Druids Heath is just a place I pass through—a shortcut home and a fast route that I have taken many times after events at the University of Birmingham or in Selly Oak and Bournville. Passing through the area, I often wondered about the mix of tower blocks and green spaces. I remember passing a lively pub, although its name always escaped me. My drive through would last around five minutes, ending at the Maypole and onto the bypass leading to the motorway back home.

Druids Heath remained an enigma until I stumbled upon a National Trust post which led me to the National Trust’s Back to Backs website. There was an advert for a walking tour of the area, linked to the slum clearance projects of the 1960s, such as the Back to Backs. Sparkling new estates had sprung up during that era, with Druids Heath at the forefront. My family came from Manchester, so I never learnt about the clearance of Birmingham’s slums. However, I did have University friends who lived in the Hume crescents in the late seventies. I have many stories of visiting Hulme when a student in Manchester.

The walk around Druids Heath was organised by Jayne Murray, the resident artist of Place Prospectors. We gathered at the terminus of the number 50 bus, where Jayne introduced herself and handed out a set of postcards. Each postcard was to act as a signpost for our journey around the estate. The first depicted a map and a picture of the bus stop. As we began our walk, we found ourselves on the border of the city with the green fields of Bromsgrove and Worcestershire on the other side of the road.  There was a stark contrast between the green countryside and the houses and towers of Druids Heath. The houses were built in units—some with garages and living quarters above, others resembling small terraces. Tower blocks punctuated the landscape, standing over the lower-raised houses. As we moved along, these towers became an ever-present feature, imposing themselves on the scenery.

Despite the low-grade litter scattered around the estate, it was clear that many residents took pride in their homes, adding personal touches to make the place welcoming. Jayne shared background details about the area, and the postcards were a clever prompt, allowing us to see how the estate had changed over the years. For example, the land along Bells Lane was once used for farming, and remnants of its agricultural past were still visible in the bushes that had once formed natural borders.

We stopped at several landmarks, including the former pub called the Gladiator. Now I remember its name! Jayne explained that where there were once three pubs, there are now none, and she lamented the loss of the community spirit that disappeared with their closure. We also heard about the Dell; a large area of heathland once earmarked for development. A determined community fightback led to the cancellation of these plans, and the area is now a haven for wildlife.

The final stages of the walk focused on the towers. Some have been demolished, while others stand empty, deemed unsuitable for habitation. Hillcroft House, for instance, stands vacant next to a row of shops—some are still in use, others abandoned. We passed two demolition sites: Heath House and Moundsley House. Both towers are now gone, leaving only grass in their place, with no new structures having yet been built. The library has since been replaced by the Druids Heath neighbourhood office and the youth club was still there.  Using postcards with images of the towers mid-demolition, we aligned our photos to capture the present-day view, a poignant reminder of what once stood there.

Jayne then led us up a hill to a green metal fence enclosing a large empty space. She recounted the story of Baverstock School, once a jewel in the estate’s crown. Built in 1969, its headteacher, Mr Perks, was dedicated to giving pupils the chance for a brighter future, and the school gained numerous accolades. However, after his retirement, the school’s fortunes declined, plagued by financial mismanagement and poor governance. It closed in 2017, with bulldozers arriving in 2020. The story saddened me, and I struggled to understand how such a vibrant institution could fall into ruin. Today, all that remains is an empty space, a postcard, and memories cherished by former staff and pupils.

As we neared the end of our walk, a short footpath brought us to Kimpton Close, surrounded by three tower blocks: Saxelby, Kingswood, and Barretts Houses. Concrete buffers lay uprooted and scattered around the area. These buildings, now empty, await their fate. The 13-storey towers—used as a backdrop for the BBC drama series This Town, which explored the birth of ska in Coventry—stand as imposing relics of the past. I took many photographs, drawn to their photogenic yet haunting presence, and reflected on the families who once lived there. The setting sun seemed to know that their time was coming to an end.

Our final stop was a surprising landmark. Druids Heath is one of the highest points in Birmingham, and surrounded by the towers there was a trig point. Jayne joked that if we looked east, the next highest place would be the Ural Mountains. With the cold wind picking up on that late Saturday afternoon, I had no reason to doubt her.

In our pack was artwork inspired by Druids Heath residents. The final postcard bore the words I am not going to panic, from the Moving Stories project. This artwork, by Jayne and Jean, one of the last residents of the Brookpiece tower block overlooking the trig point, depicted the long-reach of the proposed demolition.  The tower was in the jaws of a pincer which outlined the area. There is a lot of concern and uncertainty about what is planned to be demolished and what will replace the present buildings.

We concluded our walk with a group photograph and I departed for home. Jayne and others headed to the Outpost Arts Centre for a screening of the film The Great British Housing Disaster. I later watched the film on YouTube, finding it a harrowing yet informative background to the building expansion in the sixties. The mismanagement and misplaced decision making from Government and building contractors remains a major problem to this day. Will the future lead to better things? That is a difficult question to answer based on past history of the buildings on Druids Heath.

On my way back to the car, I passed the mural for Druids Heath by Mohammed Ali. The golden light of the setting sun enhanced its vibrant colours. The mural’s theme of safety and compassion reflected the community’s spirit and the hope for togetherness.

At the number 50 bus stop, where two buses waited, I was reminded of the first postcard Jayne had handed out. Back home, I looked through my pack again, matching my photographs with the postcards. I would encourage anyone to visit the Moving Stories website and read about the residents’ experiences of life on the Druids Heath estate. Their words—flooding, cold, damp, frustration, and loss of hope—paint a poignant picture of the challenges they faced.

Though Druids Heath was once just a shortcut on my way to Birmingham, this walk gave me a glimpse into its rich history, its struggles, and its community spirit. It is no longer simply a place I pass through but one I now understand more deeply.

Thank you to Jayne and the team that organised the walk around Druids Heath. Jayne was accompanied by Clare, who is an artist and former architect. Clare provided background information as to how the houses and towers were built.  I found this to be an excellent follow on from my visit to the National Trust Back to Backs property.  I have written a blog about my visit there and there is a link below.  I shall be visiting the exhibition “Moving Stories” that links with the walking tour that I described in this blog.

Back to backs 20th anniversary visit

I have also added a link to “The Great British housing disaster” which is essential viewing. The documentary unravels the mismanagement and poor quality control of the building industry in the 1960s. The people who bore the brunt of this disaster were ordinary people many of whom lost their lives when buildings collapsed or caught fire such as the Grenfell Tower fire.