Birmingham Hotels

Birmingham was a small town specializing in metal work during the Middle Ages. The area was rich in coal and iron but a poor transport system undermined the growth of this settlement in the very centre of England. For two hundred years craftsmen had been attracted to the the area. Small workshops produced a range of metal goods and with the development of the canal system in the late 18th century, Birmingham became one of the most important trade centres in Britain. The main industries included the making of guns, jewellery, pins, buttons, screws, buckles and toys and by 1790 the population had reached 90,000.