Preserving and restoring Highbury for future generations.
Protecting Highbury
Commissioned in 1878 by Joseph Chamberlain and designed in a distinguished Venetian-Gothic style by the celebrated architect J. H. Chamberlain, Highbury Hall and its grounds have long stood as an enduring symbol of civic ambition, craftsmanship, and heritage. Whilst its architecture and landscape are of high quality, it is the site’s close association with Joseph Chamberlain and his family that ensures its national importance.
Today, many of Highbury’s spaces remain closed to the public, and both house and park have suffered from under investment. In response, Chamberlain Highbury Trust, founded in 2016, is working tirelessly to safeguard and revitalise Highbury for the people of Birmingham and beyond.
Our mission is to protect Highbury’s physical structure and rich natural environment, restore its heritage features, and re-open it as a vibrant, welcoming public space. We aim to provide a place of learning, connection, community and culture, where people of all backgrounds can enjoy, appreciate and benefit from the legacy of Highbury and the Chamberlain family.
Through this section of the site, you can explore the heritage of Highbury, understand our restoration plans, learn how to get involved, and discover how protecting Highbury matters to so many today – and for generations to come.
Restoring the Chamberlains’ Highbury
The Decline of Highbury
After the death of Joseph in 1914, the house was used for convalescing soldiers of the First World War. Austen Chamberlain established the Highbury Trust in 1919 to manage the estate and in 1932 the Trust was passed to the City Council ‘for the general benefit of the citizens of Birmingham’.
Although parts of the building continue to be used for private functions, the charitable purposes of the site have become obscured and there is limited public access to the house and its unique heritage.
Following extensive public consultation there was the recognition that new governance and a new operating model were needed to restore the property and to take full advantage of the range of educational and social opportunities that this unique site offers Birmingham, the UK and the world.
A New Chapter, A Brighter Future
In 2016, a new chapter began with the establishment of the Chamberlain Highbury Trust, created to safeguard and reimagine Highbury Hall for future generations. From the outset, the Trust set out not only to protect this remarkable Victorian mansion and its landscaped gardens, but to unlock their potential as places of learning, community, and inspiration.
Since its formation, the Trust has focused on securing vital funding and project grants, while developing ambitious and carefully considered restoration plans for both the house and its grounds. Alongside this strategic work, the Trust has brought Highbury back into public life through open days, community events, and educational programmes, testing ideas, building relationships, and shaping a vision rooted in access and engagement. This work has been carried out in close partnership with Birmingham City Council, ensuring that restoration proposals are both sustainable and responsive to the site’s wider civic significance.
A major milestone was reached in 2020, when, with the support of Birmingham City Council and Historic England, the Highbury Gardens Phase 1 Project, connecting pathways, improving access and heritage conservation, and an urgent programme of roof and conservation works was completed. These critical interventions stabilised the historic fabric, and protected the building and its grounds for the future – laying the foundations for the next phase of restoration and renewal.
Together, these achievements mark the transition from rescue to renewal, and from preservation to possibility.
Our Current Work - the Landscape
Under the stewardship of the Chamberlain Highbury Trust, a major Gardens Project is underway. The project is an ambitious, inspired restoration, bringing new life to this historic estate for everyone in Birmingham to enjoy.
At the heart of the Gardens Project are the Highbury grounds, 33 acres of Highbury Park, originally designed in Victorian splendour by Edward Milner, which have fallen into decline over the years. The Trust secured a £2 million grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund to revive key historic features including the Italian Garden, the Sunken Rock Garden, and the signature Crucible Wall. The funding supports a three-year programme of conservation, landscaping, ecological enhancement, and a ten-year management plan to help ensure the long-term health, biodiversity, and accessibility of the grounds.
But restoration isn’t just about paths and plants, it’s about people, too. The Trust are delivering a vibrant volunteering programme, a programme of public and community events, and training for staff, volunteers, local people and partner organisations. We also engage young people through leadership, governance, and environmental conservation programmes, enabling a new generation to play a role in preserving Highbury’s heritage. Local schools, community groups, and volunteers are also invited to take part through events and hands-on conservation work.
Further details about our current project to restore of the historic grounds of Highbury Hall can be found on our Gardens Project page.
The Trust’s plans don't end there…
The Trust’s long-term plan is to safeguard and restore Highbury Hall while making it accessible, sustainable, and a vibrant asset for the community.
The restoration will focus on both structural, aesthetic and purpose renewal. Key works include repairing the roof, stabilising the masonry, restoring decorative interiors, and preserving original architectural features that reflect the grandeur of the late 19th century. The Trust is committed to retaining the authenticity of Highbury Hall while ensuring it meets modern standards of safety and accessibility.
Although superficially in reasonable condition, the house requires treatment of dry rot, roof repairs, new leadwork and rainwater goods, masonry and brickwork repairs and re-pointing, joinery repairs and local structural repairs. Some of the fine decorative interiors in the principal rooms have also suffered damage and so require restoration.
Alongside the repairs we will deliver a range of essential improvements and new facilities. These include the complete renewal of the building’s heating, mechanical and electrical services, a lift to improve circulation and access, and a tea room and toilets for visitors to the house and grounds. We shall create a dedicated new learning space for schools and other educational groups.
The physical works will be accompanied by a wide-ranging engagement and activity programme with new interpretation of the history of Highbury and the Chamberlains, including talks and tours, study days and courses, exhibitions and performances, and a comprehensive formal education programme.
Alongside structural work, the restoration includes careful attention to the Hall’s interiors, from ornate ceilings and period fireplaces to original woodwork and decorative plaster. Every element is being conserved or sensitively restored to hold true to the house’s unique character and historical significance.
The Trust actively engages local communities, schools, and volunteers, providing opportunities for learning, heritage skills development, and involvement in conservation projects. Young people, in particular, benefit from programmes designed to develop leadership and practical skills, connecting them with the site’s rich history. The vision is for Highbury Hall to become a thriving cultural and heritage hub. Once restored, it will host public events, educational programmes, private hires, and community activities, ensuring that this historic treasure remains alive, relevant, and appreciated by generations to come.
Through careful restoration and community engagement, Highbury Hall will be preserved as a landmark of Birmingham’s heritage, combining history, education, and culture in a welcoming, accessible environment.
