Things to do in Birmingham for a weekend

Birmingham generally doesn't top lists of cities in the UK that people want to visit. And I'm not going to lie, when I was planning a recent trip to the city, I wasn't really sure exactly what there was to see, other than the UK's largest exhibit space and the famously redeveloped Bullring shopping centre. Sure, I'd been through Birmingham on multiple occasions, and am hugely familiar with the train station, but that's about it.

I was pleasantly surprised when we did visit to find that this is a city with plenty to see and do, and we were easily able to fill two full days with sight-seeing. Here are some ideas for filling your time in Birmingham on a weekend break.

Explore the Jewellery Quarter

Left image courtesy of Bob Hall.

One of the more interesting parts of Birmingham is the Jewellery Quarter, which as the name suggests, is all about Jewellery, and has been since the early 18th century. 40% of the jewellery made in the UK comes from this part of Birmingham, and as you might imagine, there’s no shortage of shops where you can purchase some jewellery to take home.

If you’re not in the mood to purchase some shiny objects, the Jewellery Quarter is still worth the visit: in particular I’d recommend a visit to the Jewellery Quarter museum. There’s an excellent exhibit on the history and development of the area, plus there are guided tours of a former jewellery firm.

Still not sold on the Jewellery Quarter? Fear not, I’ve got a couple more places for you to check out in this area:

Learn about Coffins

Image courtesy of Elliot Brown.

Fancy something a little different? A trip to the Newman Brothers Coffin Furniture Factory should be right up your street. Known as the “Coffin Works”, this Grade II listed building started operation in 1894, and ran for just over a hundred years, producing coffin furniture for countless coffins, including the coffins of Winston Churchill and Princess Diana.

In case you’re wondering, coffin furniture is all the stuff that is attached to the coffin, rather than the coffin itself. So handles, lining, decorations – that sort of thing.

The Coffin Works now offers fascinating guided tours, where you can learn about what they made, how they made it, and the stories of the people who used to work here. It’s interesting, and certainly a bit different!

Practice your calligraphy

Image courtesy of Kevan.

It turns out Birmingham really has some niche museums. The Pen Museum is one of these, and is also found in the Jewellery Quarter. Here you can learn all about the history of the written instrument, with particular focus given to the classic steel nibbed fountain pen.

Birmingham was once the foremost pen maker in the world, and during the 19th century 75% of the entire world’s pen supply came from pen factories in Birmingham’s jewellery quarter. The Pen Museum is housed in a former pen factory, and has a host of fascinating exhibits that go through the history of pen making in the city. There’s also a room filled with writing equipment, from typewriters to feather quills, many of which you can try yourself. It’s a lot of fun, and well worth spending some time visiting.

Get your Art on

Image courtesy of Bob Hall.

Slap bang in the centre of Birmingham is the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery. This is a gorgeous Victorian Baroque building, filled with interesting artworks, as well as exhibits on the history of Birmingham, from its people to its culture and industry.

The museum is free to enter, and has a fantastic tea room and cafe, if you find yourself tired out from all the art and knowledge on display.

Go Shopping

Image courtesy of bs0u10e0.

Of course, it’s hard to mention Birmingham without mentioning the Bullring shopping centre. A centrepiece of Birmingham since the middle ages, there has been a market of some sort in this location for hundreds of years.

Recently renovated, and home to a huge variety and number of shops, there’s pretty much something for everyone here.

Learn about the Back to Backs

Image courtesy of Tony Hisgett.

The last thing I’m going to suggest for your Birmingham weekend is a trip to the National Trust “Back to Backs”. These are some of the last surviving properties of this style in the UK, and certainly the last of their example in Birmingham. Managed today by the National Trust, properties like this were the main kind of housing throughout the UK for many years, especially during the Industrial Revolution.

They were usually small, crowded and unsanitary, with families crammed into a tiny living space. Obviously, the majority of them have been knocked down, and replaced by rather more sanitary conditions. But a small “close” still exists in Birmingham, which you can tour with the National Trust. They’re set up to represent four time periods, from the early 19th century to the mid 20th century, and are a really interesting place to spend 90 minutes learning about how people lived in these times.

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Laurence stayed with our host Eunice during his time in Birmingham. Check out her profile or browse all our Birmingham homestays to find the host that's right for you.