Martin Street, Stafford

Description:When this picture was taken looking west along Martin Street from Eastgate Street in 1990, there are several cars parked in the street. Later In 1992, a large part of the town centre was pedestrianised and the A34 was re-routed around the town.

All of the buildings in the picture remain (June 2022). On the left are several Staffordshire County Council offices, in the centre distance there is a glimpse of St. Mary’s Church tower and on the right are the County Buildings which opened in Martin Street on 29 October 1895. Previously councillors had used the facilities in the Borough Hall and the Shire Hall.

A competition was organised in 1892 to find an architect, in which the Council requested 'good, thoroughly business-like offices'. The winning design was by an emerging young architect Henry Thomas Hare, who was awarded £150. The building itself was constructed by Henry Lovatt of Wolverhampton and took two years to build.

The building was lit by electricity, at a time when many public buildings were lit by gas, and the Council Chamber was equipped with an early air conditioning system.

This photograph was taken by Stafford photographer Tony Boydon.