Bull Ring

BirminghamUnited Kingdom 52° N · 1° W Updated Aug 2026

A medieval market charter from 1166 still echoes through Birmingham’s Bull Ring, where St Martin’s church meets a disc-clad icon of modern retail today.

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Bull Ring Photo: Bs0u10e0 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Entry
Free entry

Fifteen thousand spun-aluminium discs give Selfridges at Birmingham's Bull Ring a silver skin, while a documented market charter, a recorded riot, and a church with medieval roots occupy the same few acres. Visit Bull Ring in Birmingham, United Kingdom, to see the city's commercial memory pressed against its loudest modern experiment: St Martin's spire, Nelson's bronze, and a retail centre that looks faintly extraterrestrial. Come for the shopping; stay for the deliciously awkward question of what a marketplace remembers.

Records show that in 1166 Henry II granted Peter FitzWilliam de Bermingham a weekly Thursday market at his manor. That charter turned a local meeting point into a commercial habit, and the Bull Ring still performs the same basic trick: bringing strangers together to exchange money, goods, news, and opinions.

What visitors see now is a layered argument rather than a preserved medieval square. Architectural histories confirm that J. A. Chatwin rebuilt most of St Martin-in-the-Bull Ring between 1873 and 1875, while the 1809 Nelson statue quietly claims to be Britain's first public monument to the admiral.

Look closely at the names underfoot. Local histories connect The Shambles and Spiceal Street with the old butcher stalls and traders in cloth, spices, and apothecary goods. The merchandise has changed; the instinct to gather here has not.

Researched by the Audiala editorial team from historical records, architectural archives, and local expertise.

What to see

  1. Selfridges Birmingham

    The surprise is that a department store can look like it has landed from orbit: completed in 2003 by Future Systems, Jan Kaplický and Amanda Levete’s four-storey Selfridges wears roughly 15,000 spun aluminium discs over a cobalt-blue, curving shell. Walk close and the discs break your reflection into hundreds of tiny, fish-eye silhouettes; from St Martin’s steps, the building shifts from silver to gunmetal as the sky changes, turning shopping into an accidental lesson in light, steel and Paco Rabanne-inspired fashion. Look up once more—the building’s soft, cornerless bulk makes Birmingham’s old Gothic spire seem suddenly more precise.

  2. St Martin-in-the-Bullring

    Behind the traffic, buskers and escalator hum, St Martin-in-the-Bullring offers an abrupt change of temperature and sound: heavy doors close, footsteps soften, and amber and blue light settles beneath the timber roof. J. A. Chatwin rebuilt the church in 1873–1875 on 12th-century foundations, preserving its medieval spire, while the interior holds de Bermingham alabaster effigies and a jewel-coloured Burne-Jones window made by Morris & Co. Give the worn red sandstone and the enormous Gothic door hinges a close look; they make the surrounding retail complex feel less like a break with history than its latest, rather noisy layer.

  3. From medieval market to modern Bull Ring

    Start halfway down St Martin’s terraced steps, where the church spire and Selfridges’ shimmering discs share one improbable frame, then find Laurence Broderick’s 2.2-metre bronze bull, The Guardian, near the mall entrance. The sculpture weighs 6.5 tonnes—about as much as a large African elephant—and its horns, snout and shoulder shine gold where generations of visitors have rubbed the bronze smooth. Continue through the glass-roofed gallerias toward Grand Central, listening as plaza bells, bus brakes and polished-stone echoes replace one another; the route traces Birmingham’s commercial story from Henry II’s 1166 market charter through the 1964 shopping centre to the bold reinvention of 2003.

Plan your visit

Getting There
Birmingham New Street station sits directly beneath Grand Central: take the lifts or escalators to the concourse, then follow the enclosed LinkStreet into Bullring without going outdoors. Birmingham Moor Street is opposite the Selfridges side, under a 2-minute walk; from Victoria Square, follow pedestrianised New Street east for 5–7 minutes, or walk from Digbeth and the Custard Factory along High Street Deritend in 5–8 minutes. Drivers can use Bullring, Moor Street or Edgbaston Street car parks, open daily 08:00–00:00, but the site lies inside Birmingham’s Clean Air Zone.
Opening Hours
As of 2026, Bullring opens Monday–Friday 10:00–20:00, Saturday 09:00–20:00 and Sunday 11:00–17:00; Grand Central opens Monday–Saturday 09:00–20:00 and Sunday 11:00–17:00. Individual shops, restaurants and Selfridges may keep different hours, while many retailers close on Easter Sunday and Christmas Day; bank-holiday times vary, so check the official centre listing before setting out.
Time Needed
Allow 45–60 minutes for the architectural highlights: Future Systems’ silver-disc Selfridges façade, Laurence Broderick’s 2.2-metre bronze Bull and St Martin’s churchyard. Shopping with a light meal takes 2–3 hours; adding the Bull Ring markets, St Martin’s Square and Digbeth makes a satisfying 4–6-hour half-day, with market smells and buskers replacing the mall’s polished hush.
Step-Free Access
All seven main Bullring entrances have automatic doors and step-free access, with public lifts near M&S, Costa Coffee on Level 0, Selfridges East Mall and the Whittard/Grand Central corner. Free ShopMobility wheelchairs and powered scooters are available from Bullring Centre Car Park Level -1, but bring two forms of ID; the centre also has two Changing Places rooms and indoor audio routing through the Waymap app.
Cost And Tickets
Entry to Bullring, Grand Central, St Martin’s Square and the public concourses is free, with no general ticket or advance booking. As of 2026, car parking starts at £4 for 0–1 hour, £6.50 for 1–2 hours and £11.50 for 3–4 hours, with full-day tariffs reaching £20 or more; shops, restaurants and temporary attractions charge separately.

