Shuts of Shrewsbury No 8 - Bank Passage

Fish Street - High Street

Bank Passage runs downhill from Fish Street to the High Street and is part slope and part steps. In fact it used to be known as "Twenty Steps" but there now only 16 steps. Instead it's new name comes from the Birmingham and District Counties Bank that was once located on its High Street end until around 1910. It could also be said that the passage cuts across the bank, creating a shortcut so that pedestrians don't have to go down Fish Street and turn the corner.

We begin on Fish Street, about halfway up from where the street begins on High Street and where Grope Lane descends. St Alkmund's Church is on the right and steps lead up to its churchyard. The photo below shows where Bank Passage begins - it's rather hidden and unsigned. Pengwern Books's first shop is located on the corner here.



The other end of the passage is equally as hidden, though there is a sign saying Bank Passage. If you're thinking that this passage offers good shelter from heavy rain, like I did once, think again. The bottom bit gets flooded by water cascading down the steps! A short passage, but useful for cutting the corner.



Opposite the High Street entrance to Bank Passage is the entrance to Peacock Passage (from where I took the above photo), which leads to the Old St Chads church. Therefore it is possible to walk in a straight line from St Alkmund's to Old St Chad's via the churchyard steps, crossing Fish Street, going down Bank Passage, crossing the High Street and walking through Peacock Passage. Pengwern Books' second shop is down the other end of Peacock Passage, and so this route is a nice and quick way of going between the two.

did you notice the engraving that tells of the benefactors who gifted Bank Passage to the town.

Erm, no... I'll have to have a closer look then! It's quite a dark passage though - is the engraving at the top end or the bottom?

middle!
from High Street,pass under the covered bit,then look up about 8 feet by some drainpipes?
this is not a wind up,honestly.

Small update on Bank Passage - it has recently been cleaned up and the lower half is newly painted in white. I think new lighting has also been installed. A property half way up is being renovated. There's still only one street name sign, at the High Street end.

Another update - the top half is being completely dug up and re-paved. With cobbles! :rolleyes:

a lot of the shuts seem to have had a lick of paint of late.

s.g.d.

There's new lighting on this one too - private investment I think as there are new apartments now above the passage, called "Bank Passage Apartments"!

I have told someone at the borough council about the lack of a sign at the top end of this passage and they say they will look into it.