Shrewsbury's Fields of Dreams

No area of Shrewsbury town centre has seen such great change over such a short period of time as the area between the main shopping streets and the River Severn.

It is an area seemingly poised for the biggest changes in its history, but this is a place where big changes have been happening for the last 150 years. So, here’s a chance to find out more about the rapidly changing look and feel of Raven Meadows in a fascinating new video collaboration between Shrewsbury Museum & Art Gallery, Shropshire Archives and the Old Market Hall.

Further Reading
If you enjoyed “Shrewsbury’s Fields of Dreams”, you may wish to explore the subjects covered by it in the following sources without which this video couldn’t have been produced.
Nigel Baker: Shrewsbury: An Archaeological Assessment of an English Border Town (2010)
T.M Brown & Michael D Watson “The Civil War Roushill Wall, Shrewsbury”, Transactions of Shropshire Archaeological & Historical Soc. Vol 66. (1989)
Dorothy Cromarty: Everyday Life in Medieval Shrewsbury (1991)
Joyce Butt: “Red lights in Roushill” in Victorian Shrewsbury ed. Barrie Trinder (1984)

[deboraharris]

I'm 62 and born and bred in Shrewsbury, I loved this video. Unlike others I have seen, this had lots of new material, I found it fascinating. Especially the 70s content as that was my era of going into town as a teenager to buy a forbidden eyeshadow from Maddox's and the obligatory photo from the booth in Woolworths, and of course seeing Tiffanys, where I spent many a wonderful time, when I had to remember a fake date of birth to give the bouncers 😊. I was pausing the video a lot, to take in and study closely. Really enjoyable

[StephenMerchant-upsg]

Fully paid up Shrew here. I walked past the demolished Riverside 3 days ago and the musical memories flashed past me. Never a clubber or 'soulboy' me but I remember the bands in the 'punk' era and afterwards. The Boomtown Rats, {Johnny Thunder &} billed as The Heartbreakers, Elvis Costello, The Jam, The Stranglers. Exciting times when 'controversial' crackled like electricity as it hung in the air. A media invention in retrospect but real at the time. RIP Tiffanys

[jennywallis]

Wonderful, I love history & grew up in Shrewsbury. Often wish we’d never left, lovely town.

[furryface]

Through being born and bred here this video gives a massive sense of nostalgia. 32 years in the town even I have seen some changes. Nothings better than a lovely blue sky, freezing temperature and shrewsburys christmas lights out. There will always be something about this town.

[cheljohn]

Fabulously produced, researched and really interesting history of the town. Such a pity about rhe historic vandalism that has occured in quite recent times.

[katetyler]

My Great grandparents moved from County Mayo to live in Medlicott Buildings in 1861 census and Phoenix Passage later - very interesting video thankyou

[jillming]

Congratulations to all concerned in putting together such an interesting and informative record of this area of Shrewsbury's history.

[markhayward]

A superb trip into the history of Shrewsbury, thank you, watched numerous times

[neilewart]

I was born and bred in Shrewsbury decades ago. Still feel an affinity with this lovely town and thanks for producing such quality footage.

[janeshelvock]

What a delightful and informative video on my home town and how sad to have lost so much history to modernisation. I was lucky to have some of this history told to me from my parents and grandparents so was lovely to see footage of places they knew before me. My mother was born in meadow place and me in Grinshill drive so thanks for explaining it was a type of stone as I often wondered where the name came from! So enjoyed this trip around my childhood. Thank you.

[pollyanne]

Loved this video, a nostalgic journey through the town I knew growing up. We went to the Saturday matinee at the Empire and wandered around Rowleys House and Rousehill area which is so different now.

[margaretdavies]

A fascinating video and so interesting to see how the town has changed.

[michaelfisher]

What a great video. Thoroughly enjoyed it as I lived in Shrewsbury in the 1970s. I had the pleasure of revisiting recently and loved it. So sad that modernism covered up the past - but such is life. Only minor complaint is the music is too loud at the beginning and end and overwhelms the soft spoken presenter.

[JohnAtkinsLostNorwich]

This video was recommended to me as something similar to videos I make about Norwich. I thoroughly enjoyed it and have added Shrewsbury to my list of places to visit. Thank you.

[wongcw]

Many thanks for this interesting and informative video! Such huge changes from the 70’s when I used to study in Shrewsbury. 💕💕

[ianjohnson]

Very well researched and presented. Well done

[mrphones]

It was amazing to watch credit to you, b&b here too.

[alanclark]

Wow, this is wonderful. I am my self working on a 3D model of the area, planning to cover the multi story car park, bt building, the Raven hotel, Horse repository, livestock market and what ever else takes me eye. The starting point for me was the footbridge from Woolies too the car park, which as led to some what more....

[abcdefg-tjt]

Ill never forget that bridge thoe, wat a lovely view it was if there was one.

[jamestregler]

We have a street named after your town ; it always had a magical appeal to me going back to the 1980's . Thanks ever so much from old New Orleans 😇