Foggy walk Broad Street to Birmingham Cathedral Walking Tour statues Modern & Victorian Architecture

Welcome back to the channel, today we’re taking a walk through one of Birmingham’s most iconic streets.

Starting right here on Broad Street, one of the city’s most famous thoroughfares.

Broad Street has transformed dramatically over the decades. Once considered outside the city centre, it became part of the new Westside district as the centre expanded. By the mid‑20th century it was quieter, with just a few pubs and shops, but today it’s a bustling entertainment and business hub, home to major banks and nightlife.

We start the walk heading east along Broad street, As we head along the street, you’ll notice the West Midlands Metro running right down the middle. The extension to Broad Street opened in July 2022, bringing trams directly into the heart of the entertainment district a huge change from the traffic‑heavy road seen in photos from the 1950s.

During the walk we will stop and take a look at the some of the taller buildings disappearing into the fog, One of the buildings is the Bank towers, two modern residential skyscrapers completed between 2018 and 2019. They mark the new skyline of Broad Street, symbolising the area’s shift from nightlife to mixed‑use living and business.

A few steps further and we reach the Black Sabbath Bridge, officially renamed in 2019 to honour Birmingham’s legendary heavy‑metal pioneers. The bridge features a commemorative bench and plaque celebrating the band’s global influence, a must‑see for music fans.

We then turn off Broad Street into Brindleyplace, one of Birmingham’s most successful regeneration projects. Built throughout the 1990s, this canalside district transformed derelict industrial land into a vibrant mix of offices, restaurants, and cultural venues.
We then cross the bridge linking Brindley place to the NEC and head back up the stairs back onto broad street.

A little further along we reach centenary square home to the Library and many statues including the bronze statue of James Watt, Matthew Boulton, and William Murdoch, three giants of the Industrial Revolution. Installed in 1956, the sculpture celebrates their partnership in steam‑engine innovation, which powered factories across the world.

Then we see the King Edward VII statue, originally unveiled in 1913. After decades in storage, it was restored and moved to Centenary Square in 2010, where it stands today as a reminder of Birmingham’s Edwardian civic pride.

From here we get a great view of the new Octagon disappearing into the fog. The striking 49‑storey residential tower currently rising over the city. One of the tallest pure‑residential octagonal towers in the world, a symbol of Birmingham’s modern architectural ambition.

next we step into Chamberlain Square, here we’re surrounded by a blend of Victorian grandeur and modern redevelopment. The square underwent major transformation between 2015 and 2021, reopening as a lively public space framed by the Town Hall, the Museum, and new office buildings. The Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery, opened in 1885. This Victorian masterpiece houses world‑class Pre‑Raphaelite art, metalwork, and local history collections. Its façade reflects the civic pride of late‑19th‑century Birmingham.

Our walk ends at the beautiful Birmingham Cathedral, officially St Philip’s Cathedral, consecrated in 1715. Designed by Thomas Archer in elegant English Baroque style, it’s one of the smallest cathedrals in the country — but also one of the most historically significant.
Its famous stained‑glass windows by Edward Burne‑Jones were removed for safekeeping during WWII, a decision that saved them from the Blitz.

If you enjoyed this journey through time, don’t forget to like and subscribe. See you on the next walk.

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0:00 Starting Point / Broad street
2:22 Tram line
4:08 Bank Building
10:08 Black Sabbath Bridge
10:56 Brindley Place
17:00 Golden Boys Statue
20:45 King Edward seventh Statue
21:18 Octagon Tower
24:30 Art Museum
27:31 Colmore Row
29:57 Birmingham Cathedral

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