Snow Hill station (Birmingham Station until 1858) was the prestige station in Birmingham - the epitome of GWR
opulence with its grand Great Western Hotel frontage, mosaic floors in the platform tea rooms and a vast
subterranean booking hall and goods offices - immaculately covered with white salt-glazed tiles. Originally
built as a temporary wooden station, Snow Hill was rebuilt in 1871 as a permanent structure and again in 1906 as the grand station depicted in
numerous books and fondly remembered (unsurprisingly when compared to even the pre-1960s New Street!).
Unfortunately, in 1972 following British Rail's decision to electrify the routes through New Street, Snow Hill
became rather superfluous to requirements. In addition to this, maintenance was becoming prohibitively
expensive (which was somewhat accelerated due to the complete neglect the station had faced since the mid
to late 1960s) - the station was slowly creeping down Snow Hill, for example! Thus, the station bowed to the
inevitable and closed in 1972 along with the line up to and including Wolverhampton Low Level and the
tunnel connection through to Moor Street. For those of you wanting a more in-depth study of Snow Hill, I'd recommend
Derek Harrison's book shown in the 'Useful Publications' pages: it may be out of print but well-worth
obtaining if you get the chance. For our purposes, however, the hotel was demolished and trackbed removed
and the obligatory NCP car park installed between the platforms - this state persisted until the mid-1980s.
As can be seen from the above photograph, the 'new' Snow Hill station hasn't quite recaptured the character
of its charismatic namesake - being hidden beneath an office complex. However, the scorched earth policy
of many a station's rebirth was more minimal here so I have divided the study into two pages: this page looks
at the current station itself, the following page looks at the construction upon which the station and trackbed
rests which is original. |
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Above-left we see the canopied entrance walkway which leads to a suspended 'bridge' taking you
to the booking hall. Above-right we are on platform 3 as an unknown DMU enters the tunnel which emerges at Moor Street.
I have to admit to being a little disappointed that planners in the 1980s sought to recreate a New Street architecture
at platform level (dark, bleak, inhospitable) in stark contrast to the open overall roofed approach taken by the original
architects of Snow Hill. |
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To further illustrate my point, above-left we are again on platform 3 but looking in the
opposite direction to the previous photograph. Above-right I decided it was time for some fresh air and walked
along platform 3 to look towards what is now St Pauls Metro stop but once would have been goods sidings to
the right, a turntable, and the trackbed disappearing under Livery Street on its way to Hockley station. |
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Above-left is another shot of this view but taken from a little nearer to the station. Above-right
we are looking back at the station along platform 4 and the single line Metro track can be seen - the terminus of
which lies ahead in this view. It is an interesting shot as it shows that the current station is on a smaller scale than
its GWR predecessor - look at all the open space to the left of the shot. If my recollections of the old station are
correct (I used to explore the site, tunnels and underground structures with a torch and sketchpad during school
holidays in the early 1980s!), the open area ahead and to the left was above the goods offices/loading bay. |
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The final two shots of the station platform level: above-left I am looking across the platforms
from the end of platform 3 and above-right I am looking back at the station and unobtrusive car park again from
the end of platform 3 with Livery Street to the right and Snow Hill to the left. |
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Above-left we have moved to the corner of Livery Street and Cornwall Street. This was a pleasant find - an
original GWR doorway which was once part of a wall which bordered the station along Livery Street: notice the
GWR logos at the top of the doorway (best viewed in the enlarge photo - click on image). Above-right we have continued down Livery
Street - the station entrance, to get the bearing, is in the distance where you can see the office blocks. As I have
discussed earlier, the whole station is built on a raised structure and this view provides a good insight into the sheer
scale of this enterprise. |
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Above-left we are at the junction of Livery Street and Great Charles Street Queensway. This picture
illustrates that the new station does not occupy the same groundspace as the old one. The multi-storey car
park above the station can clearly be seen and just above the bus you can see that part of the support that
once carried the trackbed has lost its bridgework signifying the narrowing of the station site. Above-right
I have included a shot of the arch base that spans the Birmingham & Fazeley Canal. To appreciate the sheer scale and work
that must have gone into building this structure I recommend a visit and a walk around the station's perimeter. |
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Above-left we are in Henrietta Street and can see an example of the salt glazed tiling which adorned
parts of the station (goods yard, for example). These are private 'factory units' but clearly were constructed
by the GWR. Above-right shows the intricate riveting of the ironwork arch over Henrietta Street - this is paricularly
interesting as for the most part, all arch supports were blue-brick: here we see green painted ironwork. If you get the
chance, visit the site (don't necessarily enter the station as this is not especially interesting as my earlier shots
should have demonstrated) but walk around the outside. You will find all manner of GWR relics - even a now
closed GWR green iron public toilet! |
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MAP |
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Birmingham Office and Industrial Cleaning Services |