It has come to our attention that the local terms for cut-throughs have become somewhat confused. We’ve been hearing our alleys called ginnels and snickets (and the back alleys of the Victorian terraced streets called ‘snickelways’, which is even worse).
As we attempt to fight off further incursions of the Lancastrian/Leeds term ‘ginnel’ and attempt to celebrate the humble suburban snicket, this clarification may be helpful, of our understanding of the locally distinctive terms and their use.
Snicket
This is a typical snicket. In the suburbs. In Clifton. But it could be anywhere. But it’s what we used to picture when we used the word ‘snicket’, here in York, in the old days. A snicket should be ‘partially vegetated’ and probably has bollards or bars at its entrance. Only rarely does a snicket have a name. Most are unnamed.
Alley/alleyway/passageway
It appears that things like this are now being called ‘snickets’ too. But to us, for the purpose of this project, this isn’t a snicket, it’s an alley, alleyway, or possibly a passageway, in the city centre:
Straker’s Passage
Since the 1980s, and the marvellous ‘snickelways’ book, they’ve also often been called ‘snickelways’. Or ‘snickleways’. Which is perhaps why they’ve also ended up being called snickets. But unlike the humble suburban snickets these city centre alleys and passages often have names, proper historic names recorded on maps. This one’s called ‘Straker’s Passage’. It was seeing Straker’s Passage and other historic alleys and passages like it called ‘snickets’ and ‘ginnels’ that provoked the #snicketproject and #snicketpoems.
Grey areas
There are grey areas, and we may explore them. For example, a long and ancient right of way beginning at Marygate is part snicket and part alley, lots of snickety bits and narrow alley bits until it narrows right down and then channels you out at the green in Clifton.
Celebrate your snickets
As we fight to preserve the older and more distinctive terms, the local understanding of the difference between an alley and a snicket, you might like to join us in celebrating the humble snicket with a #snicketpoem.
And here’s an attempt to define the difference, in a short poem:
The alley settled between brick walls
while a ginnel tunelled its way back home, to Leeds
And a snicket snuck back to the suburbs
By: Lisa @YorkStories