National Trust - Birmingham Back to Backs

Absolutely fantastic place to visit. It's a guided tour and the guide explains about each room/ house and its history. Did the full tour which involves going up some narrow spiral stairs but there are banisters and handles to help. Our guide Ross made our visit memorable. You must book. Can not recommend highly enough.

My visit to the Birmingham Back to Backs was absolutely fantastic and a truly immersive experience! I was completely captivated by the stories and history brought to life in each house. The guides were incredibly knowledgeable and passionate, making the past feel incredibly present and real. It's a truly unique and wonderfully preserved piece of Birmingham's heritage, offering a poignant glimpse into bygone eras. I left with a much deeper appreciation for the lives of those who lived there. Highly recommended for anyone wanting to step back in time and connect with history!"

I don't give 5 star reviews lightly, but this place thoroughly deserves it. Extremely informative tour (90 mins). The guide - Jean - was excellent throughout the tour. Stairs are a bit of a challenge on your joints, so be aware. If you have an interest in social history, you must visit

Wonderful experience going back in time at different periods of local life, our benefit was the brilliant tour guide Wayne who with his extensive knowledge and stories brought it to life. You will have to pre book the tour and check access has there are quite a few stairs to climb

I only booked a tour of The Backs because I'm a National Trust member and was in Birmingham for the weekend and needed something to fill time. I was amazed at how much I enjoyed the tour, it was fascinating hearing about the history of the site and those that had lived there. You can only visit the houses on a guided tour, and a full tour takes 90 minutes. Be warned that the stairs in the houses are narrow and steep. Our guide, Miles, was brilliant and the time flew by way too quickly. I'd highly recommend this tour and would happily visit again. The tours do get fully booked, so if you want to do this book in advance.

This is a guided tour. When you buy your ticket you are given an entry time. Our guide was very informative and humorous. Really interesting to see how people had to live over the years. The tour lasted about an hour and a half.

Fascinating to visit and hear the history of these building set up as time capsules from the 1800’s to 1930’s. It’s hard to imagine so many people living in such close proximity without running water and sanitation in the early periods.

Loved to hear the history of these back to backs. Each of the three houses are set in different eras. Very knowledgeable guide. I didn't take photos of outside as it was quite dark. There are some very steep staircases.

An atmospheric glimpse into the lives of the ordinary people who helped make Birmingham the city it is today. On a fascinating guided tour, we stepped back in time at Birmingham's last surviving court of back to backs. These houses were built literally back-to-back around a communal courtyard. Moving from the 1840s through to the 1970s, we discovered the lives of some of the former residents who crammed into these small houses to live and work. With fires alight in the grates, and sounds and smells from the past, experience an evocative and intimate insight into life at the Back to Backs I would certainly recommend the guided tour which brings the houses and characters to life. Make yourself at home, warm up by the fire and make sure you visit the adjoining sweet shop for even more nostalgia.

Really facinating!! The tour takes you around these tiny houses and the guide gives you all sorts of info. You can touch the stuff too, so its not so museum like. The yard has the old toilets and wash house and then there is a little discovery centre type thing inside. There is also an old sweet shop which is open to anyone. There are some steep steps and low ceilings. Very interesting and well worth a visit. There is something available for those who cant do the steps.