Birmingham Historic Pub Walk

Discover 6 historic pubs in Birmingham with our circular walking route.

Historic England is not endorsing these venues but merely providing information on the building and its architecture, which the reader (and drinker) might find interesting.

The Queens Arms

Our first stop is the L-shaped street corner plan building of 150 Newhall Street: the Grade II listed Queens Arms public house.

Built around 1870, it was remodelled in 1901 and further altered in the late 20th century to the designs of Joseph D. Ward, Architect for the Brewer's Mitchell and Butlers. Their "Gold Medal Ales" are advertised with a painted sign above the prominent sash windows, as is the name of the pub itself.

36 to 37 Broad Street

Next up is the Grade II listed building at 36 to 37 Broad Street, formerly The Crown Inn and then The Crown public house.

Built around 1781, the pink walls of this 3-storey building help it to stand out among its neighbours on Broad Street. A brewery was built by William Butler at the rear in the 1880s, surviving until city centre redevelopment the late 20th century.

Today, it is a nightclub.

110 Colmore Row

Heading north-east, a 15 minute walk takes you to 110 Colmore Row, built in 1902 by William Henman and Thomas Cooper for the Scottish Union and National Insurance Company.

With its granite facade and imposing bay windows, this Grade II listed building has been given a new lease of life as a rooftop bar bearing the name of its two creators.

Albert Chambers Trocadero

Albert Chambers Trocadero can be found around the corner at 17 Temple Street.

Built in the mid-19th century and altered in the late-19th century, the ground floor of this Grade II listed building features a mosaic frieze and the original wide arched entrance flanked by columns.

Trocadero itself was a fort captured by French soldiers in the bay of Cadiz in 1823. The pub sign commemorates that event.

The Bulls Head

Located in the heart of what was once Birmingham's historic Gun Quarter is the Grade II listed Bulls Head public house (nowadays known as The Bull).

Dating from around 1800, this historic pub sports ornate late-19th-century, saloon-style windows, traditional Victorian decor, and a resident pub cat.

Old Royal Public House

Our final stop is the elaborate Grade II listed Old Royal public house at 53 and 55 Church Street, formerly the Red Lion.

The building was created in the late 19th century out of purple brick and terracotta in a vaguely Loire style. The national emblems of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales are incorporated into the leaded windows.