Secret Guide to Birmingham: Discover the hidden corners of the city

Secret Guides

In 1907, construction began on Edgbaston’s Baroque-style Oratory to rival the Italian capital’s great churches; over a century later, ‘Birmingham’s Little Rome’ holds a free museum and deep ties to J. R. R. Tolkien

Having just got home from holiday in Rome, I’ve been missing The Eternal City badly. While good Italian food isn’t hard to come by in Birmingham, little here matches the Italian capital’s awe-inspiring ar...

Secret Guides

In 1393, the original Frankfurt Christmas Market opened for winter essentials; 633 years later, it boasts over 200 stalls, while Birmingham hosts the largest authentic equivalent outside of Germany and Austria

In 1997, Birmingham’s sister city of Frankfurt gave us an unusual gift for Christmas: the German tradition of a Christmas market. Almost three decades old, this has since grown into the largest authentic...

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In 1879, Birmingham’s Grand Hotel was built to rival London’s finest; 147 years later, the once-crumbling Victorian favourite is again the city’s most elegant place to stay

If you live in Birmingham, you probably don’t need a hotel; you’re probably here just to learn about this magnificent building. But if you are looking for a room for a night or two in the heart of the UK’...

Secret Guides

Once a congested 18th-century coal junction, this historic Birmingham canal network is now one of the city’s most picturesque leisure destinations

Gas Street Basin has sat at the very heart of Birmingham’s iconic canal network since the 18th century, but back then, it was a grimy, congested waterway junction. The original area was constructed to lin...

Secret Guides

Meet Alexander Parkes: The Birmingham lock-maker’s son who invented the world’s first man-made plastic in 1856 and quietly revolutionised modern industry

Plastic gets a bad rap these days. A once-miracle material has now infiltrated everywhere from outer space to our very blood, and it’s not even 200 years old yet (that’s less than 0.1% of the lifespan of...

Culture Secret Guides

Meet Edward Burne-Jones: The Birmingham artist who “waged Holy warfare against the age” and whose masterpieces can be seen today at Birmingham Cathedral

When you’re standing in the shadow of a towering figure like William Morris, it can be hard to find yourself ever in the sunshine. But Edward Burne-Jones—also a member of the Birmingham Set, founder of Mo...

Secret Guides Top news Wellness & nature

In 1907, this Edwardian gem became a beloved swimming spot; now Birmingham’s historic baths are undergoing a massive restoration to reopen in 2028

Moseley Road Baths has been teaching Birmingham residents to swim since 1907. Consisting of two major pools and three ‘slipper’ baths, it continuously hosted swimming for over a century until its closure...

Secret Guides

In 1906, Alfred Bird built a sprawling Digbeth factory to mass-produce custard; the once-abandoned site now thrives as Birmingham’s most vibrant creative quarter

We have Alfred Bird’s wife’s egg allergy to thank for the iconic Bird’s Custard. Seemingly, the Birmingham chemist refused to go without his favourite apple crumble topping, as he set about inventing eggl...

Culture Secret Guides

Meet Carl Chinn: The descendant of a real-life Peaky Blinders gangster who became Birmingham’s most devoted historian

If you’ve got a burning question about Birmingham that needs answering, then ask Carl Chinn. Proud Brummie and descendant of a real-life Peaky Blinders gangster, the legendary Birmingham historian has dedi...

Secret Guides

In 1966, Birmingham condemned its last surviving 19th-century courtyard slums – the rescued brick houses now sit meticulously preserved as an immersive time capsule of working-class life

In the shadow of Birmingham’s most iconic landmarks sit the city’s most humble houses: Birmingham Back to Backs—the city’s last surviving court of back-to-back houses preserved in time. But the homes loca...

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