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Crooked Lane (lower and upper)

A little bit more info about the Cadbury factory on Crooked Lane. In 1831, John Cadbury rented a warehouse in Crooked Lane, to experiment with the making of chocolate and cocoa on a large scale, with the intention of supplying his own shop. The warehouse was a former malthouse (I wonder if this was anything to do with The Bull on Bull Street? The well in Crooked Lane must also have been useful in this). According to Deborah Cadbury's "Chocolate Wars" book, Cadbury's warehouse in Crooked Lane was demolished in 1847 to make way for a tunnel for the railway to Snow Hill. Cadbury then moved his business first to Cambridge Street and, a few months later, to Bridge Street. Viv.
 
I don't understand about the tunnel Viv. It was Martineau St. and tram tracks that was put through. I have seen that piece before though and wondered if Crooked Lane went further down below (south east of) Bull Street where I think the entrance to Snow Hill tunnel is/was. No evidence that it did that I can find. It's been a while since I looked at this. Maybe the rail was going to be on the surface, in a gulley or perhaps an air shaft was required where Cadbury's was. Anyway the new location in Bridge St. was close to a canal for shipping material. My mind set is pretty much in the 1890 OS map because Brum did not change much until the 60s. Dale end and Martineau and Crooked Lane (what was left of it) were an every day experience and now when I think of Brum...that is what I see in memory.
 
Hi Rupert. This 1850s map has the tunnel marked on it. It was a tunnel for GWR linking Snow Hill and Moor Street. The method of tunnelling was probably a mix of deep-cutting and burrowing through the Keuper Sandstone ridge. Apparently some of the property deeds dating to the later 19th century mention provision for the tunnel arch in the property cellars and foundations.
ImageUploadedByTapatalk1328373227.823327.jpg
 
Nice photo, Lyn. Possibly "Show" Rooms on the left. A later view is in post #35, with the building on the left having been rebuilt - at one time the Birmingham Daily Mail building.
 
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There's some helpful detail about the late Phil's photo in post #1 from one of Carl Chinn's articles in the Evening Mail.
Screenshot_20250210_193241_Chrome.jpg

Source: British Newspaper Archive
 
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