Snow Hill before the snow

Wednesday, 06 January 2010 09:04

An appropriate title for an appropriate snowy day!

Our walk down Farmer's bridge Locks on the Birmingham and Fazeley Canal (BCN) took us to Snow Hill. Sorry folks - here comes a story! Not a ghost one, but one I shall never forget!

Snow Hill panorama yesterday

The last time I was here it was gone midnight and I was not an happy bunny! It was a number of years ago and I was travelling to meet John who was cruising on Twelfth Night and I was meeting him at Wolverhampton Station.

At Birmingham New Street we were all turfed out of the station due to a bomb scare. Scare? It was certainly scary being ushered along dark, tunnel-like platforms up countless stairs and out the back way of the station. If you have been to New Street, particularly at night, you will know what I mean: if not, the station is more or less underground and one of the most horrible stations I have ever been in.

We waited for an interminable age to see if we would be let back in, listening to the Police sirens and wondering if we were all about to be blown up. In the end, in consultation with John (thank God for mobile phones), I asked how to get to Wolverhampton. The buses had stopped running by this time and I thought that my only option was a taxi. But no, I could walk to the Metro at Snow Hill. How far was that? Oh, just up there, turn right and keep going.

I set off, on my own at Club turning out time, in some trepidation. Eventually I arrived at Snow Hill - and had to go down steps into a dimly lit area to a deserted metro platform and just hope that a tram came. John rang - one had just left Wolverhampton. It eventually arrived and I was safely transported to meet up with him.

It all looks so different in the day!

Around Snow Hill there is quite a bit of history. Matthew Boulton was brought up here and the family factory started here also.

1-7 Constitution Hill

This strange building was the old factory of H B Sale and the tower was built as a memorial to Lord Roberts of Kandahar in 1896. The red brick and terracotta structure is extremely thin. It is known locally as "The Red Palace" and has seen a number of uses, once as a pub (the Old Salutation) and currrently as a restaurant.

In total contrast is St Chads, just across the way

The Metropolitan Cathedral and Basilica of St Chad's is the Catholic Cathedral of Birmingham. It was built in 1841 by Augustus Pugin (of the Palace of Westminster fame and numerous churches, institutions and even railway cottages!).

John has a saying, "You can tell we are in a city because of the cranes". He is so right - Birmingham is no exception. There are cranes by the canal at the Mail Box building "The Cube" (designed by the man from the Gherkin in London) and there are cranes in Snow Hill.

The final phase of Snow Hill is "on hold"