History

The Market That Refused to Disappear

The Bull Ring's oldest story is not architectural. Records show a commercial ritual beginning with Peter de Bermingham's 1166 charter: a regular market in the centre of Birmingham, where trade made the town visible to the wider region. The stalls have vanished, but the function remains legible in the crowds, the shopfronts, and the steady percussion of footsteps.

Continuity here does not mean that the same building survived untouched. St Martin's was largely rebuilt, the livestock market moved to Smithfield in 1817 according to local historical accounts, and the 1964 shopping centre eventually gave way to Bullring in 2003. What endured was the public habit of using this ground for commerce, ceremony, argument, and spectacle.

The turning point

When the Market Became a Parliament

According to the UK Parliament's account, thousands gathered around Nelson's statue in July 1839 as the National Chartist Convention brought working-class demands into the open air. William Lovett and John Collins helped turn the monument's base into a reading room without walls, where political news and speeches travelled through the crowd. For Lovett and Collins, the stakes were personal: public leadership brought the real risk of arrest and the loss of their liberty.

The turning point came on 4 July, when sixty Metropolitan Police officers brought from London charged into a gathering that local authorities had declared unlawful. Accounts describe the crowd retaliating, iron churchyard railings becoming makeshift weapons, and troops restoring order near Moor Street. Ten days later, after Parliament rejected the Chartist petition, further violence sent fire and cavalry through the Bull Ring and High Street.

The episode makes the site's continuity unusually vivid. People were still gathering to exchange something in public; only the commodity had changed from meat and cloth to political possibility. A marketplace can sell goods, but it can also decide who gets heard.

What Changed

Local histories attribute the name Bull Ring to the iron hoop once used to tether bulls beside the butchers' stalls; the practice of bull-baiting ended locally before Parliament's documented nationwide ban in 1835. Records confirm that bombing during the Birmingham Blitz destroyed the 1835 Market Hall and damaged the surrounding commercial quarter. James A. Roberts's 1964 Brutalist centre then replaced older street patterns with concrete, ramps, and a ring-road interchange, before Future Systems' 2003 Bullring introduced Selfridges' disc-covered façade.

What Endured

The exact Thursday market granted in 1166 cannot be claimed as an unbroken weekly ritual, but the site's commercial role has proved remarkably persistent. Records confirm that St Martin's still occupies the old church position, even though Chatwin's visible building is Victorian, and Nelson's 1809 monument remains beside the steps. Local histories also trace The Shambles and Spiceal Street to earlier trading zones, leaving medieval commerce alive in the street names long after the stalls disappeared.

Tips for visitors

  • Dress For St Martin’s

    The mall has no formal dress code beyond shirts and footwear, but St Martin in the Bull Ring asks for modest, respectful clothing. Keep voices low during prayer or worship, and visit the church Tuesday–Friday 12:00–17:00 or Saturday–Sunday 12:00–16:00.

  • Shoot The Bull

    Handheld photos of the Bull statue, Selfridges and public architecture are allowed, and the church welcomes casual photography when services are not disrupted. Drones are banned across the estate, while tripods, flash equipment and commercial filming need written permission from Hammerson.

  • Guard Your Phone

    Take extra care along the Bullring–St Martin’s Square–New Street Station corridor, especially when escalators and train crowds compress everyone together. Keep bags closed, decline persistent petition collectors or pseudo-monks, and avoid buying unverified electronics or designer perfumes from street hawkers.

  • Eat Beyond The Chains

    For a budget meal, try Mount Fuji by the Moor Street entrance or Franco Manca on Stephenson Street; Bill’s Bullring is a mid-range choice overlooking St Martin’s church. Dishoom at Chamberlain Square is about a 10-minute walk for a pricier Bombay-Irani meal, while Sabai Sabai Central suits a mid-range Thai dinner near Southside.

  • Go Early, Then Wander

    Arrive around Grand Central’s 09:00 opening on Saturday for quieter escalators and cleaner reflections on Selfridges’ mirrored discs; Sunday mornings are gentler still, though Bullring itself opens at 11:00. Pair the visit with the Bull Ring Indoor and Open Markets, then continue downhill into Digbeth and the Custard Factory before evening crowds gather.

  • Skip The Car

    New Street station delivers you underneath the centre, and Moor Street is less than two minutes from Selfridges, making rail cheaper and less troublesome than parking for a short visit. If driving, compare the three centre car parks with the Clean Air Zone charge before departure; free entry is the easy saving.

