A Morning at Highbury Hall

Highbury Hall is yet another place that I have not visited during my time at Birmingham. Fortunately, IgersbirminghamUK provided the opportunity and our visit coincided with an open day at Highbury Hall and Trust.  The day was going to be warm and sunny.  I arrived early and took the opportunity to have a few minutes moving around the front of the house and taking pictures from the end of the parched lawn.  The grounds are extensive and many people were out walking through the paths beneath the trees.  

Soon it was time to enter Highbury Hall where the IgersbirminghamUK team greeted us and we were then given a brief background of Highbury Hall by Lucy Bailey‑Wright, who is the activities planner for the Trust.  The photographers were given an hour to explore the Hall before the official start of the open day.  

Inside Highbury Hall: The Library and Main Hall

The main rooms of Highbury Hall are south facing and therefore the large rooms were bathed in sunlight.  Lots of window light provides ideal lighting conditions for photography.  We were encouraged to visit the library where Joseph Chamberlain worked and met visitors.  This was an impressive room with books lining one wall and wood-line panelling on the other walls and ceiling. The feature of the room was three leather chairs set up against the net curtains that diffused the light.

Whilst other rooms had minimal furniture, they still looked magnificent with the midday sun entering in through the large windows.  The dominant feature of the building is the main hall area with a staircase leading to a balcony that allows viewing down into the area.  Birmingham City Council hire out the hall and this is a spectacular setting for weddings and civil partnerships.

There are several upstairs rooms where you can look out over the gardens and see the expanse of woodland. Talking to Lucy, I learnt that only around 12 of the rooms are open to the public whilst the house has 60 rooms.  There was to be a tour at 1.30pm to explore the hidden part of the house and I signed up to see and find out more.

The Hidden Rooms of Highbury Hall

Around 20 of us gathered in the great hall and Lucy explained that we would be entering into part of the house that is not maintained to the same extent as the front part.  We entered via the servant quarters and kitchens and started to explore the many rooms of Highbury Hall.  Lucy gave a background to how the Hall had been used over the years since the Chamberlains had moved out and given the buildings and land to the city.

There had been different residents over the years including a convalescent home for soldiers recovering from the trauma of the first world war.  For 50 years it was a care home for the elderly up to the 1980s.  Hundreds of women were housed by social services in the hall.  The remnants of their time in the many rooms at the northern side of the house are reflected by the different wallpapers in each room.  There is a plan to restore and renovate these rooms to make them a community asset.  I found them all to be full of objects or views that demanded to be photographed.  

For the Instameet I had the following camera with me, Canon R6m2 with the EF24-70mm f/2.8L II USM lens.  The camera worked admirably with the ambient light.  Most of the rooms had large windows that allowed the light to show such details and the IBIS in the Canon found there was enough light to work with.  As Lucy took us from room to room, I marvelled at the architecture and planning that had gone into the house.  Whilst there was neglect present, the rooms still showed much dignity and I could understand why Lucy is so enthusiastic about the restoration of the house. The female residents had left memories of their time in the house via different wall paper designs and a montage of old photographs.

We then moved back to the balcony and explored the hidden rooms at the front of the house.  Again, these spaces were beautiful and the views of the surrounding woodland added to the magic.  I understand that such views would be spectacular in the Autumn, so I will have to return!  I was captivated by the house and the rooms, especially hearing about their history and the plans on how they will be brought back to life. 

Highbury Hall’s Grounds and Gardens

The outside is just as wonderful to photograph.  I spent time walking around the grounds in and out of the trees, taking pictures of the house and the parklands.  Despite the parched lawn due to the recent lack of rain, the house remains very photogenic. There are many open days planned and I would encourage people to visit.  If you are a photographer, then you will so enjoy the play of light and shadows around the house.

If you enjoyed this blog then please fee free to read some other entries such as my visit to the Coffin Works in the Jewellery Quarter.