Some excellent news for Shrewsbury’s shuts and passages! You will now find on the entrances to many of the town’s passages notices which inform that the County Council wish to add the particular passage to the definitive map of rights of ways.

The order to do this has not yet been approved though and there is likely to be objections from some land owners, tenants, etc. Therefore I ask that if anyone here has some spare time, or knows of someone who has an interest in these sorts of matters, if they could write a quick letter, supporting the shuts and passages in the order becoming rights of way. :)

The full order, with maps and statements, can be viewed in the reception of the Guildhall on Frankwell Quay and also somewhere at the Shirehall. I’ll give the important details below though.

The Shropshire County Council (Footpath Additions (Shuts and Passages), Borough of Shrewsbury) Modification Order 2008.

This order was made on the 26 June 2008 and representations can be made to the following officer at the County Council, to reach them no later than the 7 August 2008. If there are objections the order will be passed to the government who will look at all representations made and will therefore look at the letters of support also.

Countryside Access Manager
Countryside Access Team
Community Services
The Shirehall
Abbey Foregate
Shrewsbury
SY2 6ND

The 20 routes which are to become rights of way in the order are:

Bank Passage
Barracks Passage
Bear Steps
Carnarvon Passage
Coffee House Passage
Compasses Passage
Dana, The
Dana Railway Path
Drayton Passage
Golden Cross Passage
Grope Lane
Gullet Passage
King’s Head Passage
Old St Chad’s Path
Peacock Passage
Phoenix Place
St Alkmond’s Passage
St Julian’s Shut
St Mary’s Court
Seventy Steps

17 of these are in my list of 30 Shuts of Shrewsbury. The other three are additional routes in the town centre which ought to be protected... “Dana Railway Path” is the route that runs down from the Dana footbridge to the foot of Castle Gates via the steps and past the gate on platform 3. St Mary’s Court is round the corner from the Parade shopping centre towards Dogpole and “Old St Chad’s Path” is the path that runs through the churchyard of the Old St Chad’s church off Belmont/Princess Street.

It should be noted that three of the other Shuts of Shrewsbury are already rights of way – Castle Court, St Mary’s Shut and The Slang. St Mary’s Shut was made a right of way only 3 years ago. So with this order it will be 20 down, 10 to go! :)

I would appreciate greatly if people could write in and support this move. The town’s historic features, such as the shuts and passages, are always under threat from developers and land owners/tenants who pay little heed to the town’s history and the people’s right to use these ways as they have done for countless generations. Further, all changes to England’s definitive map of rights of ways must be made by 2021 (I believe that’s the correct year) as it will then be frozen for all time. Any of the town’s passages not made “official” by then could very easily be lost… on the other hand, those on the definitive map are then protected forever.

A very happy Proud Salopian today! :D