The Gun Quarter in Birmingham was once the world’s largest centre for gun making.
The trade began in the early 17th Century, originally springing up in the mills in Digbeth, before moving to the current location north of the city centre. Guns from a Birmingham were first used in the English Civil War, with the industry growing as the British Empire grew.
At its height in the 19th Century, over half of the guns used by the British Army were manufactured in Birmingham.
Gun making was largely made up of small specialist workshops, each manufacturing specific parts of the weapons. Birmingham even had its own Proof House, situated in Digbeth, not the Gun Quarter itself.
You can still see this building today as you leave Birmingham New Street on trains going south. Although, it’s quite cramped in against the railway line these day. By the 1960s, much of the Gun Quarter had been replaced by 1960s developments. Remaining notable buildings include the Gunmakers Arms and The Bull - where workers were paid. Recently The Gun Quarter was made a District of Birmingham, and today is going through a period of investment and further development.
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Read more of our blogs on Birmingham's historic sites, including the history of Dudley Castle, the Founding Father in the West Midlands, & Gandhi's visit to the second city.