The White Swan/Eden Bar

Having walked the short distance from Bishop Street to Sherlock Street, on the corner we will find the “Eden” LBGTQ Bar. It was previously known as The White Swan, the venue was refurbished in 2008, renamed Eden and has been going strong ever since. Along with being one of the favourites amongst gay men and their friends, Eden supports Birmingham’s transgender community in all the ways it can.

  • The White Swan is to the right of the tram – c1950
  • The White Swan – c1980

The map of the junction of “Lower Hurst Street East” and Sherlock Street (below) shows the White Swan on this corner in 1889, however the architecture of the building now looks as if it is later than then – maybe it was rebuilt at one time. The first photograph (above) is looking down Hurst Street, and shows the White Swan around 1950, to the right of the tram on the corner of Sherlock Street. The second was taken from where the Second City Suite is now in Hurst Street and was probably taken in the 1980s. Remarkably the White Swan seems to be yellow!

Map of the White Swan – 1889

The following shows the building in 2019 after it had become the Eden Bar – note the White Swan sign in the brickwork above the centre window.

So, it’s time to cross Sherlock Street and make our way up Hurst Street to the next corner.