How to reach THE EXHIBITION

Describe Online

Location

This year's exhibition is to be held in a new venue, The New Bingley Hall, 1 Hockley Circus, Hockley, Birmingham B18 5BE.

The New Bingley Hall is the former bus garage which lies to the west of Hockley Circus. Hockley circus is a large roundabout approached by Hockley Hill from the south and Soho Hill from the north. The west exit from Hockley Circus leads into the car park.

Although this is signed as the vehicle exit from this venue, we understand it will be used as the entrance to the exhibition as this affords easier access to the venue itself.

To Reach the Exhibition

  By Car
By Bus
By Rail

By Car

There will be approximately 300 free parking spaces available. Demand for parking will be heaviest between 11am and 3pm. The following information is taken from the QAC site.

From the M5 Southbound (After Leaving M6)

At junction M5 1, exit toward A41/Birmingham (NW)/West Bromwich 0.2 miles
Merge onto A41/Birmingham Rd 0.2 miles
Slight left to stay on A41/Birmingham Rd
Continue to follow A41 2.6 miles
Take the ramp onto A41/Soho Hill 0.2 miles
Arrive at B18 5BE, Hockley Circus – entrance to New Bingley Hall is directly off traffic island under flyover.

N B Traffic exit from New Bingley Hall is on to Whitmore Street.

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From the M6

At junction 6, exit toward A38(M) 0.4 miles
Merge onto A5127/Aston Express Way 1.1 miles
Take the ramp to Ring Rd 0.3 miles
Merge onto A38/Aston Rd 167 ft
At the roundabout, take the 3rd exit ontoA4540/Newtown Middleway heading to A41/West Bromwich/Walsall/A34/Ring Rd
Continue to follow A4540
Go through 1 roundabout 1.2 miles
Turn left at A4540/New John St West 118 ft
Arrive at B18 5BE, Hockley Circus – entrance to New Bingley Hall is directly off traffic island under flyover.

N B Traffic exit from New Bingley Hall is on to Whitmore Street.

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From M5 Junction 3

Distance: 6.8 miles Time: 0 hr 18 min (in brackets is distance travelled) Leave the M5 at junction 3, then at roundabout take the exit (eastbound) onto the A456 towards Birmingham (0.85 miles)
At roundabout take the 2nd exit onto the A456 (1.86 miles)
At roundabout take the 1st exit onto the A456 City Centre, Edgbaston (2.45 miles)
At Beech Lanes Cross, continue forward City Centre, Edgbaston (3.29 miles)
At Kings Head Cross, continue forward City Centre, Edgbaston (3.43 miles)
At traffic signals continue forward City Centre, Edgbaston (4.02 miles)
Warning: Speed Cameras along the A456/B4124 (4.88 miles)
Turn left onto Monument Road - B4124 (5.33 miles)
At Ladywood Circus (Jct 6) roundabout take the 2nd exit onto the A4540 (5.94 miles)
At Spring Hill (Jct 7) roundabout take the 2nd exit onto the A4540 (6.15 miles)
At Warstone Lane (Jct 8) continue forward (6.48 miles)
At Key Hill Circus (Jct 9) roundabout take the 1st exit onto the A4540 West Bromwich, A41 (6.69 miles)
Arrive at B18 5BE, Hockley Circus – entrance to New Bingley Hall is directly off traffic island under flyover.

N B Traffic exit from New Bingley Hall is on to Whitmore Street.

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From Birmingham City Centre

Follow A41 North along Old Snow Hill, Constitution Hill and Great Hampton Street Do not join the Hockley Flyover
Bear left to the traffic island beneath the flyover
Arrive at B18 5BE, Hockley Circus – entrance to New Bingley Hall is directly off traffic island under flyover.

N B Traffic exit from New Bingley Hall is on to Whitmore Street.

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By Bus

There are four bus routes serving the Hockley Hill bus stops HH and HJ:

You can catch the 16 or 16A from Stop CC outside House of Fraser in Corporation Street. This is a one way street, traffic travels south. These buses eventually turn north towards Hockley Circus.

