Jewellery Quarter - Transport

Transport

The Jewellery Quarter is served by the Jewellery Quarter station, a co-joined stop on both the Midland Metro and the main rail line into Birmingham Snow Hill station. It was opened as a passenger railway station in 1995 as part of the "Jewellery Line" project and Midland Metro services commenced in 1999. It is located on the Birmingham to Worcester via Kidderminster Line. It is located partly on the site of the Hockley goods facilities. The Hockley railway station is a disused station located about 100 yards (91 m) away from the current Jewellery Quarter station. It was open from 1854 till 1972. A viaduct starts at Snow Hill station and becomes a tunnel, cutting beneath the Jewellery Quarter. A new entrance to Snow Hill station is being constructed within the viaduct on the opposite side of Great Charles Street Queensway, within the Jewellery Quarter.

Birmingham's canal network cuts through the south of the Jewellery Quarter. The Birmingham and Fazeley Canal was completed in this area in 1789. A canal arm was constructed by Caroline Colmore in 1809 and this became known as Miss Colmore's Canal, although was later named Whitmore's Arm. The canal arm has since been filled in although the remains of the entrance to it are still visible from the canal path. Also along this length of canal are the remains of brackets which held early canalside lighting. Newhall Street crosses the canal and beneath the bridge is lock 9 of the Farmers Bridge flight. Lock 10 is located directly beneath Brindley House, a telephone exchange which was constructed 1967-8 to a design by D.K. McGowan. It has recently been renovated into apartments by MCD Developments. The canal is no longer used for industrial purposes and is now used for leisure.

The Jewellery Quarter itself consists of a network of narrow streets. However, the area is bounded by large roads, chiefly a product of postwar redevelopment. To the south is Great Charles Street Queensway which formed part of the A4400 Inner Ring Road. Part of the road also consists of the Great Charles Street Queensway tunnel, part of the A38. To the northwest is Icknield Street which forms part of the A4540 Middle Ring Road. At the western apex of the area, the Middle Ring Road forms a junction with the A457. At the northern-most point, Great Hampton Street crosses over the Middle Ring Road at Boulton Middleway. Great Hampton Street runs southeast and becomes Constitution Hill and then Old Snow Hill before merging with the Inner Ring Road at St Chad's Circus. To the southwest is Sand Pits and Summer Hill Road, forming part of the A457. Several bus services run through the Jewellery Quarter, and many National Express West Midlands buses run along the main roads on the boundaries.