Step back into 1970s Wellington and see a familiar market town in the midst of dramatic change.
As the new town of Telford expanded around it, Wellington was reshaped during a decade of demolition, construction and redevelopment. Streets were altered, old buildings came down and new roads, pedestrian schemes and developments began to change the town’s appearance. Places such as Groom’s Alley and Tan Bank were transformed, creating a very different-looking Wellington from the one people knew before.
Yet among the building works and changing streetscapes, there are plenty of reminders of everyday life – familiar shops and businesses, busy roads, local landmarks and the people who lived and worked in the town.
Drawn from the Shropshire Star archive, these photographs capture Wellington as it looked during the 1970s – from demolition and construction to ordinary scenes of town life.
Take a stroll through the gallery and see how many streets, buildings, shops and familiar faces you can recognise. What do you remember about Wellington in the 1970s? Let us know in the comments.
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41. Night shift under floodlights to resurface busy A5 junction
Bright floodlights illuminate the Bucks Head crossroads in Wellington during March 1974 as road crews work through the night to resurface the busy A5 route and install new traffic signals. The atmospheric nocturnal photograph captures the glowing equipment, temporary barriers, and passing traffic at the prominent junction. The overnight operations were arranged to minimise daytime disruption along one of the area's main arterial roads. Do you remember driving through the Bucks Head junction during these major A5 roadworks in 1974? | Shropshire Star archive
42. A first-floor toast to new council housing completion
Councillor Peter Gibbons (left), chairman of The Wrekin District Council, exchanges a congratulatory handshake across a first-floor window with housing committee chairman Councillor Joe Gittens in January 1975. The playful photo marked the official ceremonial handover of one of 15 new council properties built by Lilleshall Homes Ltd in Regent Street, Wellington. Assisting in the window frame are Mr D.F. Lowe (far left), managing director of Lilleshall Homes, and Mr John Jones (far right), clerk of works. Do you remember when these new council houses were built on Regent Street in the mid-1970s? | Shropshire Star archive
43. Town skyline framed by sprawling auto scrapyard
A vast sea of discarded vehicle shells and rusted metal fills a Wellington scrapyard circa January 1974. Rising above the industrial clutter in the background is the familiar silhouette of All Saints Parish Church tower along with surrounding residential roofs and trees. The wide shot offers a stark juxtaposition between Wellington's historic architecture and the expanding industrial activity of the 1970s. Do you remember this scrap yard or where it was located in Wellington back in early 1974? | Shropshire Star archive
44. Speedy roadside repair ahead of major motorway opening
Technicians Ron Griffiths and John Roberts clear shattered glass and fit a new laminated windscreen to a car in just half an hour on December 8, 1975. The demonstration picture was captured alongside the newly constructed stretch of the M54 motorway, positioned near the railway line and modern overbridges. Taken just three days before the M54 Wellington bypass officially opened to traffic on December 11, 1975, the scene highlights the rapid roadside assistance services ready to support local motorists on the new high-speed route. Do you remember driving on the M54 Wellington bypass when it first opened in December 1975? | Shropshire Star archive