Passages, Alleyways Gulletts and Snickets of Old Brum

[Radiorails]

O r, Alan, from another point of view, local trains are sometimes delayed to allow free passage to late cross country trains

The principals problems are the lack of extra tracks south of New Street and delays exacerbated by local trains which are stoppers. I am not sure there is an easy/cheap solution.

Now if someone can post a photo of a passageway, alleyway, gullett or snicket to get us back on thread.
Preferably not one previously posted in this thread.

 

[Phil]

How about this one, a really creepy street at night to walk down at night. As youngsters (pre teen) we used to dare each other to walk from one end to the other at night in the dark.

It's Viaduct Street that still runs today from Northumberland Street to Lawley Street alongside the railway viaduct between it and the goods yard. They have closed the Lawley Street off now so that traffic can no longer use it as a short cut.

 

[Lady Penelope]

Gentlemen, thank you! Promise not to stray again (at least not for a while).

 

[Radiorails]

You were lucky Phil. There were street lights there. In the countryside it was by stars or moonlight. Not easy when totally pitch black!! However, that place looks spooky even in the daylight.

 

[Vivienne14]

Colonnade Passage ‘pedestrian traps’ in December 1939. Viv.

 

[mw0njm.]

hi. is shaws passage still there? on google it comes up as moor st platform.
i remember the fruit wholesalers and others chasing a huge spider down there that came in a box of bananas

 

[pjmburns]

It is marked on google maps. It seems to be alongside platform 2.

 

[Phil]

Shaws Passage is still where it has always been running from Park Street to Allison Street, are you sure you are not thinking of Shut Lane?

 

[ellbrown]

Yes Shaw's Passage is still there in Digbeth below Moor Street Station.



Car park and street art.



Units in the viaduct.

 

[mw0njm.]

Shaws Passage is still where it has always been running from Park Street to Allison Street, are you sure you are not thinking of Shut Lane?

yes phill thats it. i will look again thanks. a friend of us had a small factory down there casting alumnium casting. he had a big gas fired furnace. you turned the oil on and lit it with blowlamp. or external flame source it would blow clouds of white smoke, unburned fuel then would lite. one morning it was playing up. there was clouds and clouds of white smoke you could not see anything, then all of a sudden there was a all mighty bang. a explosion, the vapor lit and the entire roof blew up in the air. all the folks in the passage come running,then the fire engines come. my friend was ok but singed and as fillthy. he moved to walsall,
i have never met any one who was such a crank. yet so clever

 

[Local History]

I'm having a problem locating this image of "Cole Holloway" Bartley Green as I can find no other reference to it. It's one of Sir Benjamin Stone's photos so obviously it dates before his death in 1914. I'm beginning to think it must be a forerunner of the Holloway that ran from Merritts Hill down to Merritts Brook Lane Northfield. I walked up and down there many a time with my brother in law for a drink at the Highlander pub at the top of the hill when my sister lived in Vinyard Road.

Can anybody confirm this or even refute the idea, because I really haven't a clue.

View attachment 124637

It's named as Cole Holloway, off Cromwell Lane. Now just a paved pathway through to Woodcock Lane.

 

[oldbrit]

When I worked for Bill Bloye the sculptor, we did sign painting for the Railway time table's in a place under then tracks somewhere, Cold dank place that I hated, had to make the tea for the workers. Hand painted the Time tables in red and blue. Wonder if any photos of those still around? This was in the 1950s

 

[Nello]

With regard to Shaw's Passage - think its been mentioned on here before but Shaw’s Passage came into being c1888 and took its name from Henry & Frank Shaw’s Nail factory which was actually the south side of the Moor Street line. A mate of mine runs Motor-mech the garage at the west end of the passage so I'm a frequent visitor! Those Graffiti'ed back walls have made up many a Court/Industrial unit over the years.....

 

[Vivienne14]

A few names that have long gone, but were certainly around in the 1770s (from Sketchley’s Directory of Birmingham):

Butts (maybe renamed ? - it had 79 houses)
Cabbage Row (quite a small row with only 8 houses)
Candlestick Alley (13 houses)
Cracknells Yard (only 8 houses)
Dog Yard (a mere 5 houses)
Green-Tree Yard (another with just 5 houses)
Horse-Shoe Yard (just 4 houses)
Over the Shamble (16 houses - interesting name)

I expect many of these, if not all were absorbed into other streets as Birmingham expanded. No idea where these were located in the centre of Birmingham. Viv.

 

[Pedrocut]

A few names that have long gone, but were certainly around in the 1770s (from Sketchley’s Directory of Birmingham):

Butts (maybe renamed ? - it had 79 houses)
Cabbage Row (quite a small row with only 8 houses)
Candlestick Alley (13 houses)
Cracknells Yard (only 8 houses)
Dog Yard (a mere 5 houses)
Green-Tree Yard (another with just 5 houses)
Horse-Shoe Yard (just 4 houses)
Over the Shamble (16 houses - interesting name)

I expect many of these, if not all were absorbed into other streets as Birmingham expanded. No idea where these were located in the centre of Birmingham. Viv.

