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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49. Demolition at Tan Bank paves way for traffic-free town centre
Rubble lies piled along Tan Bank in August 1973 as demolition crews clear older properties to construct rear service access for businesses on New Street. The site clearance was a major milestone in Wellington's pedestrian-only plan, designed in tandem with the new town ring road to create traffic-free shopping zones across New Street, The Square, and Market Street. The photograph captures the changing urban landscape right alongside the offices of the Shropshire Star and Telford Journal. Do you remember when Tan Bank was cleared to make way for the town centre pedestrianisation scheme in 1973? | Shropshire Star archive