Close

The hidden Victorian tombs beneath Birmingham that you've probably never heard of

Uncover the hidden Victorian catacombs beneath Birmingham's Jewellery Quarter, revealing stories of the city's past.

Published

Hidden beneath the streets of Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter lies a piece of the city’s buried past - the Warstone Lane catacombs.

Cut into an old quarry wall, these tiered tombs were a Victorian solution to unstable ground and overcrowded cemeteries, Birmingham World reports. 

Warstone Lane Cemetery Catacombs or Brookfield Cemetery has a secret catacomb. It was established in 1848 and burials took place until 1982. It looks like a semicircle just like a Roman amphitheatre. | Wikimedia Commons
Warstone Lane Cemetery Catacombs or Brookfield Cemetery has a secret catacomb. It was established in 1848 and burials took place until 1982. It looks like a semicircle just like a Roman amphitheatre. | Wikimedia Commons

Now sealed and off-limits to the public, the catacombs once held some of Birmingham’s most prominent 19th-century residents. 

They also became a final resting place for over 600 bodies quietly reinterred after the demolition of Christ Church - including the famed typographer John Baskerville, whose remains were moved multiple times. 

Kevin Thomas, tour guide for Birmingham Walking Tours, shares the history of Birmingham’s catacombs | Local TV
Kevin Thomas, tour guide for Birmingham Walking Tours, shares the history of Birmingham’s catacombs | Local TV

Local guide Kevin Thomas is among the few shedding light on this hidden chapter. He says the site isn't a mystery - but it’s often overlooked. 

The catacombs reveal how Birmingham managed space, death, and dignity during a time of rapid urban growth.

Built for practicality, they’ve become part of the city’s historic fabric. No folklore needed - the facts speak for themselves.