast Hills Tunnel was built in 1976 and is the longest tunnel on the canal network. Quite a feat of engineering! The boats had to be legged through the tunnel as there is no internal towpath. Near to the entrance, but on the other side of the canal, is an information panel which I presume tells us more information, however, my zoom isn’t great so I couldn’t get a decent photo of it!

As an aside, somewhere on the Hawkesley estate is a pathway called something along the lines of ‘The Old Towpath’ I think! I used to see it on driving lessons around this area.

Here are some more photos:

More photos are up on Flickr.

The walk along the canal can be done as quickly as you like – to get to the Wast Hills tunnel you can get the 45 and I think the 49 to Foyle Road (just off the Redditch Road). The location of the tunnel is made evident by the white cottages that look distinctly out of place in this area! There is a steep slope down to the towpath near these cottages. There are no bins along this stretch of the canal. If you join the canal here, the walk takes you towards the King’s Norton Junction and the Guillotine Lock, and further on, Lifford.

This is what the land looks like immediately above the tunnel entrance:

(View from the bus stop)

(View from near the cottages after leaving the tow-path) 

L x

Guillotine Stop Lock, King's Norton Canal

I haven’t been down the canals in quite a while. The other day, I walked home from work (Stirchley), along the river and eventually the canal. At the Kings Norton Junction, I stood on a bridge and watched some narrowboats doing bazillion-point-turns to get around the corner, and then I eyeballed the guillotine lock. I must’ve known about it, but had probably filed it in some dark recess of my mind. I had a stroll down the tow path to take some photos of it. I also had company in the form of some ducklings who followed me along the path, and then in the water. Also, the narrowboat that was doing the bazillion point turn, it was carrying coal! A proper working barge. But then it got stuck in the guillotine lock and started to list. Naturally, I stood and took photos…

The guillotine lock, I have discovered, is a Grade II Listed building, and is the only gate of this form on the canal. It was built in the late 1800s, and is no longer used and so is permanently open. The engineering geek in me quite enjoyed staring at it for a while! You can read some more about it here.

And the mommy duck with babbies :-)

L x

Pics were taken by me, on June 24th. Feel free to nick 'em. More are up on the Flickr page. Click for bigger!

Tram Lines in the City

A short post this time, to show a few pictures. These are remains of the old tram lines that ran into the City - they can be found between the back of the Council House and the Birmingham Museum (Gas Hall), on Edmund Street.

You can read more here.

Pics were taken by me, May 30th. Feel free to nick 'em. Click for bigger.