 New Street looking west, towardsVictoria Square and theTown Hall | |
| Length | 500 m (1,600 ft) |
|---|---|
| Location | Birmingham |
| Postal code | B2 |
| East end | Rotunda Square 52°27′27″N1°53′42″W / 52.457567°N 1.895033°W /52.457567; -1.895033 |
| West end | Victoria Square 52°28′46″N1°54′08″W / 52.479486°N 1.902204°W /52.479486; -1.902204 |
New Street is a street incentral Birmingham, England. It is one of the city's principal thoroughfares and shopping streets linkingVictoria Square to theBullring Shopping Centre. It gives its name toNew Street railway station, although the station has never had direct access to New Street except via Stephenson Place and latterlyGrand Central shopping centre.
New Street is first mentioned asnovus vicus in the surviving borough rental records of 1296, at which point it was partly built upon withburgage plots,[1] but was also the site of most of the few open fields remaining within the borough, includingBarlycroft,Stoctonesfeld andWodegrene.[2] It is mentioned again, this time asle Newestret in the rentals of 1344–45.[3] The street may have been created at the time of the establishment of Birmingham's market in 1166, as a more direct route from the centre of the new town at theBull Ring to the home of thede Birmingham family's feudal overlords atDudley Castle.[4]
The street underwent large development during the 18th and 19th century and in an 1840s guide, shortly after the building of the Town Hall it is described as "the Bond Street of Birmingham; what with its glittering array of shops, its inns; its fine Elizabethan School, its School of Arts, its Theatre, its Post-office, it gives the tone to that part of the town."
In 1974, theBirmingham pub bombings took place in twopubs on New Street; one inside King Edward House, the other under theRotunda. A total of 21 people died as a result of their injuries in these blasts.[5]
Victoria Square, containingBirmingham Town Hall, the old Post Office building, andAntony Gormley'sIron: Man, is at the western end. TheBull Ring and High Street shopping areas and theRotunda are at the eastern end.
New Street today is mostlypedestrianised, although commercial vehicles are still permitted to enter. It is a popular shopping area which provides a busy link fromCorporation Street to theBullring Shopping Centre and the High Street. It has many well known retailers including;JD Sports,Adidas,Jack Wills,Tesco Metro,Boots and various other stores. Restaurants includeBella Italia,Café Rouge,Pizza Hut,Pret a Manger,Eat andStarbucks.
Many of the city's Banks are located up New Street including;Royal Bank of Scotland,Lloyds Bank,NatWest,HSBC andSantander.
Afarmers' market occurs on the first and third Wednesday of each month. EveryChristmas aFrankfurt market is held on the street and inVictoria Square, its wooden huts selling items such as jewellery, ornaments,clothing and German food.[7]
Bennetts Hill, notable as the birthplace of the artist,Edward Burne-Jones, runs off New Street roughly in the direction ofSt Philip's Cathedral.
The Burlington Hotel, formerly known as the Midland Hotel, is located next to anApple Store, which occupies the formergrade II listedMidland Bank building, designed byEdward Holmes and built between 1867 and 1869. In 1875, a five-storey extension of offices was added to the building. The Burlington Arcade, the front area to the Burlington Hotel, underwent a renovation under the design of Malcolm Payne architects who designed a glass roof to cover the area which was once known as Burlington Passage. The lettering of the Midland Hotel is still visible however on the rear of the building fronting Stephenson Street. This was the building whereEnoch Powell delivered his controversial 1968Rivers of Blood speech regardingCommonwealth immigrants.[1]
| City centre streets | |
|---|---|
| City centre squares | |
| Suburban streets | |
| A roads | |
| Motorways | |
| Defunct | |
52°28′41″N1°53′59″W / 52.47819°N 1.89984°W /52.47819; -1.89984
