Birmingham City Centre

Centenary Square

Emerge from Paradise Forum and walk across the square towards the ICC.

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Hall of Memory

Centenary Square is bounded by The Birmingham Repertory Theatre on the right and the register office on the other side of Broad Street to the left. The pedestrianised square is covered with paving but a few areas have been left as grass. It's important that rainwater can seep into the ground to prevent flooding in the city streets.

Water that seeps into the rocks under Birmingham trickles down through the sandstone until the rock is saturated. It then moves along sideways until it can emerge as a spring or drain into a river.

ICC mall

This level where the water moves along is called the 'water table' and at the moment, the Birmingham water table is rising! In the past, Birmingham's industries pumped gallons of water out of wells in the ground to supply their business (for cooling, washing or making steam). Now these industries have closed down, the water in the rock isn't being used so there's more water in the rock.

Walk through the mall of the ICC.

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