Birmingham's forgotten underground motorway: A secret past beneath Nosh and

130 Colmore Row, built in 1903, had seen many lives and fortunes pass through its walls. It had been an office building, a tourist information office, a careers centre, and even a restaurant. But in 2013, a Chinese Investment Consortium bought the building and transformed it into 'Nosh and Quaff'. Located in the heart of Birmingham, the restaurant served lobster and beer. What the owners did not know was that the building had a secret past, unknown to the public but well-remembered by those who had worked there.

For a decade early in the 20th century, 130 Colmore Row had housed an underground motorway that connected Birmingham New Street to Snow Hill Station. The trains no longer ran on it, but the spirit of the underground highway had taken root in the stories and the memories of those who had worked there. When Nosh and Quaff took over, it was one detail among many, a fact lost among the cobwebs. And yet, the tale found a way to surface. In the brisk, buzzing kitchen where the lavender-infused crab and the lemon and herb-baked sea bass were prepared, the chef paused.

He told the stories behind each dish, the tales of Provence and the memories of the French Riviera. He spun yarns of the lore surrounding the place, how the detectives after the Second World War had hunted the criminals in the underground highway, and how the workers had breathed in the copper smoke when the shafts moved seven-day shifts. As the evening wore on, the guests discovered that the stories were as much a part of the meal as the lobster royale or the steak and chips.

The Grand Old Dame of Colmore - as 130 Colmore Row was affectionately known - would have its secrets, and the spirits would stay where they belonged: in the basement, a testament to a time long passed. And that was alright, for the new age had brought its own flavours and its own stories to the table.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons