From Underneath the Brambles. Highbury House and the restoration of the Gardens

Joseph Chamberlain (1836-1914) was a social reformer, radical politician and Imperialist who, despite never becoming Prime Minister, was one of the leading political figures of late Victorian and early Edwardian Britain. Chamberlain became deeply involved in the Civic Affairs of Birmingham where he was elected Mayor in 1873. He became a social pioneer with innovative schemes for education, housing and municipal ownership of Gas and Water which earned Birmingham the reputation for model Civic Government.

Subsequently, Chamberlain became a major figure in national politics.  He played important and often controversial role in the major political issues of his day such as Irish Home Rule, The Anglo-Boer War (1849-1902) and international tariffs.

Throughout his career Chamberlain retained a strong political base in Birmingham which was known as his ‘Duchy’ , centred on his home at Highbury Hall, now a Grade II* listed building, commissioned as his Birmingham residence in 1878, two years after he became member of parliament for Birmingham. The architect was John Henry Chamberlain (no relation), who incorporated much terracotta decoration. Adjacent to the house were Chamberlain's famous orchid houses. From there, a supply of orchids was sent every few days to his London residence when Parliament was sitting. 

The south facing grounds of 30 acres associated with Highbury were mainly landscaped by Edward Milner in 1879. He was an Edwardian garden designer of national repute, and designed a circuit path that ran around the periphery of the estate leading from the drive to points of interest, including a pond and a lake and returning to the pleasure grounds near the mansion. Immediately in front of the house there was a semi-circular parterre leading from a terrace from which there were distant views over the Worcestershire countryside.

Following Chamberlain’s death, the Hall passed to the city and has since been used for a range of public purposes. Today, the Chamberlain Highbury Trust works to restore the building and its historic gardens, and preserve this unique piece of heritage for future generations.

The talk by Alison Millward, a founding member of the Chamberlain Highbury Trust and former Vice Chair of the Trustees will provide an introduction to the Chamberlain family and the importance of Highbury Hall, the garden’s history and the HLF funded restoration project. It is planned to follow the talk with a visit to Highbury. 

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