Subways

[oldMohawk]

When the Walsall Road was converted to dual carriageway they decided to build pedestrian subways and even demolished houses to facilitate this. They did build some smaller replacement houses facing the subways with much shorter back gardens. Soon people stopped using the subways and they were eventually closed and filled in.

That's an interesting 1939 view of what the Walsall Rd would look like when finished. The image below shows what it eventually looked like but it was the late 1960s before work started and was finished. As mentioned in the 1939 article some trees were planted on the central reservation but the pedestrian 'subways' caused problems with some houses having to be demolished to make way for walkway ramps. Replacement houses were built set back from the road as can be seen in the left of the image but not many people used the subways and they have probably been filled in.

 

[mikejee]

it must take an enormous amount of arrogance to to design and build something and name it after yourself. I would think that the so-very-flawed Manzoni must be one of the few to have done so (though I stand to be corrected). At any rate he showed that arrogance in his Manzoni Gardens, and also in the design of th esubways, with little real consideration of the real needs of people ot of its shelf life, but his only consderation being that the design should look "pretty" on paper and follow some peculiar fad being followed ta that time by the architect profession. Not sure if he had anything to do with the 1960s library, but it would certainly fit into the same pattern

 

[Astoness]

totally agree with all you say mike...

lyn

 

[ellbrown]

There is still this subway under Corporation Street near the Aston Expressway.



This one under the Birchfield Road in Perry Barr in 2014.



This subway in Bearwood in 2011, has since been demolished / filled in and is a pedestrian crossing there instead.

 

[A Sparks]

I remember the Perry Barr one very well, it was put there when they built the underpass.
It was ok at first but, like many of the other subways, it became dirty and unkempt and you never knew who might be lurking down there.
It was preferable to risk crossing the road!

 

[Brummygirl66]

There is still this subway under Corporation Street near the Aston Expressway.



This one under the Birchfield Road in Perry Barr in 2014.



This subway in Bearwood in 2011, has since been demolished / filled in and is a pedestrian crossing there instead.

I used to hate using that one at the King's Head Bearwood, when I had to catch the No 9 to my friends house in Halesowen in the early '80's, I'd much rather take my chance crossing on the opposite side of Bearwood Road to the subway, then crossing Lordswood Road to get to the bus stops. Glad it and the old toilet block have gone, the Bus Station and surrounding area looks much better today.

 

[ellbrown]

This was the new crossing in Bearwood in 2014.

 

[Elmdon Boy]

What miserable lousy places those subways are. Just looking at them, I can smell the urine.

 

[Vivienne14]

Absolutely - that goes through my mind too Elmdonboy. The fundamental problem with these subways is/was there's nothing in them, no shops, kiosks etc. They were poorly looked after (and often poorly lit) walkways. With no-one around they quickly became a haven for muggers. The best we can hope for is planners realised their mistake.

Viv.

 

[Elmdon Boy]

Had forgotten how utterly soulless this underpass at the junction of Corporation and Bull Street was. This was it in 2000. From Birmingham Mail archives. Viv.

View attachment 120793

Wasn't this the underpass that had an entance to Lewis's bottom ground floor, where you got an escalator up to the ground floor. Opposite this entrance was a café, might have been Lewis's.

 

[A Sparks]

Wasn't this the underpass that had an entance to Lewis's bottom ground floor, where you got an escalator up to the ground floor. Opposite this entrance was a café, might have been Lewis's.

yes, that would be the one, there was a cafe I think and a pub maybe?

 

[Brummygirl66]

That's the Bull Ring of my teens! Many happy Saturday afternoons spent there.

Yet, strangely I do like the new Bull Ring, think its a really nice place to shop

 

[Astoness]

That's the Bull Ring of my teens! Many happy Saturday afternoons spent there.

Yet, strangely I do like the new Bull Ring, think its a really nice place to shop

from one baggies fan to another i also had many happy shopping hours there...great pics BB

lyn

 

[Frothblower]

The days when the car ruled the roost and people were sent underground.

 

[Vivienne14]

Phone boxes in full use ! Who'd have imagined how mobile phones would transform our lives?

