Shopping parades of Birmingham

[Vivienne14]

According to Historic England shopping parades:

“ are purpose-built rows of shops, often with generous residential accommodation above. They were built in large numbers, and with increasing architectural elaboration, from the mid-nineteenth century. Parades often comprised the commercial centre of suburban and dormitory communities, but were built on main thoroughfares, close to railway stations or tram or omnibus termini, where they might attract passing traffic as well as local shoppers. From the 1880s parades adopted a plethora of historicist styles: neo-Tudor, neo-Baroque, Queen Anne and a restrained neo-Georgian. The last predominated in the inter-war years, which might be regarded as the heyday of the shopping parade”.

Many still survive as rows of shops with accommodation above. Let’s record those around Birmingham, especially ones with original features intact.

To get us started, this is a nice example from 1914 on the Soho Road. Viv.

 

[John L]

Three at Bournville, Sutton Coldfield and Hagley Road:

 

[Vivienne14]

Nice to see examples of places where shopping parades have retained their original character.

Where new housing developments were built on previously undeveloped land, parades of shops were a common feature and an essential service for new residents, such as those around Hawthorn Road in Kingstanding. The intersecting roads of Hawthorn, Warren, Dyas and Kingstanding Roads each had their own row of shops in a parade which came together at the intersection of the roads. These altogether offered a good, full range of shops such as Woolworths, Littlewoods, Boots, Dewhursts, Foster Bros, Geo Masons, Bywaters and Latham’s as well as smaller concerns such as Kirton’s Newsagents, Greenaway’s fishing tackle, a laundrette and a furniture sales room.

Kingstanding Circle is another example but with less shops, a cinema and library. Viv.

 

[Pedrocut]

Parade, Sutton Coldfield, 14 March 1988.

 

[John L]

Parade, Sutton Coldfield, 14 March 1988.

View attachment 174524

The Parade was a lot more vibrant back then, even in the rain. The large former BHS and M & S stores still remain vacant (the picture below shows the Parade reflected in the former windows of M & S) and it looks certain that they will still be empty during the Christmas shopping period.