In Search of Old Birmingham

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A series of short walks starting from St Martin's Church, aided by maps,  images and brief historical accounts, together with memories and anecdotes.

The aim is to provide visualisation, via 'down-to-earth means', involving walking, talking and a few old images of the city centre before the great 1960s destruction and also from our memories of the marketplace following the 1960s rebuild. 

We're not making a timeline, so the dates will jump around a bit (but you can make one)

Photo article from Birmingham History Forum

The double rebuild, occurring within 40 years (loosely between the early 1960s and early 2000s), is quite dramatic, creating many anecdotes and conversations about the previous layouts, with buildings, roads and other landmarks disappearing during this period. However, two landmark features remain to provide a geographical reference from which we can locate many long-lost buildings and changing road layouts, the church and the Nelson statue.

Walk 1 - Moat Lane towards Bradford Street

St Martins Church and Nelson's Memorial


Features of this walk-
  • St Martins Church - views from the steps.  Former Spiceal Street looking north towards the High Street and south towards Jamaica Row
  • 1888 Map with location of Spread Eagle Pub on Spiceal Street
  • 1884-1891 OS Map (above) Proximity of St Martins Hotel, Moat Lane, Smithfield Market
  • 1960's Photo of St Martins Hotel and St Martins Church
  • 1950's map
  • Photo of 1950s Moat Lane showing long lost buildings and surviving ones in 2022 (Bousefield Bros)
  • Two period photos of Moat Lane bustle with entrance to Smithfield Market -  looking towards St Martins Church
  • Map of Pubs in Digbeth showing The Talbot on Moat Lane
  • 1956 photo of The Talbot, still in use, albeit single storey following Luftwaffe bomb damage
  • Other end of Moat Lane at junction with long lost Moat Row and Bradford Street
  • Location of The Drovers Arms
  • 1970s Photos of The Birmingham Arms
  • Location of Birmingham Arms
  • 1887 Photo of Market from Moat Row looking towards Digbeth High Street beyond Moat Lane and Bradford Street
  • Photo (possibly late 19th C) Drovers Arms 
  • Images of The Moat House prior to demolition in 1815
  • Bradford Street building still in existence, "Butchers, Hide, Skin, Fat and Wool Company limited





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