Underrated city that’s now home to one of UK’s coolest neighbourhoods with huge pubs & music festivals
WHILE most holidaymakers to Birmingham won't step foot outside of the city centre, there are plenty of other areas that deserve some attention.
One of those places is Moseley in south Birmingham, which is just a 15-minute bus journey away from the Bullring.
As someone who grew up in Birmingham, Moseley was always regarded as one of the coolest areas in the city thanks to its independent food scene and edgy music festivals.
There are six Michelin-starred restaurants in Birmingham, the most outside London, and one of them is in Moseley.
Carters of Moseley became a Michelin-starred restaurant back in 2015.
The restaurant has a multi-course tasting menu, which dishes up seasonal British grub.
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Dinner experiences run for approximately two and a half hours and cost £150 per person.
If your pockets don't run that deep, then there are plenty of other great spots in the area, including Damascena Moseley - a popular cafe serving classic Lebanese food.
I'd been visiting Damascena Moseley for over 10 years, and its food never falters.
There's also Sorrento Lounge and Ponte di Legno - both of which serve traditional Mediterranean dishes.
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Moseley is also home to plenty of pubs, including The Prince of Wales, which is arguably one of Birmingham's best pubs.
The Prince of Wales closed back in 2022, but the traditional boozer was saved by pub giant Greene King.
Originally built in the 1940s, the pub was rebuilt in 1887 and has been a Moseley staple ever since.
Lord of the Rings author, and Birmingham local, JRR Tolkien is said to have visited the pub on several occasions.
While the inside of the pub is rather cosy, with a smattering of tables and chairs surrounding the bar, the outside is huge.
The large beer garden has plenty of places to sit, wood-burning fire pits and large TV screens.
The inside of the pub is extremely small and cosy, but the outside is home to a large beer garden with a fun cocktail bar.
If you can't find a spot in the Prince of Wales on a Saturday night, then there are plenty of other watering holes to try, including The Fighting Cocks and the One Trick Pony Club.
Two music festivals take place in Moseley throughout the year.
The Mostly Jazz, Funk & Soul festival takes place every July in Moseley Park, with this year's headliners including Kool & the Gang.
Moseley Folk and Art Festival is the area's other popular music festival with previous performances including Laura Marling.
This year's festival will take place between August 30, 2024, to September 1, 2024.
A revamped attraction is set to reopen in Moseley next year following a £15.5million renovation project.
Moseley Road Baths first opened back in 1907, but it closed in October 2023 to make way for the redevelopment.
The Edwardian pool, now Grade II listed, is the only baths in the country to have hosted continuous swimming events since before 1914.
The renovation project will include a new cafe, gym and wellbeing hub, as well as updates to the roof, boilers and entry ways.
Moseley is also home to one of the most popular parks in the city, Cannon Hill Park is a sprawling park covering 200 acres.
The park is home to a nature reserve, woodland, play park, cultural hub, and a little lake where visitors can hire pedalo boats.
There are other parks in the area too, including Moseley Park and Moseley Bog, the latter of which is said to have inspired The Lord of The Rings author JRR Tolkien.
Moseley Bog, which is now a nature reserve, was said to have inspired Fangorn Forest and the Old Forest in Lord of the Rings.
Several walking trails are dotted throughout the woodland where visitors will notice gnarled trees, which are reminiscent of the Ents - Tolkien's tree-like creatures.
There's also Sarehole Mill - a 250-year-old water mill that Tolkien is said to have explored with his younger brother when the pair were children.
While Sarehole Mill is technically in Hall Green, it's only a 15-minute walk from Moseley Bog - with walking tours taking place between the two areas.
Now a museum, Sarehole Mill runs guided tours on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays for visitors to learn all about the old water mill.
Guided walking tours run from Sarehole Mill to Moseley Bog on selected Sundays, with tickets costing £10 per person.
Birmingham is also a stone's throw from popular UK days out like Warwick Castle and Stratford Upon Avon - both of which are accessible via train from Birmingham Moor Street station.
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