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Help preserve working-class history at the Birmingham Back to Backs. Donate today to help relight our fires and preserve these unique homes, for everyone for ever.
Birmingham Back to Backs
Experience 200 years of working people's lives in the heart of Birmingham.
55-63 Hurst Street/50-54 Inge Street, Birmingham, West Midlands, B5 4TE
Book a visit
Important notice
Please note all visits to the Back to Backs must be booked in advance and are by guided tour only. Tickets are released every Thursday.
Opening times for 18 August 2023
Asset Opening time Birmingham Back to Backs 10:00 - 15:00 Second-hand bookshop 10:00 - 17:00 Exhibition space 10:00 - 17:00 Book a visitMTWTFSS3112345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728293031123OpenPartially openClosedGround floor guided tour
Ticket type Gift aid Standard Adult £8.80 £8.00 Child £4.40 £4.00 Family £22.00 £20.00 Family (one adult) £13.20 £12.00 Guided tour
Ticket type Gift aid Standard Adult £11.00 £10.00 Child £5.50 £5.00 Family £27.50 £25.00 Family (one adult) £16.50 £15.00 Become a member and discover more than 500 places
- Assistance dogs onlyGuided tour
Visits to the houses are by guided tour only and must be pre-booked online.
Book shopSecond-hand bookshop on Hurst Street, free to enter.
Toilet There is accessible drop-off available outside the property, on Inge Street, by our gated alleyway. You can notify your arrival at the visitor reception on the corner of Hurst Street and Inge Street. The alleyway access on Inge Street provides level access into the yard. A wheelchair is available for accessing the ground floors of the houses. Please note, tours feature multiple winding, narrow staircases, a ground floor only tour is also available.
Accessible route and/or mapGround floor only tours are available with level access to the courtyard and all four show houses
Narrow corridorsAccessible toiletSeating availableBraille (guide or menu)Steps/uneven terrainDrop-off pointWheelchairs available- By road
Nearest parking is at the Arcadian Centre which is not National Trust, use postcode B5 4TD. The entrance is off Bromsgrove Street. Pricing information available here http://www.thearcadian.co.uk/whos-here/euro-carpark/ Birmingham City Council has introduced a Clean Air Zone. Please visit https://www.brumbreathes.co.uk/ for your vehicle's eligibility.
Parking: Arcadian Centre, Bromsgrove Street. B5 4TD (not National Trust). Birmingham City Council has introduced a Clean Air Zone. Please visit https://www.brumbreathes.co.uk/ for your vehicle's eligibility.
Sat Nav: For property, use B5 4TE, for Arcadian Centre car park use B5 4TD. No National Trust car parking available. Please be aware that Birmingham City Council has introduced a Clean Air Zone.
On footwithin easy walking distance of bus and railway stations (follow signs for Hippodrome Theatre). Visitor Reception is on the corner of Inge Street and Hurst Street right next to the Hippodrome and Pride Plaza.
By trainBirmingham New Street ¼ mile: When leaving station, head for exit sign-posted "Southside" (on maps labelled "Hill Street Exit"). Upon leaving exit, turn left onto Hill Street and walk down hill. Cross dual carriageway onto Hurst Street and walk towards Hippodrome Theatre from where the Back to Backs is visible. Birmingham Moor Street ½ mile: At station exit, cross the road towards Bullring entrance but do not enter Bullring. Turn right to walk along St Martins Queensway, this will take you under a road bridge and bring you onto Smallbrook Queensway. Follow road till you reach a cross roads, turn left onto Hurst Street and walk towards Hippodrome Theatre from where the Back to Backs is visible.
By busVarious Travel West Midlands routes from across city into the city centre. Find out more here https://nxbus.co.uk/
55-63 Hurst Street/50-54 Inge Street, Birmingham, West Midlands, B5 4TE
Planning your visit
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Booking your visit to Birmingham Back to Backs
Birmingham Back to Backs are open for visits by guided tour only, book online in advance to explore the stories of Court 15.
Article
Reminiscence sessions for people with Dementia
Join the award-winning team at the Back to Backs for a group session designed to spark memory sharing in those with mild dementia.
Highlights
Back to Back houses
Carefully restored, atmospheric 19th-century courtyard of working people's houses. Visits by pre-booked guided tour only.
The George Saunders collection
The only collection of work by a Caribbean tailor in the UK. George operated a successful tailor's shop from the Back to Backs for many years and left some of his items to the National Trust to preserve this last living link to the houses.
Court 15 Books - Second-hand bookshop
With a range of new and used books, every penny you spend helps us to preserve this unique place. You can also donate your books to support the Back to Backs.
Free exhibition space
There is a free-to-enter exhibition space above the second-hand bookshop on Hurst Street.
