Three Birmingham buildings have been listed in 2025 – and they’re right on your doorstep.
King Edward VI Handsworth School for Girls(Image: © Historic England Archive)
Three more buildings have been granted listed status in the Midlands – protecting them for generations to come.
Bournville Model Radio Sailing Boathouse and Boating Lake, King Edward VI Handsworth School for Girls and the Church of St Chad in Bromsgrove are among 35 added to the National Heritage List for England in the Midlands in 2025.
Claudia Kenyatta and Emma Squire, Co-CEOs of Historic England, said: “These newly-protected places demonstrate the remarkable diversity of England’s heritage.
READ MORE: Pictures inside Birmingham’s newly-protected hidden gems
“They connect us to the people and events that shaped our communities. From ancient burial sites to shipwrecks and wartime defences to post-modernist buildings, street furniture and Arts and Crafts gardens, these sites reveal the fascinating history that surrounds us all.”
Bournville Radio Sailing and Model Boat Club Boathouse and Associated Concrete Boating Pond, Grade II listed
Historic England said: “Bournville Radio Sailing and Model Boat Club’s boathouse and boating lake are an important part of Birmingham’s social history.
“Built in 1933, the boathouse and its distinctive teardrop-shaped lake are an example of the philanthropy of the Cadbury family of chocolatiers, known for their concern for employee welfare.
“Cadbury hired 64 men who were long-term unemployed and not eligible for state benefit to build the club and boating lake. Workers spent four days a week on construction and the fifth attending carpentry or gardening classes, to help increase their chances of future employment.
“With only 11 pre-war model boating clubhouses remaining in England, Bournville’s is an exceptionally rare building. The listing at Grade II recognises both the careful craftsmanship and cohesive design scheme linking the building and lake and the Cadbury family’s philanthropy.
“The timber-framed boathouse, with its tall doors and pantile roof, was purpose-built to accommodate fully rigged model yachts. Today, the boathouse retains its original features including exposed roof timbers, open storage areas, and a mid-20th century boat measuring tank.”
Bourneville Radio Sailing and Model Boat Club Boathouse and Associated Concrete Boating Pond(Image: © Historic England Archive)
King Edward VI Handsworth School for Girls, Rose Hill Road, Grade II* listed
Historic England said: “King Edward VI Handsworth School for Girls in Birmingham was constructed in 1911. Designed by locally significant architect PB Chatwin, the school is an impressive example of neoclassical design.
“The school retains its original plan and a remarkable number of original fixtures and fittings. This level of survival is unusual for a building of this type and age that remains in active use.
“The building’s long façade features two full-height gabled entrance bays flanking a central hall, carved stone and a distinctive domed cupola.
“The interior centres on a full-height hall with detailed plasterwork and ornamental leadwork. Throughout the building, architectural features including arches, decorated corridors and stairwells demonstrate craftsmanship of a very high standard.”
King Edward VI Handsworth School for Girls(Image: © Historic England Archive)
Church of St Chad, Rubery, Grade II listed
Historic England said: “Built between 1956 and 1960, the church of St Chad in Rubery was constructed as a replacement to an earlier timber church on the site, which dated from 1895.
“It was designed by Richard Twentyman, a significant 20th century architect particularly known for his churches. It was opened in 1960 by Princess Margaret and is still at the centre of the community today.
“The design of the new church – simple, light-filled and open – reflects a wider post-war cultural shift and a desire for buildings that represented a sense of growth, innovation and openness. Built at a cost of £40,000 (over £800,000 in today’s money) the church is built of brick and concrete, with slate details and a copper roof.
“The simplicity of the space, and quality of the building materials is present both internally and externally, with a strong emphasis on the desire for natural light, key to Twentyman’s buildings. The building also features imaginative sculptural work by Geoffrey Clarke, known for his innovative stained glass and sculptures, whose work also features prominently at Coventry’s post-war Grade I listed cathedral.“
Church of St Chad in Bromsgrove(Image: ADAM GRAY)
If you have any memories of these buildings on your doorstep, Historic England is inviting you to share your stories and pictures through its Missing Pieces Project.