Pedestrian walkways (”pedways”) sprang up around Birmingham in the late 1950s and 60s to move people above it’s car-choked streets. Some were in continuous use like the ramp in Stephenson Place, while some seemed a bit of a novelty like the circular one near St Martin’s Church. In some instances some were hardly used. These ‘walkways in the air’ were the elevated equivalent of pedestrian subways, many of which have since been filled in or removed.
Like most Brummies I frequently used ‘the ramp’ (Stephenson Place) in the 1970s either to catch a train to/from work or simply to shop in the Birmingham Shopping Centre above. I don’t think it ever had an official name, but if you said ‘meet me at the bottom of the ramp’ to a Brummie they’d most likely know where you meant. The ramp is still there, but the Bull Ring circular ramp disappeared in the redevelopment of the area.
There’s another ramp in Stephenson Street. I rarely saw anyone using this one so I’d be surprised if it survived the last redevelopment of New Street Station.
And of course there were other walkways over roadways or joining separate buildings such as the covered walkway in the Bull Ring. They’re really bridges but sometimes are lined with shops, so they’re more than a bridge. I expect these effectively saved many pedestrian’s lives.
Here are a few reminders. Viv.
Like most Brummies I frequently used ‘the ramp’ (Stephenson Place) in the 1970s either to catch a train to/from work or simply to shop in the Birmingham Shopping Centre above. I don’t think it ever had an official name, but if you said ‘meet me at the bottom of the ramp’ to a Brummie they’d most likely know where you meant. The ramp is still there, but the Bull Ring circular ramp disappeared in the redevelopment of the area.
There’s another ramp in Stephenson Street. I rarely saw anyone using this one so I’d be surprised if it survived the last redevelopment of New Street Station.
And of course there were other walkways over roadways or joining separate buildings such as the covered walkway in the Bull Ring. They’re really bridges but sometimes are lined with shops, so they’re more than a bridge. I expect these effectively saved many pedestrian’s lives.
Here are a few reminders. Viv.
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