The only complete Georgian Square left in Birmingham is at St Paul's Square
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A look at the buildings around St Paul's Square in the Jewellery Quarter. Many of them dating back to the 18th and 19th centuries. It is the last Georgian Square left in the City of Birmingham. The square was built from 1777-79, and many of the buildings around the square went up after 1780 and are Grade II listed. It was part of the Newhall estate of the Colmore family.
St Paul's Square is more than just St Paul's Church. The square surrounding it has these old Georgian houses, some also dating to the Victorian period that are now offices, restaurants and cafes. The roads leading to St Paul's Square include Charlotte Street, Mary Ann Street, Brook Street and Cox Street (between Newhall Street and Livery Street). Ludgate Hill goes to the south east from Great Charles Street Queensway, while Caroline Street goes to the north west further into the Jewellery Quarter (turning into Hall Street to Great Hampton Street). Many of these road names were named after members of the Colmore family.
2009
My first full look around St Paul's Square was during November 2009. So was a lot of To Let signs at the time. Starting at Ludgate Hill going around the square in an anti-clockwise direction (although not necessarily the order that I saw them in).
1 St Paul's Square
At the corner of St Paul's Square and Ludgate Hill is this town house at no 1 St Paul's Square. This building dates to 1780 and is a Grade II listed building. Also at 28D and 28E Ludgate Hill. It's a three storey red brick town house on the corner with Ludgate Hill. The Jam House is to the left at nos 3-5. You can see the Manangel on the wall of no 1 above the doorway with Doric Columns.
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The Manangel by David Begbie is at 1 St Paul's Square, next door to the right to the Jam House. Sometime in 2016 it went missing, but was back by 2017 (see a later photo further down this post).
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The Jam House - 3-5 St Paul's Square
There is three town houses here dating to 1780 all are Grade II listed buildings. The Jam House seen at 3 St Paul's Square. Formerly three storeys built of red brick. The upper floors were removed after fire damage. 4 St Paul's Square and 5 St Paul's Square are to the left but are not pictured here. The Jam House has big-name jazz, blues and rock acts in an intimate 3 storey Georgian building with a top floor restaurant.
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Grosvenor House - 11 St Paul's Square
Seen from Mary Ann Street, this building is now home to Anderson's Bar and Grill. A Grade II listed building. Built in 1780 as a five bay red brick three storey town house. Classical dressings dated to 1880-90. Some of the windows had been bricked up.
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The view of 11 St Paul's Square taken from St Paul's Square. It is also called Grosvenor House.
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12, 13 and 14 St Paul's Square
Three town houses also dating to 1780 and Grade II listed buildings. Built of red brick up to three storeys. These houses are the least altered in the square. Leading up to Saint Paul's House to the far left.
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St Paul's House - 15-20 St Paul's Square
This view of St Paul's House to the corner with Cox Street. It is not listed. Located at 15-20 St Paul's Square. It is now a hotel. I did not get a view of The Rope Walk (to the right) until early 2013. The pub was in the red brick building at the time.
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30 St Paul's Square
This is an office block built in 1993 which also contains a building from the late Victorian period and Inter war period. Including three buildings. Pevsner mentions a swagger factory by Marcus O. Type dating to 1936 built in the Arts and Crafts style (left). A later 19th century building with three storeys and terracotta insertions and a six storey block by Associated Architects built in 1993 (right).
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This would be the former swagger factory of 1936 at 30 St Paul's Square that is mentioned in my Pevsner book on Birmingham. It has giant arches big end pediments and a rusticated ground floor but rather Arts and Crafts brick details.
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Saint Paul's Club - 34 St Paul's Square
At the corner of Caroline Street and St Paul's Square is Saint Paul's Club. A Grade II listed building built circa 1780. A block or two of at least two town houses. The building is completely stuccoed. Has a short section of 18th century railings outside the door with Doric Columns. This was altered in the 1930s.
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35 - 38 St Paul's Square
These buildings are at the other corner with Caroline Street. Dating to 1780 like many of the other buildings in the square, they are a Grade II listed building. A row of town houses. No 35 at the corner of Caroline Street is built of red brick with three storeys, with stuccoed doorways. Evidence of some windows bricked up on Caroline Street. Nos 36-37 appears to have been a one 5-bay house, the other 3-bays. No 38 has large mid-19th century panelled pilaster doorway.
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This is the view from St Paul's Square of no 35. The section of the town house to the left is painted red. Also has a doorway with Doric Columns.
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This view from St Paul's Square of nos 36-38. Both doorways have a pair of Doric Columns. This building is completed stuccoed from the outside.
