Shropshire Routes to Roots

If you had stepped off the train in 1901 or 1902, this is the scene which would have greeted you. Massive excavations took place to add a lower storey to the station, used for parcels and a booking office. In a remarkable feat of engineering, the new storey was built underneath the existing building.

In the modern photograph, the top of the duller-coloured brick wall on the right is the height of the original ground level. Today, the station has some modern trappings - electric monitors and motor-taxis outside - but it is still largely the same as it was after these works.

On the road beside the station is a railway bridge. In 1900, this was an elegant arch design, with decorative Victorian windows with intricate lattice work.

In 1962, the bridge was significantly reconstructed and the road was lowered. Now tall vehicles can get through, although in the 1980s the bridge was in the news as one too-high lorry got trapped beneath it for a couple of days!

It certainly looked very different in 1900. Of course, the war memorial at the top was not there. In addition, the General Post Office building and telephone exchange (just visible on the left of the photograph) made way for modern Burger King. The independent shops have largely been taken over by the high-street stores.

There are the entrances to two shopping centres, the Charles Darwin Centre (visible on the right) and the Pride Hill Centre, which were built in the 1980s. The other obvious difference is the Pride Hill is now pedestrianised. Cobbles were laid down in 1982/1983.

The old Shire Hall was demolished in 1971, to be replaced by the arguably less attractive Crown House. The new Shirehall, opened in 1966, is located out of town.

The old Market Hall was built around 1590. By 1900, it was no longer used as a market. Instead the borough surveyor and waterworks' engineer had offices there, and the borough magistrates used it as a court. The court was held there until 1995.

At the turn of the twentieth century, the building underwent conservation and renovation, and is now a digital media centre. Notice that behind the market hall the timbered building has gone.

The timber building on the left is Ireland's mansion, built by a wool merchant who was bailiff of Shrewsbury in 1566 and 1579. The building opposite, on the right is Owen's mansion, built in 1592.

The old building at the end of the street was occupied by Lloyd's Bank. This was replaced by a new concrete building, which won an architectural merit award.

In 1869, the Corporation of Shrewsbury built a new market. It had a square clock-tower 151 feet (46 metres) high and a basement with fifteen vaults for the storage of goods, with inclined roads leading to them. On this floor were also a number of shops.

This was replaced by a new market, built in 1963. In 2003, the market underwent an extensive renovation.

The modern clock tower at one end of the market looms over Shrewsbury, contrasting with the spires and towers of the town's older churches.