Roundhouse Birmingham: historical discovery, outdoor activities and urban enterprise

The ambition

The Roundhouse – a unique horseshoe-shaped building overlooking the Birmingham canal in the heart of Ladywood – was built in 1874 by the Birmingham Corporation. It provided stables for working horses as well as stores for the Public works Department, including pavements and lamp posts.  

Over the years, following many uses and periods of dereliction, the Grade II* listed building was placed on Historic England’s Heritage At Risk Register. It was in urgent need of restoration.

The Canal & River Trust and National Trust explored a new future for this canal-side landmark. And by 2021, it had reopened as a thriving hub for a variety of walking tours, kayaking and more, and was removed from the Heritage At Risk Register.

The organisations

The project was a pioneering partnership between the Canal & River Trust and the National Trust, with an aim to bring an important Birmingham landmark back to life through an innovative blend of heritage and enterprise.

The funding

In June 2013, the Canal & River Trust and National Trust set up an independent joint venture of £4.2million to manage the project and maintain a new visitor centre.  

The high cost of re-development of the Victorian building required support, so we stepped in with a £2.9m Heritage Enterprise grant, with Historic England also providing a repair grant. Further grants and donations came from a range of other organisations.

The results

After eight years – and a full-scale restoration – Roundhouse Birmingham reopened to the public in July 2021 as a thriving home to local businesses and enterprise.

Working with the local Ladywood community, partners and volunteers, they offered a packed schedule of guided trips and tours. These included trips heading off-site to explore the city on foot, on the canal by kayak, and on the heritage working boat – as well as tours exploring the historic building complex.

Roundhouse Birmingham encourages residents and visitors to #SeeTheCityDifferently, inspiring people to care about and help protect the heritage of Birmingham.

Between January and August 2022, there were a total of 8,660 visitors, and a total of 320 tours were delivered - including Green Space Walks at Edgbaston Reservoir and Harborne Walkway, Birmingham Bingo and Spaghetti Junction Cycling. 

Meeting our outcomes

Roundhouse Birmingham met many of our outcomes during the process:

• Heritage has been better managed and in better condition: improvements to the structural support of the building, including the roof, all replica windows replaced, and repairs to external brickwork and the historic courtyard.
• People will have developed skills and learned about heritage: paid internships, apprenticeships and work experience were offered at the Roundhouse – with an intern securing full-time employment.
• Outcomes for communities: the Roundhouse team have a community-focused approach to their public programme, which is using outdoor activities to engage with new and diverse audiences.

The future

As Birmingham Roundhouse navigates the next few years, it aims to continue delivering high quality and active heritage experiences. It also looks to integrate into Ladywood’s local community by being a good neighbour.

They will continue to champion Birmingham and keep it at the heart of their work by encouraging people to see the city differently on foot, bike, and boat.

It has been challenging and rewarding in equal measure and I have personally learned a huge amount along the way.

Tom Grosvenor, Senior Project Manager at the National Trust

Top tips

• Have clear and effective communication from the outset. This is particularly important on partnership projects to ensure everyone is kept informed.
• Clearly define roles and responsibilities within the project. The two partner organisations each brought their own specialisms and knowledge – they created a flexible team whose skills worked well together.
• Don’t lose sight of the vision. There are always ups and downs on a project of this nature and it’s important not to forget about the end goal.

Tom Grosvenor, Senior Project Manager at the National Trust, said: “The Roundhouse project has been an incredible project to be involved in. It has been challenging and rewarding in equal measure and I have personally learned a huge amount along the way.

"As a partnership-led, multi-million pound conservation project – with a difficult construction phase, working with multiple stakeholders and most recently amidst a global pandemic – a considerable amount has been achieved and there has been enormous learning.”

To plan a visit see www.roundhousebirmingham.org.uk