Birmingham’s Heritage Week is back for 2019, returning for its fifth year. From 12–22 Sept 2019 the popular city-wide festival will shine a spotlight on Birmingham’s fascinating history and will see some of the city’s hidden gems and most important heritage locations opening their doors for talks, tours, workshops, walks and much more.
The festival is back for 11 days of fun-filled events which will attract culturally curious tourists to the city and encourage local residents to get out and learn more about Birmingham’s past.
The Birmingham Heritage Week 2019 supporters are Jewellery Quarter BID, Birmingham City Council, Birmingham Museums Trust and ScanTech Digital.
For the first time Birmingham Heritage Week will also include virtual tours of some of Birmingham’s historic buildings. The tours, created by ScanTech Digital, use the latest camera and laser technology to showcase significant locations in vivid detail, allowing viewers the chance to explore the buildings on the go or without even leaving the house.
A full list of events will launch at birminghamheritageweek.co.uk on Thursday 1 August. Here’s a few selected highlights until then:
- Visit the Steelhouse Lane Lock-up and find out more about some of the Victorian prisoners who stayed there. The Grade II listed building shows how a mini prison operated in a busy city centre for well over a century.
- Explore the Church of St Alban the Martyr in Highgate, which is a large Grade II* listed Victorian Gothic Anglo-Catholic church with impressive cathedral-like columns and stone vaulting.
- Search for the lost pubs of Birmingham with a walk around the Jewellery Quarter. Start at one of the oldest pubs, the Jewellers Arms, and end with a drink at The Gunmakers Arms.
- Enjoy a tour of Centenary Square with Positively Birmingham and explore this beautiful brand-new city centre space. Learn about key pieces of public art and architecture in the square which showcase the Georgian and Victorian origins of Birmingham.
- Go behind the scenes at one of the country’s largest museum stores. Explore the store for free at the Museum Collection Centre which houses fascinating objects from Birmingham’s museum collection, with a focus this year on transport. Stroll down aisles of objects steeped with history, from sculpture to steam engines, toys to costumes.
And there’s so much more, including engaging talks and events, so be sure to visit the Birmingham Heritage Week website and social media pages to find out more in coming weeks.
Irene De Boo, Co-ordinator for Birmingham Heritage Week 2019, said: “Birmingham Heritage Week is back for 2019, and we are thrilled to have such an array of fascinating places for visitors to explore and enjoy this September.
“This year we’re bringing heritage right up to date with virtual tours which can be enjoyed at home or on the go, and as always, we encourage people to get out and to see something new in the city at one of the events, where they can discover more about Birmingham’s diverse and rich heritage.”
A preview video of the virtual tour of Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery has been released and can be seen here vimeo.com/348581447.
