Chamberlain Gardens is an inner-city council estate in the Ladywood area of Birmingham. It is situated close to Five Ways island and is set within a park with the same name. Nearby is the commercial centre on the Hagley Road.
The estate was constructed as two separate phases, with Phase I being designed by A. G. Sheppard-Fidler, Birmingham's City architect as well as M. R. Davis and B. Leicester. Mary Mitchell worked on the landscaping over the site by producing moulded ground forms and play areas for children. Plans for Phase I were approved progressively between 1961 and 1963 and divided into 2 contracts. It was constructed between 1961 and 1966 by Bryant. Phase I consists of 10 tower blocks, in two different forms. The lowrise housing is a mixture of three storey and maisonette properties. There is a two storey parking garage, a shop, a doctor's group practice and a welfare and training centre for people who are physically handicapped. There are bungalows for handicapped elderly people.
Phase II was approved in 1970 and included the construction of another tower block called Barrow House. The second phase extended the estate along Waterworks Road and was built in 1971, again by Bryant.
Chamberlain Gardens is considered to be the most attractive development out of the Ladywood Redevelopment Area. Despite replacing large Victorian properties and increased the density of dwellings on site, none of the mature trees were destroyed, similar to the Lyndhurst estate in Erdington.
Tower blocks[]
The high blocks of flats have dark brick side walls and are partly faced with ivory faïence blocks in unequal courses. The housing is of light yellow brickwork with deep white fascias and chunky concrete balconies.
The three 9 storey slab blocks are:
The other seven blocks of Phase I are:
The tower block built in Phase II is Barrow House on Meyrick Walk.