Fascinating pictures of a Wrexham gone but not forgotten
The Hightown flats and the old brewery site among unearthed photos
The fascinating pictures give an insight into how Wrexham has changed over the last 30 years.
From iconic landmarks that no longer exist to huge developments that have changed the landscape, we’ve taken a step back in time to before and after the turn of the millennium - an era when the smell of the Wrexham Lager brewery was still familiar and Woolies was still around.
With views of the old Beast Market from the ‘Asda Flyover’, a busy high street full of shops and the ability to drive from Town Hill towards Charles Street, the town, in some parts, is almost unrecognisable today almost 30 years on.
Documenting the town’s biggest changes over the years, Peter Leslie has also generated hundreds of images since the noughties, showing how much things have changed.
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Some include the demolition of Wrexham’s Hightown flats. They were built in 1970 and stood for 41 years. Others show how Eagles Meadow, one of the town’s biggest developments in recent years, came together on the site of the former flyover.
Others will recognise the former site of the old Wrexham Lager Brewery site, where the Border Retail Park stands today.
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Following the opening of Island Green and Henblas Square in 1999, seen as a ‘landmark development’, the nineties saw Wrexham shifting from a traditional market town to a modern shopping hub.
At the start of the millennium, the town was one of the fastest growing retail areas in the country.
New shopping developments like Eagles Meadow changed the town’s layout even further, although opinion was split whether it had divided the town.
However, like other towns and cities across the UK, Wrexham has had to contend with issues including more shoppers going online, stores shutting, homelessness and drugs.
But despite all battles the town faces today, a focus to redefine Wrexham and maximise its tourism potential is well underway.
The old Hightown flats which have now been knocked down
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A view towards the Black Horse on Yorke Street, which today is the Fat Boar
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The old 'Asda flyover' pictured in 2006 during the development of Eagles Meadow
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Also pictured in 2006 during the development of the new shopping centre
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Eagles Meadow development underway in 2006
(Image: Peter Leslie)5 of 17
