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Where was this please?

Shortie

Shortie

master brummie
I would like to know where Henn's Walk was please, if anyone can tell me. I am looking at 1889.

Shortie
 
All I have found so far Shortie is that it apparently had a Tram Track running down it despite having been very narrow..
 
Last edited by a moderator:
It can be seen off dale end in the map below

mapc1910Hennswalk.jpg
 
Well, Mike, I would never have found that if I had been looking for a year!! Thanks.

Bernie - cannot see the tram track, where do you mean? I bet it was a really nasty place to live. The lady who lived here had parents living in Dalton Street (just as nasty I suspect), so it all fits nicely.

Lovely work again as usual.

Shortie
 
Shortie

Here you are, Henns Walk off Moor St or off Dale End if you prefer.

Phil

CityHennsWalkoffMoorSt.jpg
 
My goodness! I had no idea a photo would exist. Thanks Phil. Looks a bit grim doesn't it? Suzanne stumbled upon a story for me concerning the family I am researching and it took place in Henn's Walk.

Shortie
 
I only know what I found on a site dedicated to Trams and Streetcars Shortie. The poster said that there was barely room for a bike to get past when a Tram was running into it. We need the Transport specialists.
 
I don't see how a street as wide as that shown in the photo can match up with the narrow passageway shown on the map. A single track tram line is shown in Albert Street in the map but the Dale End trams are not shown so it would be interesting to know the date of the map. Dale End trams turned right into Martineau Street and High Street trams turned right into Albert Street actually passing each other "wrong road" at the junction.
 
David
The map is dated 1902-11. I think the photo is taken with a wide ange lens that makes the street seem wider than it is.
 
mikejee said:
David
The map is dated 1902-11. I think the photo is taken with a wide ange lens that makes the street seem wider than it is.
Click to expand...

I was looking at the width of the cars relative to the width of the road. There would not have been a problem with a tram track in the road on the photo. Have now looked at the Tram Map for Birmingham and can confirm that prior to 1930 there was a tram track in Henns Walk from Moor Street to Dale End which must have been put in after the map date of 1902-11. Unfortunately I do not have a scanner and an attempt to use my camera to copy the map was unsucessful as the track diagram was so small that camera shake meant I cannot get a clear picture. I have dug out the oldest copy of the A-Z that I have which predates Moor Street Queensway and I see that there is an unamed narrow road between Moor Street and Dale End. This would be approximately under what is now Masshouse Circus.
 
The 1937 OS map does show a much wider Henn St. unfortunately, unlike the earlier ones , it does not show tram tracks.
 
Hi Bernie, apologies for not replying sooner. Had a computer problem and only got it back last night. I do find this interesting, as I thought trams, like buses, only went along very long streets and frequently used thoroughfares. Surely Henn's Walk cannot have been busy with footfall, etc? This is conntected to my son-in-law's family history, but although it's nothing to do with me I am finding it fascinating.
 
I used to walk under Masshouse quite often, and walk up Albert Street (when it was the PROPER Albert Street) into Dale End. I knew there was one walkway, but no idea there were so many. Does anyone know who Henn was, that Henn's Walk should bear his/her name?
 
Carl chin suggests that the name came from the Henn family, including john henn and Henry Henn who were businessmen in the city, though neither was associated particularly with the immediate area. I think I may have found a better possible source. Looking at the 1855 directories and maps, it seems as if then it was a cul de sac, only leading onto Dale End, which seems to have appeared sometime after 1810. The 1849 directory gives us a John Henn , Master of St Peters School , Dale end. This would have been close to the Church and, if it was next door, which seems reasonable, then Henns Walk would have run down the side of the school, The master could have given it his name
 
View attachment 66652

With apologies for quality of this upload but as previously explained I do not have a scanner and therefore this is taken with a hand held camera. The left hand map shows the tram tracks prior to 1930. If you can pick out Fazeley Street, Henns Walk is the name just above it. I think this must have been part of a turning circle rather than a regular route. Although Birmingham trams were double ended for operational reasons it would have been better in the city centre if they could be sent round a circle of streets rather than having to reverse them. Between 1930 and 1933 there was a major reorganisation of the streets in the city centre setting up Birmingham's famous one way system and obviously the tram network was changed at the time and simplified as shown on the right hand mapof 1933 which took out the Henns Walk loop.

The only Henn I ever knew was a Wolverhampton jeweler who had a couple of shops in Birmingham
 
It has no connection to Henns Walk, but may have to the source of the anme. Until sometime between 1862 and 1867 there was a Henn St off the far southern end of Staniforth St on the western side.. Cannot find it named on a map, but it may be what was later a part of Potter St.
Mike
 
I think your explanation seems more likely Mike. I knew about the church, but not about the school. I am learning a little more each day!
 
1a.jpeg
I have posted this on here because Dalton Street has been mentioned several times on the thread.
 
Birmingham Dairy Co.Daltons St (I worked next to it at the Printing works, Benyon & Ireland )ran at the back of Central Hall., which was in Corporation St.

Jean.
 
Found this on Wikipedia.

"
It was developed in the 1960s into an elevated 800-metre (2,625 ft) road intersection on the A4400 road and was named Masshouse Circus. The area below it was cleared and used as a surface car park. The elevated roadways were made of concrete which created an appearance disliked by locals. Under the roads was a large car park with pedestrian subways. There were six subways:


  • New Meeting
  • Henns Walk
  • James Watt
  • Chapel Street
  • Ryder
  • Hospital
The ring road became known as the "concrete collar" and restricted the expansion of the city centre core beyond it into the east."

Here's the link:
[SUP]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masshouse



[/SUP]
 
And this on Ancestry:

"Moor St,long ago was was Molle St, one housed the public offices,
a jail,and later Moor St Warehouse, Moor St Station, was opened,
in 1909 completed in 1914 Moor St once had a tram track, tramcars
from digbeth turned up Moor St , left up Henns Walk,and left again
to Dale End,and Albert St Termini, Henns walk now has gone."

Thanks to a Mr or Mrs R Deloyde who posted it.
 
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