Paradise St - Anyone remember a foot tunnel?

1890 Views 18 Replies 11 Participants Last post by horsencart, Feb 24, 2018

Felsham

Discussion Starter · Feb 19, 2018

A bit of modern archaeology, anyone remember a foot tunnel on Paradise Street?.

In preparation for building the Metro tram along Paradise Street they are digging it up.

When I was up there taking photos yesterday I saw evidence underground of a foot tunnel on Paradise Street.

Anyone remember this tunnel and if so where did it go to?

I assume it went UNDER Paradise Street, but it could not go into Fletchers Walk as this was on the street level and this tunnel would have gone under it.

I know there were plans for a bus station under the library so did this tunnel go in to the bus station (which was never used).

And when did the tunnel get filled in.

Here are a few photos below to help try to solve the "mystery"

Below, photo 1. I took this image from Google Maps and I have drawn two red lines showing roughly where the tunnel went.

01 Paradise Tunnel by Felsham1, on Flickr

Below, photo 2. I hunted round the web and found this old photo (not sure of date). You can just see the start of the tunnel at the bottom of the photo.

02 Paradise Tunnel by Felsham1, on Flickr

Below, photo 3. Here is a photo I took yesterday showing roughly where the tunnel was. Some close up photos follow

03 Paradise Tunnel by Felsham1, on Flickr

Below, photo 4. A close up of the hole in the ground. You can see the solid wall that was one side of the foot tunnel.

04 Paradise Tunnel by Felsham1, on Flickr

Below, photo 5. A close up of the wall clearly showing the mosaic that was on the inside of the tunnel

05 Paradise Tunnel by Felsham1, on Flickr

Below, photo 6. Another close up of the wall showing the mosaic

06 Paradise Tunnel by Felsham1, on Flickr

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Bear Would Ian

· #2 · Feb 19, 2018

Hi Felsham, the subway did go up some steps (and a ramp if I recall) to Fletcher's Walk. It was filled in in the early 2000s

ellbrown

· #3 · Feb 19, 2018

Wouldn't it be better to link to the photo from the original location, instead of uploading it to your own Flickr? E.g. post the link from Geograph or where ever it was.

Can't say I remember a subway round there.

LocalVernacular

· #4 · Feb 19, 2018

It was a subway under Paradise Street to Fletchers Walk.

The red lines in your first photo mark the ramp down to the subway.

In your first photo you can also see the different colour paving slabs at the entrance to Fletchers Walk that show where the staircase used to decend into the subway.

Reactions: 1

morestoreysplease

· #5 · Feb 19, 2018

In Rome when they dig they find very old relics we find old filled in subways:lol:

Yes remember using subway for many years after leaving Snobs.

Reactions: 2

ComPurch

· #6 · Feb 19, 2018

KFC can't find their Chickens.

Have to hope Subway don't have your problem,Felsham.

rotundazag

· #7 · Feb 19, 2018

morestoreysplease said:
In Rome when they dig they find very old relics we find old filled in subways:lol:

Yes remember using subway for many years after leaving Snobs.

Me too! I was a regular in snobs in the 80s

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Reactions: 1

djay

· #8 · Feb 20, 2018

Should this be in the Lunar?

horsencart

· #9 · Feb 20, 2018

Yes there was a tunnel my friend reckons that there toilets under the roadway, I remember that the entrance was near to the old Fetchers Walk, this photo was taken in the days when buses used to run down New St, https://www.flickr.com/photos/dofar...LDx-M9K6zK-oBxw9U-dJK8vk-dJwCjC-dJwx4j-dJrg1a

Reactions: 1

Guilbert53

· #10 · Feb 20, 2018

Append Removed

Felsham

Discussion Starter · #11 · Feb 20, 2018 (Edited)

horsencart said:
Yes there was a tunnel my friend reckons that there toilets under the roadway, I remember that the entrance was near to the old Fetchers Walk, this photo was taken in the days when buses used to run down New St, https://www.flickr.com/photos/dofar...LDx-M9K6zK-oBxw9U-dJK8vk-dJwCjC-dJwx4j-dJrg1a

Thanks for that Horsencart.

I notice in your photo you managed to take it with NO building on the corner of Hill Street.

Eventually 1 Victoria Square was built on that corner.

This Wiki page says 1 Victoria Square was built (opened?) in 1985

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victoria_Square_House

Wiki says "The adjacent parcels office (adjacent to Victoria Square house) which was connected by a link bridge over Hill Street was also demolished, and was replaced in 1985 by One Victoria Square, designed by Watkins Grey Woodgate International."
.

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ellbrown

· #12 · Feb 21, 2018

Birds eye view of that subway being dug up. In front of the Queen's College façade.

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horsencart

· #13 · Feb 21, 2018

This is another view from Paradise St looking down New St, the empty land on the right is just visible, the buses used to make their slow way down New St, https://www.flickr.com/photos/dofartshavelumps/8356497933/in/album-72157632427995441/

This is a shot looking the other way in Paradise St https://www.flickr.com/photos/dofartshavelumps/8359989113/in/photolist-dJK8vk-dJQzNf-pDSzJP-dJK8FR

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jambreo

· #14 · Feb 22, 2018

I can remember the underpass from my youff.
many a Saturday off the number 9 at centenary square and down to highway 61 to trawl through the records then through the underpass and onto reddingtons, swordfish etc etc! Hill street was a very busy road with buses (and cars) at the time as the main bus stops were on Corporation Street and Stephenson Street and this was the way out of the city centre for them. The underpass was pretty essential back then to cross the road as traffic light crossings were evil.

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Felsham

Discussion Starter · #15 · Feb 22, 2018

jambreo said:
The underpass was pretty essential back then to cross the road as traffic light crossings were evil.

In fact looking at one of Horsencarts photos above I was staggered to see how busy Paradise Street was with buses and cars pouring towards New Street.

Make you realise how much nicer Birmingham city centre now is with much of it pedestrianzed (like New St)

Also great that we are gradually getting rid of those awful pedestrian underpasses one by one. Very few left in the city centre now.

This is Horsencarts photo showing how busy with traffic the area was:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/dofartshavelumps/8356497933/in/album-72157632427995441/

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ellbrown

· #16 · Feb 22, 2018

Is still some subways under the Queensway's. The Livery Subway under Great Charles Street Queensway and the subway to the Gun Quarter under St Chad's Queensway. As well as the ones at Lancaster Circus, Ashted Circus (those will go) and the two remaining at Holloway Circus. Still some at Dartmouth Circus.

Subway on Bristol Street is blocked off now.

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horsencart

· #17 · Feb 23, 2018

Limbo Dancers can apply https://www.flickr.com/photos/dofartshavelumps/34849782174/in/photolist-stw9Pd-V6yf6m

ellbrown

· #18 · Feb 23, 2018

Under St Chad's Queensway.

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horsencart

· #19 · Feb 24, 2018

Other subways are available https://www.flickr.com/photos/dofartshavelumps/32669920664/in/album-72157654146335073/

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