1. The History
The Tower Ballroom is located by the Edgbaston Reservoir in Birmingham. It first opened to the public in March 1876 and closed permanently in 2017. Over the years it has hosted a variety of events, including roller- and ice-skating, dances, discos, weddings, boxing matches, theatre, and gigs including appearances legendary bands including The Smiths and New Order.
The beginnings of the Edgbaston Reservoir stretch back as early as 1824 when Thomas Telford significantly enlarged Roach Pool in order to provide a constant water supply to the West Midlands’ new canals. Initially constructed on open land, from 1850 onwards the surrounding area became increasingly built up. In 1870, the canal company leased 62 acres of land around the reservoir to a boat-builder from Oxfordshire, William Wyatt, who established pleasure gardens, including refreshment rooms and a boat house with 500 boats for hire. In 1875, Wyatt also constructed a concrete building with a single span roof to serve as a roller-skating rink to the east of the refreshment rooms and boathouse. Measuring 75 yards long and 20 yards wide, it was billed as ‘largest covered skating rink in the Kingdom’. Opening in March 1876, its life was short-lived and Wyatt went bankrupt in 1878. In 1882, the entertainment license was transferred to F.H. Miller. He promptly laid a new floor and used the building primarily for dancing during the holidays
In 1909, the building was refurbished by its then lessees, the Salters. The rink was updated with a maple floor and a café, a cloakroom and windows looking out on the reservoir were also added. During World War I, the rink was used for drilling and as a miniature rifle range but remained open to the public when not in use by the Home Guard. The building became increasingly popular as a dance hall and in 1925 was renamed the Pavilion Ballroom.
Dancing and roller-skating continued into the 1930’s. In 1933, Birmingham Sporting Club acquired the building, renaming it after Blackpool's Tower Ballroom. By 1934, although skating still took place, it was now primarily an entertainment venue and dance hall. Boxing matches were also regularly held resulting in rowdy crowds that caused some licensing issues. Taken over by Galaland, they were liquidated in 1937.[29] Galaland, the lease went up for sale in 1938 for £600 a year. In December that year the ballroom was briefly used as sorting depot for the Post Office to deal with Christmas mail.
Following the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939, it closed but in 1944, Butlins took over the lease of the reservoir and grounds, using it as a storage depot, although the gardens remained open to the public. After 1948, the ballroom’s ownership was a bit unclear. However In 1956, the site was purchased from the Docks and Inland Waterways Executive by Birmingham City Council who privately leased out the Tower Ballroom. In 1960, the ballroom was taken over by the Parks Department of the Birmingham Corporation, although attendance fell to fewer than 200 guests in a ballroom with a capacity of 1,500. In 1962, the site was leased to Mecca Limited, who renamed it the Gay Tower Ballroom. It reopened in 1963 with a charity cocktail party and dance. The building continued to host boxing, music, and dancing events across the next two decades. By the late 1970s, it was again known as just the Tower Ballroom.
Archive picture from the 60s(?):
And a more recent one from the 80s(?):
A planned £1m refurb including a nightclub and upmarket restaurant was delayed when in 1988 when the Ballroom played host as a shoot location for the 3rd series of ITV’s drama series Boon, staring Michael Elphick. Subsequently the refurb never materialised. In 1991, planning permission to build a hotel on the site was also not followed through.
In 1989 Rank Organisation acquired Mecca Leisure Group, and the new owners extended the building including a beer store in 1993. In 2005, plans were submitted to close and demolish the establishment in order to make way for 40 homes and 50 apartments. A well-publicised and documented ‘Last Dance’ was held on 15th December, 2005, to mark the occasion. However, a successful campaign saw Birmingham City Council refusing to approve the change the use of land application. The building subsequently reopened in April 2008 now known as ‘The Tower’. A year later, Balinder Sangha announced a £1m refurbishment project with a view to creating a venue for large South Asian weddings. In 2014, the owner was fined almost £2k for music copyright infringements and in 2017 the venue closed, with Sangha unable to pay the rent due to the council. It briefly reopened in 2019 to host Birmingham Opera Company’s award-winning production of Dmitri Shostakovich’s opera Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk. As part of the production it was then ‘artfully trashed’ by artists and set designers.
