• Welcome to this forum . We are a worldwide group with a common interest in Birmingham and its history. While here, please follow a few simple rules. We ask that you respect other members, thank those who have helped you and please keep your contributions on-topic with the thread.

    We do hope you enjoy your visit. BHF Admin Team

Snow Hill Station

Does this help from Warwickshire Railways.com? Viv.

avesavab.jpg
 
There were two big clocks at Snow Hill. The one shown in the previous post and the one on Platform 7 so what became of that one.
 
This has been covered before somewhere on the forum, possibly twice. However one thing that was pointed out was that there were two clocks. One seems to have gone to wightwick school near wolverhampton (see below from google streetview) , but am not sure where the other went


clock_at_wightwick_school_from_google~0.jpg
 
Hi I am a newbee and hope I am not duplicating something
I have a large Print of Snow Hill Station 1947 Platform 7 with the clock and a locomotive
details of picture are
‘ON TIME ‘ by Philip D Hawkins G.R.A
Birmingham Snow Hill Station during the Summer of 1947 with the mid-day express to London, Paddington, gliding into Platform 7 headed by a Great Western ‘King’ Class locomotive No. 6008 ‘King James 11’
Specially commissioned by The Birmingham Post and Mail Ltd
Printed by Renault Printing Co Ltd.
In frame ( heavy ) it is approx 36 inches by 22 inchesphilip d hawkins snow hill stn 004.jpgphilip d hawkins snow hill stn 005.jpg
 
Thank you for your replies, Vivienne and Mike.
I have since spoken to my cousin who says the story was that the clock did not go to their home in Birmingham, but to a farm they had in Staffordshire/Welsh border ?
As I said, it`s just a family story, but it would have been good to have been able to confirm it in some way.
Once again, many thanks.

Annie
 
The Snow Hill mosaics that used to be in the subway area of St Chad's Circus, have been recreated and miniaturised, and recently installed either side of the steps between the square in front of the modern station, and the square in front of 1 Snowhill!

By Oliver Budd, based on the original by his father Kenneth Budd.





Budd Mosaics
 
A few pics of the current 1987 station with 1 & 2 Snowhill after dark

From Great Charles Street Queensway




View of Great Charles Street Queensway




2 Snowhill, and a passing Midland Metro tram

 
The 1987 station is getting refurbished. Saw some work from the ticket office level.

Then also saw them doing things on platform 3. For instance the old waiting room and toilet block.

Also building a new waiting room on platform 3!








Only one year earlier on this same site!

 
Snow Hill (2).jpgthis is a new one to me folks..cracking photo of snow hill station taken at a time when lifes pace was so much slower..
 
Astoness said:
his is a new one to me folks..cracking photo of snow hill station taken at a time when lifes pace was so much slower..
Click to expand...

I am guessing that this is the main Colmore Row entrance to the station before the hotel was built on the front. Two horse buses and cable tram which I think dates it before 1909.
 
Think the tram on the left is a Redditch tram advertising Wagstaff's fish and game in Redditch. Viv.
 
hi viv your eyes are much better than mine lol

david i think you are right about it being the colmore row entrance..

lyn
 
Got new specs yesterday Lyn! Yes really. But also I'll always closely scrutinise a photo
of Snow Hill to see if I can spot an advert for my gg gradfather's blacksmith's business which was down on Hondurus Wharf at the bottom on Snow Hill. I'm told the advert could still be seen in the 1950s, but haven't yet come across it. Problem is I was never told the size of the ad, so it could effectively be a pimple in one of the many Snow Hill pics. Keeping my new ultra-X-Ray specs at the ready! Thanks for posting Lyn, yet another great photo. Viv.
 
Vivienne14 said:
Got new specs yesterday Lyn! Yes really. But also I'll always closely scrutinise a photo
of Snow Hill to see if I can spot an advert for my gg gradfather's blacksmith's business which was down on Hondurus Wharf at the bottom on Snow Hill. I'm told the advert could still be seen in the 1950s, but haven't yet come across it. Problem is I was never told the size of the ad, so it could effectively be a pimple in one of the many Snow Hill pics. Keeping my new ultra-X-Ray specs at the ready! Thanks for posting Lyn, yet another great photo. Viv.
Click to expand...


viv what years was your gg grandad in business and what name are we looking for on the advert...i will take a note and keep my eyes open for you..

lyn
 
Hi Lyn. Ggg grandfather was Edward Jones. He was at Hondurus Wharf and Snow Hill Passage in 1849. The business was, I think, there until at least 1891. Edward's two sons, Edward and Thomas, seem to have run the blacksmith's business in the 1870's and 1880's.

