Jewellery Quarter Walking Tours
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It’s no secret that the Jewellery Quarter contains some of Birmingham’s most historic stories, some of which that date back to as early as 1760. A hub of manufacturing through the many Goldsmiths and Silversmiths that were based in the area, booking yourself on to a Jewellery Quarter Walking Tour will allow you to experience first-hand this unique and historic part of Birmingham.
The JQ, for most of its long history, acted as a closed community. It wasn’t until the late 1970s, when the economic recession prompted some of the manufacturers to open their doors for the public to be allowed in. The JQ has since gained strength through its global historical importance and through the preservation and enhancement of the area, the story of the Jewellery Quarter continues to be told. So why not experience that history through a number of Jewellery Quarter Walking tours, discover the past around you today and unfold the secrets of this once booming manufacturing part of the city.
Book on to Jewellery Quarter Walking tours
Book yourself, or group, on to a tour, to hear one of the JQ’s fascinating stories. Jewellery Quarter tours will take you on a journey through the Quarter’s cobbled streets, admiring the unique architecture that gives the area over 200 listed buildings. You’ll visit a number of complete surviving factories, discover the history behind two of Birmingham’s most famous cemeteries and visit a collection of museums which shine a light on a number of the fascinating trades that has made the JQ so famous.
Bookable tours
Birmingham Heritage Walking Tours
Book on to a range of guided tours, which include learning about the lost pubs of the JQ, to discovering the JQ’s catacombs and historic involvement in the buttons and badges trade. The tours, led by Kevin Thomas, let you explore the JQ through the area’s rich art and architecture.
Friends of Key Hill & Warstone Lane Cemeteries
Warstone Lane and Key Hill cemeteries hold fascinating stories of the history of Birmingham. Book on to these Jewellery Quarter Walking tours to learn about the many famous people that reside in these cemeteries, including Alfie Bird, Harry Gem and Joseph Chamberlain.
Museum tours
The Pen Museum, Coffin Works and Museum of the JQ offer incredible insights into what working life was like in this industrial part of Birmingham. Step back in time and explore Birmingham’s pen trade, a real life jewellery workshop and a building that once produced coffins for the Queen’s Mother and Winston Churchill. Explore the museums with the Explorer Pass.
Self guided tours
Walk run Cycle
Fancy a stroll on your own, rather than a guided JQ tour? The Walk Run Cycle app contains a plethora of Birmingham routes for you to either (you guessed it) walk, run or cycle. The app contains a fantastic map of the Jewellery Quarter tours with a total of 16 points of interest. The app is free to download and contains a vast amount of information for you to read as you navigate your way through the streets of the JQ.
The JQ Pavement Trails
As you explore the surroundings of the JQ, take a look down and you may see yourself standing on a piece of artwork that make up the two JQ trails.
Known as The JQ Pavement Trails, these two sets of artwork are set directly into the Jewellery Quarter paved streets and both tell the story of the Quarter by highlighting a number of facts, historic buildings or important people. The Charm Bracelet trail is a series of brick shaped stones that fit into the pavements. Starting at the bottom end of the JQ on Newhall Hill, following this trail will take you all the way up Frederick Street.
The second trail, The Findings Trail, begins after Great Charles Street, as you enter the JQ on the right side of the road. As you continue onto Graham Street, it then runs alongside the opposite side of the road to the Charm Bracelet Trail. The designs for the Findings Trail are often in 3D and are set into a square, making them easy to follow.
Originally commissioned by Birmingham City Council and other local businesses, following the trails will take you past a number of the JQ’s most famous landmarks and uncover many of its quirky secrets. The interactive trails are a fun, engaging and unique way to explore the Quarter’s streets.
