St Mary's Hill
St Mary’s Hill is a continuation of Shipgate Street, off Lower Bridge Street, which leads up to St Mary’s Creative Space, formerly the Church of St Mary on the Hill, before joining with Castle Street. The gradient is over 36 degrees, making it the steepest residential street in England, if not the world - although the current record is thought to be held by Ffordd Pen Llech in Harlech.
As illustrated by John Romney
Up the steep hill...
..said to be the steepest urban street in England..
..past the tomb in the blocked-up door..
..past the rectory..
..to St Mary on the Hill.
Listed Buildings
The parsonage house and coachyard are now offices. Built in 1835 and attributed to Thomas Jones (c.1794-d.1859 of Oswestry and Chester), in Tudor Revival style, with older, Georgian rear wing. Irregular bond brown brick with grey slate roofs. Some of the stonework has "pineapple finials" - the pineapple was a symbol of the Christian faith and it may have been used to identify Christian homes or businesses.
The school, cottage and walls were built in 1846 with aid from the Government and the National Schools Society to house St. Mary's National School which consisted of infants' and mixed departments. Before that date classes had been held in St. Mary's Rectory. It was an infant school from at least 1866, until 1904 when it was reorganised as a junior and infant school to help alleviate overcrowding in other schools. It reverted to being an infant school in 1954. It closed in 2009, but re-opened as a private nurssery school in 2012.
