Title: St Mary's Shut
Description: Shuts of Shrewsbury 4
Description: Shuts of Shrewsbury 4
Proud Salopian - June 5, 2005 03:40 PM (GMT)
Shuts of Shrewsbury No 4 - St Mary's Shut
Castle Street - St Mary's Place
Carrying on with passages leading off Castle Street and this time we start on the opposite side of the street than Castle Court, Blower's Repository or Seventy Steps. Opposite Marks and Spencer's and next to the cafe that was formally Sidolis we find St Mary's Shut, which is little in two respects - it's little known and it's little in width!
This is the narrowest shut in the town and is somtimes called "Little Shut" because of this. As you walk through the shut notice how the walls are pretty much all tudor. At the end of the passageway you come to an open space with St Mary's church in the background.
From here you can either walk through the car park to St Mary's Place or if you're feeling adventurous you can do the second part of the original shut. The photo below shows the scene from the church, with the car park and the small tudor building with the short section of the shut which is really these days an optional extra.
If you decide to go down the "optional extra" take care - this is the narrowest shut possible! Here it is...
If you're not quite sure how this passageway works or where it is, I've drawn up a quick map to help. The map shows how the shut is now in two sections, with a car park these days too.
To find the shut from St Mary's Place, find the Yorkshire House pub and it's further up the road from that. The shut for a long time was not an official right of way, but after a campaign by some residents and the Civic Society, the shut has been officially placed as a right of way on the council's definitive map.
Castle Street - St Mary's Place
Carrying on with passages leading off Castle Street and this time we start on the opposite side of the street than Castle Court, Blower's Repository or Seventy Steps. Opposite Marks and Spencer's and next to the cafe that was formally Sidolis we find St Mary's Shut, which is little in two respects - it's little known and it's little in width!
This is the narrowest shut in the town and is somtimes called "Little Shut" because of this. As you walk through the shut notice how the walls are pretty much all tudor. At the end of the passageway you come to an open space with St Mary's church in the background.
From here you can either walk through the car park to St Mary's Place or if you're feeling adventurous you can do the second part of the original shut. The photo below shows the scene from the church, with the car park and the small tudor building with the short section of the shut which is really these days an optional extra.
If you decide to go down the "optional extra" take care - this is the narrowest shut possible! Here it is...
If you're not quite sure how this passageway works or where it is, I've drawn up a quick map to help. The map shows how the shut is now in two sections, with a car park these days too.
To find the shut from St Mary's Place, find the Yorkshire House pub and it's further up the road from that. The shut for a long time was not an official right of way, but after a campaign by some residents and the Civic Society, the shut has been officially placed as a right of way on the council's definitive map.
Tim Gallon (Lichfield) - June 5, 2005 07:01 PM (GMT)
Dont think i have ever been down this one, weird how its split in two.
That car park is a right eysore exposing the abck of the buildings and needs something decent being built there.
Is it Barclays car park?
That car park is a right eysore exposing the abck of the buildings and needs something decent being built there.
Is it Barclays car park?
Proud Salopian - June 5, 2005 07:11 PM (GMT)
I'm not sure - it services all the shops, pubs, banks, etc in that part of Shrewsbury it seems!
But yeah, it's an interesting shut, being split into two these days. Especially with the very short 'n' narrow second section.
But yeah, it's an interesting shut, being split into two these days. Especially with the very short 'n' narrow second section.