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To the corner of St Paul's Square with Brook Street. The trees had mostly shed their leaves. Nos 35-38 were to the right. While Matthew Linwood House at no 42a was to the left. The big building straight ahead is St Paul's Place at 40 St Paul's Square. In 2009 and 2010 it was a development of Chord. Flats and apartments were to let at the time. It was the Insider Magazine Residential Developer of the Year 2010. It has 1 & 2 bed studio apartments. The building to the south west had scaffolding on it at the time. This is at 42 to 54 St Paul's Square.
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Matthew Linwood House - 42a St Paul's Square and 15 Brook Street
This was taken around 2 weeks after my other November 2009 photos on Brook Street. I was getting photos of Pasta Di Piazza Restaurant at 11 Brook Street to the right and the RBSA Gallery at 4 Brook Street (both off St Paul's Square but not on it) at the time. I don't think I ever got a view of 15 Brook Street from the St Paul's Square side. A Grade II Listed Building. Dates to 1880, so built 100 years after the original Georgian town houses around the square. A tall building of four storeys, built of bright red brick with engineering bricks and stucco detailing. Has a modern "Georgian" doorway inserted facing the square.
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55 St Paul's Square, including 61 Charlotte Street
This building is at the corner of Charlotte Street. Dating to 1780 it is a Grade II listed building. It was originally built as two town houses, but was altered to be one premises. Built of red brick up to three storeys. Has a hipped roof from the early 20th century. St Paul's Dental is next door at the Cogent Works which is also a Grade II listed building. But dates to 1902. It was converted to commercial use in 1989.
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This view from Charlotte Street. Is a big sign for Pearson Row Solicitors. There is a plaque here about the John Betts Building. The Betts family moved to Birmingham from Sheffield in 1760. John Betts bought this building in 1970 from another old company, Sheffield Smelting and the name "John Betts & Sons Ltd" was put up on the wall facing Charlotte Street. The Betts name is still associated with metal sales in the Jewellery Quarter, though not from this address.
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The Old Chapel - 57 St Paul's Square
This building dates from approximately 1851 and was historically used as a charging station. The building has never been listed. The BT Tower is seen behind on Lionel Street.
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Fleurets - 63 St Pauls Square
At the corner of Ludgate Hill and St Paul's Square is this building. Offices that was formerly a bank dating to the late 19th century. A Grade II listed building. Made of smooth red brick with painted dressings and a slated roof. Three storeys high with a turreted style corner. The door dates to the late 20th century and is a six panel door.
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2013
This was on New Years Day in January 2013 when I got a few more photos of the Georgian buildings in St Paul's Square. Although most of the time in the years since, I don't get much of the buildings, due to my earlier photos from 2009.
The Rope Walk - 15-20 St Paul's Square
This was a restaurant called The Rope Walk, it was there until at least 2015. Before it became a hotel called Saint Paul's House from 2016 onwards. The building is not listed.
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Close up, it looks like the late 18th century style with Doric Columns, but am not sure if it also dates to 1780 or later.
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13 St Paul's Square
This visit to St Paul's Square was to mainly see the blue plaque for Samuel Malkin. Who was a bucklemaker to George III. He lived here from 1786-1798. This house is also called Premier House. Details above but it dates to 1780.
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14 St Paul's Square
I also at the time got a view of this house. Between nos 13 and 14 is The Mews through a gate to no 13A. This house dates to 1780, details further up for 12, 13 and 14 St Paul's Square.
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2017-19
1-5 St Paul's Square
I originally took this photo using Twitter on my then phone camera, as the Manangel went missing sometime during 2016. But by January 2017 it was back. So my only full view of The Jam House and the Music Works was in this low resolution view, probably sitting on a bench outside of St Paul's Church. Details about no 1 and nos 3 to 5 further up this post. You can see Ludgate Hill to the right.
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35-38 St Paul's Square
This view from an autumnal St Paul's Square during October 2017, towards nos 35-38. Trees were shedding their leaves. Matthew Linwood House is beyond the modern building to the left at 15 Brook Street.
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This view of 35-38 St Paul's Square during the snow of December 2017. At the time the building was for sale which included the few remaining units.
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This autumnal view towards Matthew Linwood House and up to 35-38 St Paul's Square during November 2018. As usual St Paul's Square looked very picturesque with the leaves on the ground and the tree shedding their leaves.
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Saint Paul's House - 15-20 St Paul's Square
This used to be a pub / restaurant called The Rope Walk (until it closed in 2015). In 2016 under new ownership and it was now a hotel called Saint Paul's House. In November 2019 the Christmas decorations were up around the Doric Columns.
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The Old Chapel
The view from Charlotte Street near St Paul's Square. Taken near 55 St Paul's Square / 61 Charlotte Street as I saw this group of cyclists riding their bikes around St Paul's Square. They went past The Old Chapel before turning to the left. Was here in December 2019 to see the new Peaky Blinders statue. Might put that in another post.
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Photos taken by Elliott Brown.
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Birmingham We Are People with Passion award winner 2020