The 74 and 79 serve Stop HH, the nearest stop to the venue, whilst the 16 and 16A serve stop HJ, which is a few metres further north.

Get off the bus, turn left and follow the right-hand side. Ignore the first gap, which leads to steps to the subway (going down in front of you) and take the second turning right, which is the entrance to the exhibition. As you turn right, there's a fence or gate in front of you, turn left again, cross the tactile paving before turning right into the car park, which extends to the south and east of the building.

From here, there's a straight path leading west from the car park entrance, marked by tactile islands, which leads to the paved area outside the entrance to the building. Having reached the pavement, move to your right to locate the building then continue forward and go in through one of the doors, which should be open, on your right. You're now in the registration area.

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From Outside the City

There are four bus routes serving the Hockley Hill bus stop HA:

Get off the bus and turn right. You need to locate the subway which you can reach via steps or ramp.

Via the Steps

Follow the kerb till you find the steps in front of you. Go down two flights of steps into the subway then turn right. Continue, down a slight slope which levels out after a few metres, to the end of the subway then turn left. You go up a slope then down again before the wall on your left retreats across the foot of the steps. turn left here (180 degrees), then go up two flights of steps. Turn right (180 degrees, follow the right-hand side and take the first turning right, which is the entrance to the exhibition. As you turn right, there's a fence or gate in front of you, turn left again, cross the tactile paving before turning right into the car park, which extends to the south and east of the building.

From here, there's a straight path leading west from the car park entrance, marked by tactile islands, which leads to the paved area outside the entrance to the building. Having reached the pavement, move to your right to locate the building then continue forward and go in through one of the doors, which should be open, on your right. You're now in the registration area.

GO TO END

Via the Ramp

Follow the left-hand side of the pavement, which veers left, then follow the right-hand side to locate the top of the ramp. Turn right (180 degrees, go down the ramp into the subway then turn left. Continue down a slight slope, which levels out after a few metres then turn right at the end. Continue, up the ramp to street level then turn right (180 degrees) and follow the right-hand side. Ignore the first gap on your right, which leads to steps into the subway, then take the second turning right, which is the entrance to the exhibition. As you turn right, there's a fence or gate in front of you, turn left again, cross the tactile paving before turning right into the car park, which extends to the south and east of the building.

From here, there's a straight path leading west from the car park entrance, marked by tactile islands, which leads to the paved area outside the entrance to the building. Having reached the pavement, move to your right to locate the building then continue forward and go in through one of the doors, which should be open, on your right. You're now in the registration area.

GO TO END

By Rail

Describe Online has published a guide to Birmingham New Street Station.

From here you can either take a short taxi journey or catch the bus no. 16 or 16A from Corporation Street.

If you want to catch the bus, take the escalator and stairway exit, ascending to The Palisades Shopping Mall. At the top of the escalator/stairs turn left, this will leave you in a wide open area with shops on your left and right, walk straight on towards the New Street exit. You'll make a slight turn left, then right as you move through the mall. A wide pedestrian ramp leads down to street level, the pavement slopes up as you approach New Street.

You've reached the junction of Corporation Street (north), New Street (east) and Stephenson Place (west then south). There's a City of Birmingham emergency help point a few metres to your left at this point, near the edge of the pavement. This has a circular housing with mic and speaker grill, plus a single button to activate.

Continue forward from the foot of the upward slope, locate the tactile paving in front of you and follow the tactile to your right to find the post and push button on the right-hand side of the crossing of New Street. Cross New Street, which is virtually pedestrianised, going north.

Follow the tactile paving round to your left (west) to Corporation Street then turn right. This is a one way street with traffic coming towards you (south). We understand that Bus Stop CC is on the right-hand side of Corporation Street, opposite House of Fraser. Follow the By Bus directions from here.

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© 2011, Terry Robinson