With a rich history dating back many years, Birmingham has always had a vibrant and colourful past. The city is full of exciting places to visit and areas to explore. Did you know Thomas the Tank Engine children's books were written in Birmingham? Did you also know that there is an archway under Birmingham's Snow Hill railway station hides a sinister secret unknown to the thousands of commuters catching trains.
It is a story of death, of a mob's thirst for revenge, and possibly an innocent man going to the gallows. Read more about that below..
. Were you also aware that in 1767 the gun trade was booming in Birmingham? The city boasted 35 gun and pistol makers, eight gun barrel makers and filers, five gun barrel polishers and finishers, 11 gunlock makers, forgers and finishers, and three gun swivel and stock makers. During the French Revolution, which broke out in 1789, for example it's said Birmingham's gunmakers were responsible for supplying the Government with half a million muskets during a two-year period.
Read more about Birmingham's secret history below...
Archway under Birmingham's Snow Hill railway station A small plaque high up on a wall at the bottom of Great Charles Street is missed by most passers-by, but is the only reminder of one of the city's most macabre chapters. Because it was near this very spot, on August 22, 1806, that the last and only public street execution in Birmingham took place. Historian Richard Pursehouse has delved deep into the archives to dis.