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Castle Street

Vivienne14

Kentish Brummie Moderator
Staff member
This photo from the Shoothill site is labelled "Castle Street from Moor Street, Birmingham". Would I be right in thinking this street no longer exists? Does it appear on any maps? And would there once have been a castle on this site? Or was it a reference to the moated manor house (Bull Ring area) or simply a pub/inn/tavern named 'castle' ? Viv.

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There's a second photo on the Shoothill site mentioning Castke Street. This time it shows an image is labelled as " Shops and premises at the corner of Moor Street and Castle Street, Birmingham".Viv
 
According to Carl Chinn 'Castle Street, running parallel with Carrs Lane, ran from High Street to Moor Street and emerged from the coach yard of the Castle Inn. It disappeared during the post Second World War redevelopment'.

He then goes on to say that a blocked off alley next to Littlewoods indicates where it ran. I don't remember Littlewoods being there though. Any thoughts?
 
I think it was the CO-OP. At the back of my mind part of the CO-OP address was castle street at one time.
 
Picked out a book from my bookcase last night completely at random and there was a picture of the Castle Hotel. The book is Maps & Sketches from Georgian & Early Victorian Birmingham by Paul Leslie Line and Adrian Baggett. Really good book.
 

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Looking at the picture and Carl Chinn's write-up on Castle Street, the entrance to the coach yard as shown is where the stub of Castle Street remains today. LH side M & S, RH side Gregg's.
I sometimes wonder what customers of these places (such as the Castle Hotel) would make of things if they were transported here in 2018.

I think that every time I whizz round Spaghetti! Dad would be amazed.
 
Castle Street along with Scotland passage both ran from High Street to Moor Street and have been mentioned previously on the site. I know I have posted images of both before. This I'm sure must have been one of them (Castle Street).

City Castle Street.JPG City High St Plan.JPG
 
Lady P, I don't know when the Castle Inn made way for the Metropole Hotel but the Co-op purchased the property on the High Street in 1913 but were unable to open until 1916 because of the WW1. When in 1927 the Metropole Hotel became available they purchased it and used it as it was until eventually they built a new extension.

City High Street Metropole Hotel Co -op extension.jpg
 
According to Carl Chinn 'Castle Street, running parallel with Carrs Lane, ran from High Street to Moor Street and emerged from the coach yard of the Castle Inn. It disappeared during the post Second World War redevelopment'.

He then goes on to say that a blocked off alley next to Littlewoods indicates where it ran. I don't remember Littlewoods being there though. Any thoughts?

Picked out a book from my bookcase last night completely at random and there was a picture of the Castle Hotel. The book is Maps & Sketches from Georgian & Early Victorian Birmingham by Paul Leslie Line and Adrian Baggett. Really good book.
Hi Lady Penelope (and everyone else!) - I'm a newbie (and not a Brummie although my husband lived in Brum as a teenager). Would you mind if I used your image of the Castle Hotel on a blog post I am writing about exactly where Mary Ashford stood when she went to the High Street market the day before she died? You will probably not need reminding that Mary was murdered near Erdington in 1817, an infamous case that led to a change in the law but was never properly resolved. Separately I can tell you more about my project but don't want to use this forum for marketing.
 
Hi Naomi,
Welcome to the forum and to being an honorary Brummie! As my post says, I got the image out of a fairly recent book and I'm not sure what the rules are - probably shouldn't have put it on here really.
I'm wondering if it was actually Birmingham market that she went to I'm not too well up on the Mary Ashford case? Could it have been one at Sutton Coldfield? I'll try to find out for you tomorrow when I go to the library. Was this Whitsun weekend?
 
Hannah Cox's evidence in the trial was that Mary went to the market in Birmingham
 
Thanks Mike, it dawned on me that Naomi must know what she's talking about! I think I was thinking about how long it would take me to get to the market but then she would have been a lot younger and fitter than me. I've been reading about the young man that found Mary and he walked from Curzon Street to Penns Mill every day.
Perhaps you can answer the query about the image for me please? Are we OK to post images if we credit them?
 
Thanks for your answers Lady P and MikeJee. I am keen to stay on the right side of copyright law so perhaps I am best off not using your image on my blog. Yes, Lady P, I do agree that it was a long way to walk, especially as she was carrying butter and eggs to sell at the market, but I do think people were made of sterner stuff back then. She got back to Erdington, changed and went to a party, was making her way home in the small hours and unfortunately met her death soon afterwards. I've written the post now if you are interested but am reluctant to post the link in case I break forum rules about advertising.
 
hi naomi i am going to stick my neck out and say please post the link to your blog...this is a history forum..the mary ashford story is brum history so i dont see why it would be classed as advertising in this instance..

all the best

lyn
 
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