Viv.
 
Vivienne14 said:
Think the tram on the left is a Redditch tram advertising Wagstaff's fish and game in Redditch. Viv.
Click to expand...

Viv, I don't think it can be advertising Wagstaff's of Redditch as the tram would be working the Soho Road route. Perhaps there was a Wagstaff's in Birmingham selling Fish, Game and Poultry. I don't see an address in the advert.
 
Info on the improvements:

Birmingham Snow Hill improvements

Station Message: Alert!

Over the next few months, work will start on a £1 million investment from the National Stations Improvement Programme at Birmingham Snow Hill station.
We’ve got some great improvements coming, including: completely refurbished toilets and waiting rooms, new heated waiting areas on the platforms, a refreshed concourse area and weatherproofing of the station from the main entrance to the platform - making the station warmer, dryer and more comfortable.
We’ll try and keep disruption to a minimum but as with any improvement work, we need you to bear with us. There will be a period of time when the station toilets and waiting rooms will be unavailable – but we’ll do all we can to provide alternative facilities.
For more information, and to keep up to date with what’s happening at Snow Hill, visit:
londonmidland.com/snowhill
Click to expand...
 
I wish I had taken more notice of Ellbrowns earlier post.I went on the Metro for the first time from Snow Hill to Wolverhampton, and straight back again on the same tram, just for the ride. When we got back..no toilets! No wonder everywhere was "whiffy" inspite of the disinfectant! Also the escalator wasn't working and neither do my knees so we used the lift, that was unpleasant too!
It was strange going through the Jewellery Quarter Station as the tram stopped roughly where Great Grandmother was buried in Key Hill and they removed her grave.
In spite of all that we enjoyed the trip.
rosie.
 
rosie said:
I wish I had taken more notice of Ellbrowns post 504! I went on the Metro for the first time from Snow Hill to Wolverhampton, and straight back again on the same tram, just for the ride. When we got back..no toilets! No wonder everywhere was "whiffy" inspite of the disinfectant! Also the escalator wasn't working and neither do my knees so we used the lift, that was unpleasant too!
It was strange going through the Jewellery Quarter Station as the tram stopped roughly where Great Grandmother was buried in Key Hill and they removed her grave.
In spite of all that we enjoyed the trip.
rosie.
Click to expand...

Did you try walking through to the railway platforms and using the toilets there and then use the escalator from the platform? If you have a Centro bus pass you would not have had any problem getting past the ticket inspection.
 
Thank you David, I didn't go that far as my husband can't walk too far. Would I have to get a platform ticket to do that? I have just got my pass and it's very useful, we will try out the trains next time!
rosie.
 
The waiting rooms are finished (I think).

You could have gone to the nearby Costa or Starbucks and use the loo's there?
 
Snow hill was designed by W,G,Owen and Open end in1852 to take the Birmingham/Wolverhampton/and Birmingham /to oxford
And later all the western ones, by 1920 it had an impressive entrance which I will show later today
Have a good day everybody best wishes Alan,,,Astonian,,,,,,,,
 
Alan. Adding to your comments.
Snow Hill was originally known as the "Birmingham Station", and was a wooden structure.

It was laid with the Brunel Broad Gauge track.

At the inaugural opening of the station, the Directors, and their ladies were travelling up from Paddington behind the famous Lord of the Isles engine, when it ran into the rear of another train at Ayno, nr. Banbury. No serious injuries, but it did demonstrate the stability of Brunels Broad.

An unimpressive lesser locomotive then took the party to Leamington for a belated banquet . Consequently the 'Special Train' never reached Birmingham on that significant opening day in October 1852.

All information from my own railway history books. Eddie
 
After Birmingham obtained City status in 1889, the GWR decided that the city needed a more substantial building.

During the period of 1906-1912, Snow Hill was transformed into the most modern mainline station of its time, and no expense was spared.

The finest materials available were used to earn it the title "The Great Western version of the Crystal Palace".

Eddie.
 
The Warwickshire railways site (https://www.warwickshirerailways.com/gwr/birminghamsnowhill.htm ) says that the original wooden building was reused at Didcot, but I cannot work out which building it might have been as the first station was built in 1844 (described as "a great big barn with the ends knocked out") the new station in 1886 is claimed to be newly built, and does not seem to have been like Snow hill, and engine sheds etc do not seem to have suitable construction dates.
 
I don't know if it is still happening but once a day in each direction a train hauled by a Class 68 runs through the station on driver training, Marylebpone to Stourbridge Junction. Sorry I don't know the time.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top