Birmingham

Brum, as it is affectionately known to its inhabitants, grew up as a major centre of the Industrial Revolution in the 19th century. The vast range of a manufacturing trades led to the rapid development of grim factories and cramped housing. Since the clearance of these areas after World War II, the city has raised its cultural, architectural and civic profile.

Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands, located approximately 100 miles (160 km) from Central London. It is the second-largest city in England and the United Kingdom and it is considered to be the social, cultural, financial, and commercial centre of the Midlands.

Birmingham highlights are:

19^th-century Neo-Classical Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery that houses outstanding works by Pre-Raphaelite artists such as Edward Burne-Jones (1833-98), who was born in the city.
The Library of Birmingham opened in 2013, is a stunning piece of architecture and includes art gallery and performance spaces.
A little south of the city centre , the Barber Institute of Fine Arts has an outstanding art collection, from Renaissance works to British 19^th century masterpieces to modern art.
Birmingham’s extensive canal system is now used mainly for leisure boating and several warehouses have been converted into galleries. One such converted Gothic warehouse contains the Ikon Gallery of cutting-edge contemporary art.

Did you know?

Birmingham has more canals than Venice, with 35 miles ( 56km) of waterways.
Back to Back terraced houses were built to house the rapidly increasing working population in Britain’s industrial towns. The Back to Back in Birmingham’s Hurst and Inge streets are the last surviving examples in England. Guided tours lead you through several houses restored by the National Trust and show how ordinary people lived between the 1840s and 1970s.