(The Chamberlain Clock): The Chamberlain Clock, at the intersection of Vyse St. and Frederick St., was erected in 1903 in honour of Joseph Chamberlain, the previously mentioned statesman and sometime Mayor of Birmingham. It has since become the symbol of the entire Jewellery Quarter, and is also a fairly good marker of where things happen in the neighbourhood.
PINT (Rose Villa Tavern): Built in 1919/20 for pub company Mitchells & Butlers (who today manage the brands All Bar One, Browns Restaurants and Nicholson’s pubs, to name but a few), this is a wonderfully ecclectic place with lots of atmosphere. It was taken over and refurbished in the summer of 2011 by newly established chain of independent bars Bitters ‘n Twisted, so that today it looks much like it was originally intended. It is an early and substantially complete example of an inter-War public house, which demonstrates the transition from the late Victorian style, with its emphasis on richly decorated interiors and architecturally restrained exteriors, and is, for those same reasons, a Grade II listed building. Also note that the food is not your usual pub grub, but rather American Diner style. Rose Villa Tavern is one of our favourite pubs in Birmingham, but don’t stay for too long, as there are still a few more sights and pints to be had during this walk.
SIGHT (Museum of the Jewellery Quarter): You are now free to walk up Vyse St. for a bit, if you want to visit a few more jewellery shops, of which the street has a lot. Further up the street you’ll reach the Jewellery Quarter train station which is serviced by National Rail and by the Midlands Metro. A few minutes walk further up the street from the station, on your right hand side, is the Museum of the Jewellery Quarter, located in what was once the premises of the Smith & Pepper jewellery manufacturing firm, which closed for business in 1981. The museum shop, café and temporary exhibition space is open to the public free of charge, while guided tours of the Smith & Pepper factory is £7. Pre-booking is advisable for the guided tours.
SIGHT (Brookfields Cemetery): When you are done watching jewellery, take a stroll through the Brookfields Cemetery (which you passed on your left side, walking up Vyse St.) heading for the main entrance at Warstone Lane close to the Chamberlain Clock. The cemetery dates back to 1847 but has been closed for new burials since 1982. It is particularly noteworthy for its two tiers of catacombs, whose unhealthy vapours led to the Birmingham Cemeteries Act.
The most famous person interred here is probably the afore mentioned John Baskerville whose remains were moved to the catacombs in 1897, more than a century after his death and despite him being a declared atheist. The inventor of lawn tennis, Major Henry Gem, was also buried here in 1882. The exact location of Gem’s grave was for a long time unknown, but in 2013 it was rediscovered and the Harry Gem Project is currently planning to begin fund-raising for the restoration of the grave.