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)

[@markhayward1184]

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

[@neilewart4347]

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

[@shropshiremuseums6912]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@jennywallis65]

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.

[@salopiansessions8326]

It will likely be because you were born and bred in Shrewsbury that you have such a sense of nostalgia. This video conjures up nostalgia even for those of us who call ourselves Salopians now, but were not originally from this area.

[@jillming]

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

[@shropshiremuseums6912]

Many thanks!

[@jimhawkins5834]

This is marvellous. Thank you. More like this, please!

[@cheljohn4743]

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

[@katetyler8096]

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

[@jonka1]

Wonderful!

[@Pwk1111]

a very good video - well done

[@johntapley2549]

An excellent film. Really enjoyable.

[@shropshiremuseums6912]

Thank you!

[@janeshelvock1631]

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.

[@shropshiremuseums6912]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@pollyanne42]

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.

[@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.

[@ianjohnson7832]

Very well researched and presented. Well done

[@shropshiremuseums6912]

Thanks for watching

[@margaretdavies4699]

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

[@liamgriffiths9853]

Remind me when i get my time machine to go punch some sense into the 60's property developers/vandals.

[@a44489]

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

[@wongcw9011]

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

[@shropshiremuseums6912]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@alanclark1146]

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....

[@shropshiremuseums6912]

Sounds great!

[@mrphones]

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

[@piplebref4607]

I always loathed that low-rent Riverside Shopping Centre with its Mac Fisheries, Dewhurst's and Green Shield's shops.

[@jamesrogers5277]

The music reminds me of the stuff played on the phone during the wait for the local surgery to answer…

[@ShropshirePastPresent]

Interesting film I will post this link into my groups on Facebook

[@shropshiremuseums6912]

Thank you!

[@markbaker465]

Watch this space!

[@Degjoy]

For me, the very ugliest building in Shrewsbury is the Market Hall. The previous Market Hall was so beautiful.

[@michaelcorkery3853]

What a shame....

[@MsVanorak]

architecturally nothing good has happened since when? ugh - the market hall clock tower. darwin shopping centre is a monstrosity - is it derelict yet? now they want to pull down the council office after a fanfare of design only as recently as the 1970's. at least it had a design and is not just a square pile of red bricks. they keep voting in the most un-aesthetic minds possible with no sympathy for the surroundings. i know the future of the high street is uncertain so there is no need to make rush decisions. new plans always involve so many eateries and coffee shops which quite often fail - does no one cook at home anymore? apart from M&S there is no supermarket for the town centre dwellers and that would regenerate nearby shops and the park and ride too.. that concrete sculpture in the gardens by the welsh bridge which i have had explained to me - something to do with darwin - needs gelignite! like so many other towns they keep building the same chain stores on the edge of town and leave the centre to fail. queue more bland brick houses!

[@a44489]

No field of dreams, shack like rest of this run down country.