Since then it has been empty. Campaigners have tried to get the building listing but The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, taking advice from Historic England, refused their requests, stating that it had no "architectural and historic interest" to merit listing. Consquently, notices were served in 2021 for its demolition in January of this year. The building has been extensively trashed and smashed up and will most likely now meet with the demolition team’s wrecking ball sooner rather than later.
2. The Explore
With a morning window of opportunity to explore and my Plan A providing too much of a squeeze (or did I just try the wrong point of entry?) I moved on to Plan B courtesy of a head’s up from @Bikin Glynn (cheers kidda!). I checked on the forums and only saw a post in the “Leads” section, so came here with little expectations. On arrival what soon became apparent was the level of trashing this place has been subject to. I very quickly found a relatively easy entry point and as I turned my torch on the true scale of its trashing became apparent. For a place that was so vibrant and was the place where so many friendships and good times were forged, and not that long hence, it was depressing to see what the idiots had done.
I’d been away of the place for a long time as my fave band New Order had played here in 1983, 1985 and 1986. At the 1983 gig, New Order famously opened their set with “Love will tear us apart”, the first Joy Division song they played since Ian Curtis’ death in May 1980 (audio HERE). So a venue with a rich musical history, making it all the sadder to see it in this sorry state.
3. The Pictures
We’re in the right place!
The front view gives a good indication of what is to follow:
Somehow don’t think these are in working order:
And down the side facing the reservoir:
It’s an aircraft-hanger like building:
And a hint of its former usage:
And we’re in. Oh Lordy…
Just in case we get lost:
The stage area which has been graced by the likes of New Order, The Smiths, James, The Happy Mondays…the list goes on:
View from the stage:
Some semi-passable graff:
Main venue bar area:
Kitchen area:
Two tiny bits of décor that haven't been smashed up:
Take a seat:
The sorry looking bar area that overlooks the reservoir:
Price lists for the food and drink:
Main entrance from the inside:
Complete carnage:
That’s all folks!
The Tower Ballroom is located by the Edgbaston Reservoir in Birmingham. It first opened to the public in March 1876 and closed permanently in 2017. Over the years it has hosted a variety of events, including roller- and ice-skating, dances, discos, weddings, boxing matches, theatre, and gigs including appearances legendary bands including The Smiths and New Order.
The beginnings of the Edgbaston Reservoir stretch back as early as 1824 when Thomas Telford significantly enlarged Roach Pool in order to provide a constant water supply to the West Midlands’ new canals. Initially constructed on open land, from 1850 onwards the surrounding area became increasingly built up. In 1870, the canal company leased 62 acres of land around the reservoir to a boat-builder from Oxfordshire, William Wyatt, who established pleasure gardens, including refreshment rooms and a boat house with 500 boats for hire. In 1875, Wyatt also constructed a concrete building with a single span roof to serve as a roller-skating rink to the east of the refreshment rooms and boathouse. Measuring 75 yards long and 20 yards wide, it was billed as ‘largest covered skating rink in the Kingdom’. Opening in March 1876, its life was short-lived and Wyatt went bankrupt in 1878. In 1882, the entertainment license was transferred to F.H. Miller. He promptly laid a new floor and used the building primarily for dancing during the holidays
In 1909, the building was refurbished by its then lessees, the Salters. The rink was updated with a maple floor and a café, a cloakroom and windows looking out on the reservoir were also added. During World War I, the rink was used for drilling and as a miniature rifle range but remained open to the public when not in use by the Home Guard. The building became increasingly popular as a dance hall and in 1925 was renamed the Pavilion Ballroom.
Dancing and roller-skating continued into the 1930’s. In 1933, Birmingham Sporting Club acquired the building, renaming it after Blackpool's Tower Ballroom. By 1934, although skating still took place, it was now primarily an entertainment venue and dance hall. Boxing matches were also regularly held resulting in rowdy crowds that caused some licensing issues. Taken over by Galaland, they were liquidated in 1937.[29] Galaland, the lease went up for sale in 1938 for £600 a year. In December that year the ballroom was briefly used as sorting depot for the Post Office to deal with Christmas mail.
