More information on Shut Lane.
The only photo of this old Lane’s remnants seems to be the Keith Berry photo that Phil originally posted (Post 33), showing a very small derilect passage (just wide for one car). Being opposite Castle Street, it ran from Moor Street at the top and went down to Park St, but today it is all gone. Only Shaw’s Passage is left to give a general idea of where Shut Lane used to be, as this lay more or less opposite off Park Street. There is a small curb stone turning into a Car Park in Park Street, just opposite Shaw’s Passage, where it might have been (see photo), but no street sign is evident. Anyway it was probably the other side of the Railway bridge looking at the maps, and demolished when the New Road system by the Silver Slug was built.
The old way of spelling was Shutt Lane. Shutt meaning Gate or Floodgate (Floodgate St is a bit further down from town). It followed the ancient course of a stream from the many springs in the area. In its early days, the Lane was very narrow, was not paved, and had no lighting. The Governors of King Edward's School in 1854 offered to put a school in the Lane for the education of the children, but on seeing the conditions in the lane, decided to put the Industrial school in Cannon Street instead.
In these old Maps of 1730 and 1785, Shutt Lane is seen as quite a prosperous looking area. In the 1841 Census there are 42 dwellings listed, but by 1881 only one dwelling, No 1 (at the Moor Street corner), seemingly remained. But that must have been a substantial dwelling with two servants and four boarders plus a family of three and a visitor at home that night.