Winterbourne House & Gardens

An Edwardian family property in Edgbaston that has become part of the University of Birmingham's wider estate, Winterbourne House and Gardens provide the perfect place to meet up with Bookworm Bygrave over the Bank Holiday weekend...

- Winterbourne House -

It's Saturday 23rd May 2026, the sun is shining, there's barely a cloud in the sky and we have history with horticulture afoot on Edgbaston Park Road. Winterbourne House was built in 1904 for John Nettlefold - part of the family who put the 'N' into GKN - who lived here along with his wife Margaret and several children. The property has many Arts and Crafts features as befits its period of construction, including notable examples of William Morris wallpaper.

- Wisteria -

After a period under the ownership of Harry Wheelock, Winterbourne was bequeathed to the University of Birmingham in 1944 and was initially used to provide accommodation for female students. It would then see use as a base for Birmingham Business School prior to gaining museum accreditation in 2017, since when it has become a heritage attraction open to all (admission charges apply). The spectacular planting alone is worth the entrance fee, with Emily especially drawn towards a glorious pergola draped in dangling wisteria.

- Lupins near the Walled Garden -

The Walled Garden can be found close to the house, providing an oasis of scent and colour where tall lupins mingle with trailing roses and lush foliage, making the most of the sunshine. We have a peek inside an outhouse containing the Winterbourne Press, seeing how historic printing press equipment has been salvaged and preserved. The Old Kitchen is also close at hand, showcasing scullery scrubbing brushes and a large set of shiny copper frying pans.

- The Vegetable Patch -

The gardens would historically have been used to grow fresh produce for the Nettlefold family to eat hence it is fitting that the current operation includes scope for vegetable propagation. We marvel at the sight of cabbages, lettuces and tomatoes although a seasonal approach is taken in order to cultivate food through into the autumn. For some years Winterbourne served as the University's Botanical Gardens and this legacy can still be seen today in the form of the Geographical Beds comprising species from Asia, South America and Australasia.

- Teddy Time -

Having had a gander around the gardens, Emily and I pause for a hot chocolate break (yes, there was cake - a cherry and white chocolate blondie in fact) then investigate more of the house. John Nettlefold's study has an extensive library - Miss Bygrave naturally approves - while the children's nursery room has a cute assembly of teddy bears. We learn more about the history of GKN as a firm, and of Mr Nettlefold's involvement in Birmingham town planning.

- Edgbaston Pool -

There's now scope to explore the extensive wider grounds, passing through the Nut Walk arch of hazelnut trees and spotting an appealing Lych Gate shelter. Although not directly part of the property's curtilage, a woodland path allows us views across Edgbaston Pool which serves as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). Much of the surrounding land is privately owned by the Edgbaston Golf Club so we can only walk a short distance along the pool perimeter.

- Bookworm Bygrave at Rhododendron Walk -

Back within the bounds of Winterbourne, we burrow between pretty rhododendron bushes to reach the Japanese Bridge and a rock garden. Stepping stones take you across the stream and some of the leaves are absolutely humongous! A bench by the Tall Stones - a sculptural piece formed of a trio of shards - allows us to relax and enjoy the lawn tranquility. There are quite a few art pieces dotted around actually, with a carved specimen called 'A Fine Balance' proving a fan favourite which celebrates the importance of bees.

- Something Succulent? -

We've almost finished our tour but haven't yet glanced among the glasshouses. These are themed according to their contents so we have orchids, alpines, succulents - with some very prickly looking cacti - and even a section for carnivorous plants where we manage to avoid being eaten. We must allow time for the Bookworm to do what she does best, namely peruse the shelves of the second hand bookshop. Emily is in her element!

- Bravo for Bavo -

The bookish angle doesn't end there, for there's more retail therapy on the cards when we continue into Kings Heath. The Book Tower on Poplar Road is not a shop either of us knew about - I sense it could become a regular haunt though - then the Oxfam store on Kings Heath High Street comes up trumps for promising paperback finds and even a Paulish local history purchase. The afternoon concludes with a couple of drinks in the vicinity of York Road where the Juke and Schooners effectively face each other across cosmopolitan al fresco beer tables. Bavo Lager is very refreshing in the former, listening to jukebox tunes amidst a cooling pink interior, before God's Twisted Sister Stout goes down nicely at Schooners, admiring a map pinpointing the locations of craft breweries across the West Midlands. Cheers!