Birmingham’s historic Victorian parkland set for £2.3 million transformation backed by National Lottery Heritage Fund

A Derbyshire-based landscaping firm has been appointed as principal contractor for the restoration of the historic grounds of Highbury Hall in Moseley, Birmingham.

This marks a major step forward in a £2.3 million project to bring the Victorian gardens back to their original splendour.

The Chamberlain Highbury Trust (CHT) has selected Killingley, a company with more than 50 years of award-winning experience in hard and soft landscaping across the Midlands and Yorkshire, to lead the works alongside specialist sub-contractor Midlands Masonry.

The project has been made possible by a £2 million grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund alongside support from Historic England, the Garfield Weston Foundation, the Saintbury Trust and the Highbury Trust.

It will restore key heritage features within the 33-acre Highbury Park estate, including the Italian Garden, the Sunken Rock Garden and the Crucible Wall.

David Kidney, chair of trustees at the Chamberlain Highbury Trust, said: “With Killingley now in place we are all set for the restoration of Highbury’s historic grounds to begin.

“Coming at the end of a long period of planning and preparation, this represented a significant milestone for the Trust and a major step towards bringing these remarkable gardens back to their original splendour.”

Community at the heart of the project

Beyond the physical restoration, the three-year project will deliver a wide-ranging programme of community engagement and youth participation, involving local schools, community groups and volunteers.

A 10-year management plan will ensure the continued care and sustainability of the estate long after the works are complete.

Highbury Hall, the Grade II* former home of the Chamberlain family, and its Grade II gardens, designed by Edward Milner and his son Henry, are currently listed on Historic England’s heritage at risk register. The restoration is expected to secure their removal from that register.

A start on site is subject to pre-delivery planning conditions being met, including ecological surveys to protect badgers and bats known to be present, and clearance of the bird nesting season. Completion is targeted for summer 2027.