Just one mention in 1865 of a Cabbage Row, Stewart Street. Not mentioned in Kelly’s of 1868 where Stewart Street is listed as Spring Hill to Cope Street.

 

[mikejee]

Have gone through all the entries in the 1851 and 1861 censuses and there is no mention of a Cabbage Row.

 

[Pedrocut]

Have gone through all the entries in the 1851 and 1861 censuses and there is no mention of a Cabbage Row.

It is unlikely that any of the names on the list can be tracked. The Post in 1869 makes a list including the ones mentioned... "some of the mere names of the streets are curious now, as the names have been changed, or the streets themselves have disappeared."

 

[mikejee]

There is a Dog Yard in loveday st (see Aris. Birm Gaz. 27.5.1871). There is also a Mary A Wilson at house 2 court 14 Loveday St. This is conveniently behind the dog pub

 

[mikejee]

There is another Dog yard, in Adams St (See Birm post 21.2.1874). There is also a Dog Tavern in the 1871 census in Adams St, at no 54. however numbering was changed shortly after and I have not been able to identify exact position of the then no 54

 

[mikejee]

There was a Horse shoe yard off St Martins Lane between nos 3, and 4, next to the Horse shoe pub. It looks like it was about half way between Jamaica Row and Moat lane, and seems to have disappeared soon after 1855.

 

[Elaine Hemming]

Dennis fantastic photo. At the top of Fox st ran Buck st , i have been trying to locate a photo of Buck st for a few years your picture is the nearest ive seen so far.

Hello - I have this photo of Buck Street, is it the same one you are looking for. regards Elaine

 

[Astoness]

A few names that have long gone, but were certainly around in the 1770s (from Sketchley’s Directory of Birmingham):

Butts (maybe renamed ? - it had 79 houses)
Cabbage Row (quite a small row with only 8 houses)
Candlestick Alley (13 houses)
Cracknells Yard (only 8 houses)
Dog Yard (a mere 5 houses)
Green-Tree Yard (another with just 5 houses)
Horse-Shoe Yard (just 4 houses)
Over the Shamble (16 houses - interesting name)

I expect many of these, if not all were absorbed into other streets as Birmingham expanded. No idea where these were located in the centre of Birmingham. Viv.

fascinating names viv...reminds me of one i found while researching my neck o the woods some years back called vampire yard which was at the back of the vampire pub newtown...scary or what

 

[Elaine Hemming]

Yes I know this in Dale End, but in the first shot to the left of E.H.James (1906) there is an obvious to die for Alleyway with a sign I cannot read. Then in the shot after Hitler's lads had rearranged it (1918), and it was rebuilt, the alleyway is a much wider looking roadway whose name I still can't read....help me please...is the former one for the collection, or both perhaps?

Hello, on the map I have it show that it was called Henn's Walk the big building next to E H James looks like St Peters Church and directly opposite Henn's Walk on the other side of the road is Rope Walk - regards Elaine

 

[Elaine Hemming]

This one has always puzzled me. An old pub of my youth, THE TALBOT in Digbeth High Street or Moat Row, depending which entrance you used. It is in a fairly wide looking passage, as you can see from the map, but it I can't recall that cut through ever having a name? Mike? The original Talbot pub occupied the site in 1785. Looks by architecture (well what's left of the bottom half after Hitler's bombers knocked out the top two floors in 1941) to be rebuilt in the mid 1800s. Closed in the 70s I think.

View attachment 81094 View attachment 81095

This was my Grandfather Pub, he was here up 1947 when he passed away, his name was Thomas William Gibson.

 

[Eric Gibson]

This was my Grandfather Pub, he was here up 1947 when he passed away, his name was Thomas William Gibson.

Are we related Elaine? My grandfather was Thomas William Gibson and he had a son of the same name I think one of my dad's brothers.

 

[Phil]

Vivienne

The Butts later became Stafford Street

 

[Jayell]

Great detective work Phil It's fascinating to hear about these old streets and yards.

 

[Pedrocut]

Bit of a Shambles 1791.

 

[Pedrocut]

A few more from the Post of 1869 that they suggest have disappeared
Boxing Alley
Carey's Court
Chain Yard
Froggery
Green Tree Yard
Hollow Tooth Yard
Horseshoe Yard
Little Lovely street

 

[Elaine Hemming]

Found this picture of the front of House - Talbot Inn, Moat Lane. Plus a picture of another old pub the Bell in the oft mentioned Phillips Street.


View attachment 81219 View attachment 81218

I have included another photo of The Talbot, this is the pub my Grandfather Had, until he passed away in 1947, His name was Thomas William Gibson, it is not a very good photo, but this photo is of the front of the Public House, the one on here is the back of the public house. - regards Elaine.