High Pavements

[Heartland]

There are places in Birmingham where houses, homes and factories are a higher level than the road. Some have now gone like the High Pavement at Soho Hill, that started at the junction with Key Hill. Their origin may be through ground levels, but with the Soho Hill example was it through road alteration?

This forum has the illustration which is said to be about 1901, prior to demolition of the houses there. The cable tram tracks are in the foreground.

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Other notable cases include the Coventry Road near Sheldon.

 

[Vivienne14]

Interesting question. Wonder if any early maps could throw some light on it ? Might be difficult to detect though. Not sure. Viv

 

[john knight]

Sun street was another.

 

[Radiorails]

I suggest that when the houses or other structures were built the road way was probably quite narrow or even narrow lane.
Widening the road - as happens presently, required the retaining wall.
This feature can be seen in many places in Britain.

 

[Morturn]

I see a few roads like this. I would imagine the road was shaved down for the trams

 

[Vivienne14]

That seems to make sense to me. The buildings would have originally been built on an incline then, and the road cut through to provide a more level surface. Viv.

 

[Astoness]

and of course both sides of gas st although not quite so obvious as the pavement on soho hill

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[Pedrocut]

William Hutton 1836...

 

[mw0njm.]

they are a pain. with today's low cars. some pavements are higher than the cars sill