This Sunday, 26th March, representatives from Burrell Foley Fischer will join the rest of the Design Restoration Team as they share the plans for Chamberlain’s Highbury's Future and get the public’s input and ideas.
Highbury is a Grade II* listed building, which was commissioned as his Birmingham residence by Joseph Chamberlain in 1878, two years after he became member of parliament for Birmingham. It took its name from the Highbury area of London, where Chamberlain had lived as a child. The south facing grounds of 30 acres associated with Highbury were mainly landscaped by Edward Milner in 1879.
The Chamberlain Highbury Trust was established in 2016 to preserve and restore the house and grounds and give them both a sustainable future. Their vision for the project is
“Inspired and informed by the story of the Chamberlain Family and the history and heritage of the house and grounds, the restored Highbury estate will be a vibrant, well used place. Young people will come to develop leadership and governance skills, local people will be able to participate in an inclusive and diverse programme of activities, and visitors to the City will be welcome to enjoy a unique heritage attraction.
Its green space will be open year round, will be free to visit and will provide a relaxed learning space with nature and conservation at its heart. Highbury will contribute to the economic vitality of the local area by providing space and facilities for local people to build businesses and nurture community organisations.
Our aspiration is to make Highbury fully accessible to everyone and regain its rightful place in Birmingham’s historical and cultural landscape. Most importantly, we want Highbury to engage young people from all backgrounds and encourage them to take inspiration from the Chamberlain family heritage. We want them to critically reflect upon leadership in all its forms and to take their place in the future of the region and country.”
Free tours of the Mansion and Grounds will be available as well as viewings of rooms currently unusable but with so much potential!