I visited the country’s No.1 hidden gem attraction – it was one of the best tours I’ve ever been on

THE country’s top hidden gem attraction is just a short bus ride from my family home.

This is how I find myself exploring Birmingham’s Back to Backs on a recent visit to my hometown.

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Finding a crowd-free spot in Birmingham isn’t an easy task, but the city’s Back to Backs were a quaint haven away from its busy shopping streets.

And that’s for good reason because research from luggage storage company Bounce named the Back to Backs as the UK’s best hidden gem attraction in the UK.

Thanks to its 5/5 star rating from more than 4,000 TripAdvisor reviews, the Back to Backs soared to first place.

Built in the 19th Century, the small brick buildings are the city’s last surviving example of back-to-back houses.

The tiny terraced houses were built back-to-back around a communal courtyard in a bid to house Birmingham’s growing population in the 19th and 20th centuries.

In 1909, the construction of further back to back houses was outlawed, with many being demolished.

Even though the buildings were deemed unsatisfactory, families continued to live in the houses until Cathy Come Home aired in 1966.

The show was a harrowing television play on homelessness, and it even featured some of Birmingham’s back-to-back houses, which were being used to house the city’s homeless population at the time.

Following a public outcry over the living conditions, residents in the city’s back to back houses were rehomed.

Inside Birmingham’s Back to Backs

Located on the corner of Hurst Street and Inge Street, the Back to Backs are hidden behind a wooden shop front that houses a tiny reception area where visitors check into their guided tour.

My family and I were then led through to a brick courtyard where we were introduced to John – our informative and friendly tour guide.

For the 90 minutes, John expertly guided our small group through two interconnected houses, which showcased what life would’ve looked like for working-class families in the 1860s and 1930s.

Each of the eight rooms we explored were tiny, showing visitors just some of the cramped conditions families lived in 150 years ago.

For example, one of the bedrooms had two double beds that were separated by a thin sheet hung from the ceiling.

While four young children were said to sleep in one bed, the other was occupied by a pair of lodgers.

All of the rooms were decorated with everyday objects, including tins, scales and other artefacts from the past, with John pointing out the most interesting or relevant items, including an old tin of Bird’s Custard, which was produced in the city’s Custard Factory.  

The rooms were connected through narrow doorways and tiny spiral staircases.

According to our tour guide John, some of the former residents even worked in the Back to Backs with their tools on display, including the likes of a locksmith and a jeweller from the Jewellery Quarter.

Birmingham Back to Backs also houses the only collection of work by a Caribbean tailor in the UK.

George Saunders operated a successful tailor’s shop from the Back to Backs for many years, even leaving some of his items to the National Trust to preserve this last living link to the houses.

At the end of the tour, we were led back to the brick courtyard where we were shown how the laundry rooms operated.

We were then given free time to take photos in the courtyard, as taking photos of the rooms wasn’t allowed.

My guide John gave the Birmingham Back to Backs a deep sense of life in the old buildings, on what was one of the best guided tours I’ve ever had the pleasure of experiencing.

So much so that it felt strange leaving the brick courtyard and wandering through Birmingham’s bright and shiny city centre in search of some grub.

Entry into the Back to Backs is only possible with a guided tour, with tickets costing £9 for a full-paying adult and £4.50 for a child.

Meanwhile, I’ve also revealed the best of Birmingham’s hidden gems – including a secret garden and the UK’s best curry.

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