Wandering the Jewellery Quarter

I haven't always been too accustomed to the sights and sounds of Birmingham and it wasn't until I moved to the outskirts that I ever visited the place. Now I have the luxury of working near the city centre, right in the Jewellery Quarter, I've got the opportunity to discover more than ever before. With that in mind, this morning, armed with my trusty camera, I went exploring.

It always amazes me how much you miss when you drive everywhere you go, so it was nice to just amble and investigate and see what quirky things were around. I wanted to do the Birmingham Jewellery Quarter Heritage Trail, but I didn't really have time to visit and fully appreciate the museums and the business centre and all of those places the Jewellery Quarter is famous for (I'll just have to save that for another sunny day like this one!). Instead, I wandered down to St. Paul's Square to take a few shots.

This hidden gem is the only surviving Georgian square in Birmingham, developed in the 1770s. The church in the centre - St. Paul's Church - was constructed in 1771 to the design of Roger Eykyn and the spire was later added in 1824. Birmingham's Matthew Boulton and James Watt used to worship there! It's something you don't necessarily expect to see when you're walking down Caroline Street. The view is initially blocked by a row of greenery, but then you see the spire emerge, flanked by the BT Tower just beyond. An odd combination, but just another symbol of the diverse nature of Birmingham's architecture.

St. Paul's Square doesn't just have the delightful little church grounds to offer either. It's surrounded by modern and stylish, or quaint and quirky cafes and restaurants, so many that I have no idea how on Earth I am ever going to try them all! This fact extends to the entirety of the Jewellery Quarter, too. On every street there seems to be a gorgeous cafe, bar or restaurant. I had no idea the JQ was turning into such an urban village, whilst at the same time maintaining the industrial charm of its past. There are still teems of stunning jewellery stores up and down the historic streets as there were fifty or more years ago. The Jewellery Quarter even now remains responsible for 40% of British jewellery output, an achievement not many places can lay claim to.

At the same time, there's a sense that the place is changing. The Jewellery Quarter has the kind of creative atmosphere that you don't encounter very often and it's clear it's attracting healthy young minds eager to succeed. There's an eclectic mix of people here and it's exciting to see everyone always on the move, ambitious and motivated. It's infectious and it reminds me of what we're striving for here at UrbanWorkSpace; businesses that work together and alongside each other to create a working environment that benefits all of us and our stunning city.