Following the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939, it closed but in 1944, Butlins took over the lease of the reservoir and grounds, using it as a storage depot, although the gardens remained open to the public. After 1948, the ballroom’s ownership was a bit unclear. However In 1956, the site was purchased from the Docks and Inland Waterways Executive by Birmingham City Council who privately leased out the Tower Ballroom. In 1960, the ballroom was taken over by the Parks Department of the Birmingham Corporation, although attendance fell to fewer than 200 guests in a ballroom with a capacity of 1,500. In 1962, the site was leased to Mecca Limited, who renamed it the Gay Tower Ballroom. It reopened in 1963 with a charity cocktail party and dance. The building continued to host boxing, music, and dancing events across the next two decades. By the late 1970s, it was again known as just the Tower Ballroom.
Archive picture from the 60s(?):
And a more recent one from the 80s(?):
A planned £1m refurb including a nightclub and upmarket restaurant was delayed when in 1988 when the Ballroom played host as a shoot location for the 3rd series of ITV’s drama series Boon, staring Michael Elphick. Subsequently the refurb never materialised. In 1991, planning permission to build a hotel on the site was also not followed through.
In 1989 Rank Organisation acquired Mecca Leisure Group, and the new owners extended the building including a beer store in 1993. In 2005, plans were submitted to close and demolish the establishment in order to make way for 40 homes and 50 apartments. A well-publicised and documented ‘Last Dance’ was held on 15th December, 2005, to mark the occasion. However, a successful campaign saw Birmingham City Council refusing to approve the change the use of land application. The building subsequently reopened in April 2008 now known as ‘The Tower’. A year later, Balinder Sangha announced a £1m refurbishment project with a view to creating a venue for large South Asian weddings. In 2014, the owner was fined almost £2k for music copyright infringements and in 2017 the venue closed, with Sangha unable to pay the rent due to the council. It briefly reopened in 2019 to host Birmingham Opera Company’s award-winning production of Dmitri Shostakovich’s opera Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk. As part of the production it was then ‘artfully trashed’ by artists and set designers.
Since then it has been empty. Campaigners have tried to get the building listing but The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, taking advice from Historic England, refused their requests, stating that it had no "architectural and historic interest" to merit listing. Consquently, notices were served in 2021 for its demolition in January of this year. The building has been extensively trashed and smashed up and will most likely now meet with the demolition team’s wrecking ball sooner rather than later.
2. The Explore
With a morning window of opportunity to explore and my Plan A providing too much of a squeeze (or did I just try the wrong point of entry?) I moved on to Plan B courtesy of a head’s up from @Bikin Glynn (cheers kidda!). I checked on the forums and only saw a post in the “Leads” section, so came here with little expectations. On arrival what soon became apparent was the level of trashing this place has been subject to. I very quickly found a relatively easy entry point and as I turned my torch on the true scale of its trashing became apparent. For a place that was so vibrant and was the place where so many friendships and good times were forged, and not that long hence, it was depressing to see what the idiots had done.
I’d been away of the place for a long time as my fave band New Order had played here in 1983, 1985 and 1986. At the 1983 gig, New Order famously opened their set with “Love will tear us apart”, the first Joy Division song they played since Ian Curtis’ death in May 1980 (audio HERE). So a venue with a rich musical history, making it all the sadder to see it in this sorry state.
3. The Pictures
We’re in the right place!
The front view gives a good indication of what is to follow:
Somehow don’t think these are in working order:
And down the side facing the reservoir:
It’s an aircraft-hanger like building:
And a hint of its former usage:
And we’re in. Oh Lordy…
Just in case we get lost:
The stage area which has been graced by the likes of New Order, The Smiths, James, The Happy Mondays…the list goes on:
View from the stage:
Some semi-passable graff:
Main venue bar area:
Kitchen area:
Two tiny bits of décor that haven't been smashed up:
Take a seat:
The sorry looking bar area that overlooks the reservoir:
Price lists for the food and drink:
Main entrance from the inside:
Complete carnage:
That’s all folks!