Frequently asked

Is Bull Ring worth visiting?

Yes—especially if you like architecture, urban history, or shopping with a spectacular building attached. Future Systems’ Selfridges is wrapped in 15,000 aluminium discs, while St Martin-in-the-Bull Ring offers a hushed Gothic counterpoint just across the terraces. Look for the 1809 Nelson statue too: it predates Nelson’s Column in Trafalgar Square by more than 30 years.

How long do you need at Bull Ring?

Allow 45–60 minutes for the main architectural highlights, 2–3 hours for shopping and a meal, or 4–6 hours for the markets and Digbeth as well. A quick circuit takes in Selfridges, Laurence Broderick’s 2.2-metre bronze Bull, St Martin’s Church, and the central gallerias. The half-day version feels less like a mall visit and more like a walk through Birmingham’s trading history.

How do I get to Bull Ring from London?

Take a train from London to Birmingham New Street, whose concourse connects directly to Grand Central and the Bullring through the indoor LinkStreet walkway. From the station, follow signs for Grand Central; Birmingham Moor Street is another nearby arrival point, directly opposite the Selfridges side. You can reach the centre without stepping outside, which is a small mercy in West Midlands rain.

What is the best time to visit Bull Ring?

Visit on a weekday morning for the calmest walkways and clearest views of the architecture, ideally in daylight when the Selfridges discs shift from silver to gunmetal. Bullring generally opens at 10:00 on weekdays, while Grand Central opens from 9:00; Saturdays are busier and Sundays have shorter hours. Winter brings festive installations, while August Bank Holiday weekend brings free outdoor performances during Birmingham Weekender.

Can you visit Bull Ring for free?

Yes, entry to Bullring, Grand Central, St Martin’s Square, and the public concourses is free. You only pay for shopping, food, special events, or parking, with the centre’s car parks charging by duration. St Martin-in-the-Bull Ring also welcomes visitors during its published visiting hours, provided church activities are treated respectfully.

What should I not miss at Bull Ring?

Don’t miss Selfridges’ 15,000-disc façade, the polished horns and snout of the 6.5-tonne bronze Bull, and the red-sandstone interior of St Martin-in-the-Bull Ring. Inside the church, look for medieval de Bermingham effigies and stained glass associated with Edward Burne-Jones and William Morris & Co.; outside, find Sir Richard Westmacott’s 1809 Nelson monument. Stand halfway down St Martin’s steps for the best collision of Gothic spire and cobalt-silver blob architecture.

Sources & attribution 82

Researched and written by the Audiala editorial team from historical records, architectural archives, and local expertise. Last updated August 2026.

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Photo credits (12)
  1. Verity Sanders — Unsplash License (https://unsplash.com/license) — Source: https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1599834562135-b6fc90e642ca
  2. Selfridges Building, Birmingham (2012) cropped — Bs0u10e0 — CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) — Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Selfridges_Building,_Birmingham_(2012)_cropped.jpg
  3. Birmingham City Centre 1968 03 England — Sempoerna — CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/) — Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Birmingham_City_Centre_1968_03_England.jpg
  4. Anti Gaddafi demonstration in Birmingham (5477201445) — Lukas Large from Stourbridge, United Kingdom — CC BY-SA 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/) — Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Anti_Gaddafi_demonstration_in_Birmingham_(5477201445).jpg
  5. Bull Ring Birmingham (7690461598) — Tony Hisgett from Birmingham, UK — CC BY 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/) — Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bull_Ring_Birmingham_(7690461598).jpg
  6. Bull Ring Birmingham 14-08-83 (209002025) — Andrew Miller from Thornton-Cleveleys, United Kingdom — CC BY-SA 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/) — Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bull_Ring_Birmingham_14-08-83_(209002025).jpg
  7. Bullring - Edgbaston Street, Birmingham - floral displays (9432819479) — Elliott Brown from Birmingham, United Kingdom — CC BY 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/) — Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bullring_-_Edgbaston_Street,_Birmingham_-_floral_displays_(9432819479).jpg
  8. Bull Ring Shopping Centre, Birmingham (2) (8568042717) — Daniel from Glasgow, United Kingdom — CC BY 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/) — Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bull_Ring_Shopping_Centre,_Birmingham_(2)_(8568042717).jpg
  9. Bull Ring Shopping Centre, Birmingham (1) (8568038617) — Daniel from Glasgow, United Kingdom — CC BY 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/) — Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bull_Ring_Shopping_Centre,_Birmingham_(1)_(8568038617).jpg
  10. Bullring - geograph.org.uk - 4697050 — N Chadwick — CC BY-SA 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/) — Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bullring_-_geograph.org.uk_-_4697050.jpg
  11. Bullring - geograph.org.uk - 4697014 — N Chadwick — CC BY-SA 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/) — Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bullring_-_geograph.org.uk_-_4697014.jpg
  12. Bullring - geograph.org.uk - 2723686 — N Chadwick — CC BY-SA 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/) — Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bullring_-_geograph.org.uk_-_2723686.jpg

Photos may have been resized or cropped.