Birmingham's Broad Street is home to a forgotten Grade II-listed mansion with a rich 200-year history, transitioning from a hospital to a nightclub, now left neglected after redevelopment plans were rejected.
The Early Years: A Villa in Islington
The mansion at 80 Broad Street was built in the early 19th century in an area then known as Islington, named after the fashionable London district. It was originally part of the Islington Glassworks empire owned by Rice Harris, who lost everything when his business failed in 1842.
Transformation into a Hospital
In 1842, the building became the Birmingham Lying-in Hospital, providing medical care to 'poor married women'. A sales advertisement described it as a 'very substantially built and roomy family house fronting to Islington-road, with a large walled garden and grounds'. By 1869, it had become a children's hospital, later the Royal Cripples Hospital in 1917, and finally the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital in 1955. During this time, gothic piers and railings were added by renowned Birmingham architects Martin and Chamberlain.
From Medical Care to Nightlife
In the 1990s, the mansion was converted into a nightclub venue. Its last tenant, Zara's, closed in 2020 after losing its alcohol licence due to violence and a firebomb attack. Today, the building is overgrown with weeds and litter, its red brick Flemish bond façade slowly deteriorating.
Uncertain Future
A 2024 proposal to build a high-rise tower on top of the mansion was rejected, with Councillor Gareth Moore calling it 'utterly bonkers'. The current owners, HJB Investors, have not responded to inquiries about future plans, leaving the historic building's fate uncertain.
