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Congreve Street

Thanks Mike. That also answers a question I had about whether it was Ann Street behind the buildings to the right and running down the side of Christ Church. Ann Street is one of those old streets that I find can be confusing, as although some of Ann St became Colmore Row, some disappeared under the Council House - well as I understand it, hopefully correctly !

Viv.
Viv
I dont think an appreciable amount of Ann st was beneath the council house. Ann st curved down at the end across what is now Victoria Square, away from the council House

map c1839 junc ann st and congreve st.jpg
 
A drawing from c1870 made by Clement Selkirk Jones. Congreve Street is to the left and Ann Street to the right. Viv.
This is earlier than 1870 as the last business here was Bryan's pastry shop. Next door is the former White Lion which became the Town Hall Tavern. The inn sign suggests it is trading as the White Lion here so it is quite a bit earlier.
 
I believe the drawing post #41 was made c1870 but depicts an earlier period. Viv.
 
One of the other things I don't like in these acres of concrete is the ability to get well wet when it is raining. The city must now be a nightmare for taxi drivers. The old BCT Head Office on the left, and last time I went past that way at least eight years ago it was something to do with race relations.

Maurice :cool:
 
Personally I think the building now in the position of the former brutalist Central Library is an improvement. Thanks for the update Ell.

Viv

No problem Viv. It's been many years waiting for it to reopen. You can walk to the Jewellery Quarter without having to go through subways. Although the Livery Subway is still at the other end of Great Charles Street Queensway near Snow Hill Station.
 
Thanks Ell. I think that’s great that you can get across to JQ. About time Birmingham was a bit more ‘joined up’ and accessible between key places of work/interest, especially for visitors too. Viv.
 
Crossed the footbridge again over Great Charles Street Queensway, and was still a bearded man sitting at one end with his dog. I thought during the pandemic that the Council was supposed to put rough sleepers into hotels. Wonder what the council plans to do with that bridge in the future? As it's close to the Queensway tunnel entrance and you can't have a pelican crossing near that part.
 
That bridge is just having to stay. There is no way that it can be closed off and another route found as the only alternatives are the Newhall Street crossing up a steep hill and St Chad's Circus under the railway tunnel.
 
Post copied from the Buildings of Birmingham thread.

Congreve Street and Ann Street, 1869

TheBuildingsofBirmingham008.jpg
 
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Further to all the help I have had with this query I am tempted to think the most likely was the White Horse in Congreve St. Although it isn't that close to Smethwick and Birmingham Heath, it would have been convenient for my 2 x great grandfather. More often than not he was making a journey from Halifax to Warwick which he did regularly to visit various farms around there buying wool. In the early days of the diaries he goes by coach - latterly by train via Manchester to Birmingham and in both cases Congreve St. would presumably have been convenient as a place to stay en route. My original thought was that he would have stayed close to his uncle but visits to uncle would presumably not have been as important as being close to the trains and coaches seeing that he was just passing through.

Does anyone know if there are photos of the White Horse - I understand that there isn't even a Congreve Street any longer but that it was roughly where Congreve Place is today.

Thanks again for all your help
Kind regards,
Dick
There is a photo here of the White Horse, Congreve street
 
Post copied from Carter’s White Horse thread.


This, I think is a better one

City%20White%20Horse%20.jpg
 
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A nice description of Congreve Street using Tarlington’s painting of 1875 and a photo from early 1900. If anyone has a colour copy of the painting or a better copy of the photo I’d be interested to see them. Thanks. Viv,

Source: British Newspaper Archive


04E74258-52FB-4F94-9717-03D679D2CE8F.jpeg

B21AC3CB-0007-4656-BA25-4C68F11427B6.jpeg1875C939-DEE9-452A-909B-D6988236F415.jpeg0A08D413-911B-4F92-97AE-AA9686DFA1CB.jpegDB9F3085-12BA-462D-AEE8-D3D16D0E7022.jpeg
 
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That’s great Mike thanks. I remember the watercolour being posted somewhere on here but couldn’t find it. It’s one of those views that when first looked at is so difficult to place. Viv
 
The present day view must be here (difficult to get a proper view because of redevelopment). Nicholson’s Chemist with the letter box in front must have been on this site (now Great Charles Street [Queensway]). Viv.

68881338-5E89-4F21-A70F-EA4E9DE90914.jpeg
 
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