Chamberlain Square

Chamberlain Square, City Centre

Chamberlain Square or Chamberlain Place is a public square in central Birmingham, England (grid reference SP066869), named after Joseph Chamberlain.

Its features include:

• Birmingham Central Library
• Paradise Forum (beneath the reference library)
• Birmingham Council House (side elevation)
• Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery
• Birmingham Town Hall (rear elevation)
• Big Brum
• The Chamberlain Memorial (a grade II listed monument)
• Connection to Victoria Square.

and statues of:

• Joseph Priestley
• James Watt
• Thomas Attwood by Sioban Coppinger and Fiona Peever, 1993. The bronze statue sits, having left his plinth, and scattered his bronze pages, on the steps.

The statue of James Watt was originally located on Paradise Street next to the Town Hall. The Joseph Priestley statue was originally located in Victoria Square (then called Council House Square).

The sweeping curve of the steps of the library forms an amphitheatre, and so the square is used for public events.

The annual Birmingham Christmas Craft Fair is held in Chamberlain Square from the 3rd Friday in November to the 23rd of December. The event began as 'Winterval' in 1997/8 (20 November - 31 December ^[1]) – with the intention of driving business into Birmingham's newly rejuvenated town centre.

Chamberlain Square was the original site of Birmingham's BBC Big Screen, where it was situated until September 2007.^[2] The current Big Screen is located in Victoria Square.

Photo gallery

• 

  Chamberlain Square & Central Library

• 

  Chamberlain Memorial

• 

  Joseph Priestley

• 

  James Watt

• 

  Thomas Attwood, empty plinth, and scattered bronze pages on steps

• 

  Chamberlain Square in 1886

Sources

• Pevsner Architectural Guides - Birmingham, Andy Foster, 2005, ISBN 0-300-10731-5
• BIRMINGHAM CHAMBERLAIN PLACE AND BIG BRUM

1. ^ Birmingham City Council 'Winterval' brochure
2. ^ http://www.bbc.co.uk/birmingham/content/articles/2007/09/25/birmingham_big_screen_moves_feature.shtml BBC Birmingham: Big Screen

Coordinates: 52°28′48″N 1°54′15″W / 52.47999°N 1.90425°W / 52.47999; -1.90425