Wasn't Kelly Girl a recruitment agency ? Wouldn't be possible these days to have a female exclusive employment agency. In fact there are very few employment agencies in premises left at all, mostly now done online.

Viv

 

[Brummygirl66]

Phone boxes in full use ! Who'd have imagined how mobile phones would transform our lives?

Wasn't Kelly Girl a recruitment agency ? Wouldn't be possible these days to have a female exclusive employment agency. In fact there are very few employment agencies in premises left at all, mostly now done online.

Yes, Kelly Girl was an employment agency and I temped for them during 1990, I temped at the old General Hospital, in the oncology clinic which, actually was a good job to have. I made friends with the sister in charge of the clinic and she ground out it was my birthday and got me a card and a cream cake, which was lovely!

I also worked for them on another NHS contract at Bartholomew House on the Hagley Road, in reception as I was a receptionist/telephonist until I started to go deaf.

I think where the photo was taken, Rosie mentions a shoe shop, I think there was also a shoe repair shop, Thornton's (yum) and a big clothes shop where I brought my Harrington jacket from. Im sure there was also a KFC shop, the bank, bookies and then round the corner to the Bar St Martin, as I knew it, once of course the Mulberry Bush.

I used to walk up that way from the markets if I was popping in HMV to buy a record and catch the 82 home. So many good memories from that photo!

Viv

 

[Vivienne14]

The escalator that rarely worked!!
(I think it's mentioned elsewhere on the Forum).
There was a shoe shop just to the bottom left of the photo, I knew the lady who worked there, people were always stealing odd shoes!!
rosie.

Yes Rosie. It's mentioned in post #2 in this thread here https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/forum/index.php?threads/subways.47270/

Viv

 

[Vivienne14]

The subway at Hurst Street/Hill Street in 1959/60. Don’t know if this has been filled in, presumably it has. Even when newly constructed these were soulless places. Viv.

 

[A Sparks]

It's not there now Viv, there's a pedestrian crossing over Smallbrook Queensway which has replaced it.
I don't know when the subway went but I certainly remember it.

 

[carolina]

Crossing Smallbrook Ringway showing the other side of the Hurst Street Subway

 

[DavidGrain]

The subway has gone because they dropped the level of Smallbrook Queensway down to the lower level.

 

[Morturn]

I have a feeling that his subway was one of the first to go along with the inner ring road

 

[Vivienne14]

An early subway - in Erdington. Viv.

 

[Pedrocut]

Before the Subway, Eric’s painting...

Slade Rd Erdington - painting

This is where I once lived, Hillside Road 1st left under bridge. This is my first painting this year , I have had a 'painting block', not uncommon among artists I have had them before, just lose all ability to paint but its now returning.

birminghamhistory.co.uk

 

[Vivienne14]

Prettying up Lancaster Circus subway in 1971. Which building was the photographer standing on ? Must be Victorian judging by the chimney pots in the foreground. Viv.

 

[Morturn]

The Fire Station? Maybe from the clock tower.

 

[Vivienne14]

I don’t expect this subway still exists. Here it was being built in 1965. What a lot of effort went into building them, only to be dispensed with 40/50 years later. Viv.

 

[DavidGrain]

I don’t expect this subway still exists. Here it was being built in 1965. What a lot of effort went into building them, only to be dispensed with 40/50 years later. Viv.View attachment 156071

I was driving through there a few days ago and was thinking, I am sure there used to be a subway here. This is the Google Street View today with no sign that there ever was a subway there. Question is, how do pedestrians cross the road? It is a long walk either up or down the hill.

 

[carolina]

I was driving through there a few days ago and was thinking, I am sure there used to be a subway here. This is the Google Street View today with no sign that there ever was a subway there. Question is, how do pedestrians cross the road? It is a long walk either up or down the hill.
View attachment 156088

You would probably have to cross at the bottom by the mini roundabout or right at the top by the church

 

[Vivienne14]

It’s hard to balance the road safety aspect of pedestrian subways with the nuisance/places of crime/threats they became. Here some youngsters were clearing up one at Bromfird Bridge. It was only 1968, so the subway can only have been a matter of a few years old. Viv.


Source: British Newspaper Archive