Spotlight events
News
Pride weekend at the Birmingham Back to Backs
Pop in during Birmingham Pride weekend on 27 and 28 May to have a look around and get a sneak preview of a new exhibition.
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Gary Lindsay-Moore: It's Not Unusual
Explore the story of iconic fashion legends Patti Bell and Jane Kahn through the contemporary photography of Gary Lindsay-Moore.
Project
Project
George Saunders Reimagined: Creative responses by students from Birmingham City University
Explore the story and skill of George Saunders, a master tailor who was based at the Back to Backs, through the work of Birmingham City University students.
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Back in Time Reminiscence for people with mild Dementia
Join our award-winning team for monthly reminiscence groups at the Back to Backs.
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Opportunities for young people at the Birmingham Back to Backs
The Birmingham Back to Backs run an annual Summer Challenge programme aimed at engaging young people from the local area in heritage. The programme allows 16-21 year olds to gain valuable work experience and practical skills.
Things to see and do
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Things to see and do at Birmingham Back to Backs
Step back in time and experience life in Birmingham’s last surviving court of back-to-back houses, taking you from the 1840s through to the 1970s on an intimate guided tour.
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Second-hand bookshop at the Birmingham Back to Backs
Buy new and used books at Court 15, the second-hand bookshop at Birmingham Back to Backs. Donate your pre-loved books or become a volunteer.
Article
Reminiscence sessions for people with Dementia
Join the award-winning team at the Back to Backs for a group session designed to spark memory sharing in those with mild dementia.
Places to stay
Rosedene
A great spot for watching birds and butterflies near the Clent Hills with miles of walking trails nearby.
Upcoming events
Event
New Sounds, New Styles Panel Discussion
Linking with our new exhibition on Kahn and Bell, this event aims to explore the culture of the punk and new romantic scenes of the late 1970's and 80's in Birmingham.
Event
Women’s History Tour
Celebrate International Women’s Day by learning about the history of women who lived and worked in Birmingham in the 1800’s.
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Heritage Open Days: Open Evening at the Back to Backs
Join us for a sneak peak of the Birmingham Back to Backs!
Event
Back in Time reminiscence session for people living with mild Dementia
Do you know someone living with mild dementia who enjoys reminiscing about the past? Our “Back in Time” sessions at the Birmingham Back to Backs are designed to spark memory sharing.
Event
Back-to-Back Drawing & Painting
Test your observational skills, drawing from life with the support of local artist and illustrator Milan Topalovic
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Birmingham Back to Backs Research Event: In collaboration with Find My Past
Join us for a chance to hear about new research undertaken by Find My Past.
Event
Historical Fiction Workshop
Join novelist Carolyn Kirby (The Conviction of Cora Burns, When We Fall) for a historical fiction writing workshop at the National Trust Back to Backs
Event
Vintage Victorians Fashion Illustration
Following an introduction to the weird and wonderful fashion trends of the time, try your hand at a vintage Victorian fashion illustration with local portrait artist and illustrator Milan Topalović.
About Birmingham Back to Backs
An atmospheric glimpse into the lives of the ordinary people who helped make Birmingham an extraordinary city.
Visits to the Birmingham Back to Backs houses are by pre-booked guided tours only. Please book your visit online or read the how to book article for more information.
On a fascinating guided tour, step back in time at Birmingham's last surviving court of back to backs; houses built literally back-to-back around a communal courtyard.
Moving from the 1840s through to the 1970s, discover the lives of some of the former residents who crammed into these small houses to live and work. With fires alight in the grates, and sounds and smells from the past, experience an evocative and intimate insight into life at the Back to Backs.
History
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The history of Birmingham Back to Backs
Find out what life was like in back-to-back housing for the working classes of the 19th and 20th centuries and discover the people who brought the Back to Backs to life.
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Black history in Birmingham: the story of George Saunders
Discover the history behind the George Saunders’ collection at Birmingham Back to Backs, a story that is inextricably linked with Birmingham’s black history.
Art and collections
Birmingham Back to Backs' objects and collections
Explore the objects and works of art we care for at Birmingham Back to Backs on the National Trust Collections website.
Our work
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Our work at the Birmingham Back to Backs
Explore what goes into caring for a particularly unusual collection, which offers a glimpse into the lives of the ordinary people who helped shaped Birmingham.
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Birmingham Back to Backs fundraising appeal
The Birmingham Back to Backs are a court of Grade II listed buildings which have been lovingly restored, and now give visitors a chance to step back in time and experience working-class history. We need your support to raise the funds we need to care for these unique buildings.
Support us
Volunteer with us
We're recruiting for tour guide volunteers, bookshop volunteers and welcome volunteers. Head to our volunteering page to learn more or sign up for an open day.