Crabbery Street, Stafford

Description:Looking from Chapel Street along Crabbery Street towards Gaolgate Street. This picture was probably taken in December 1962 during the Christmas lights display, because strings of lights can be seen on the buildings and hung across the street.

On the left is Brown’s butcher’s shop which was later demolished. In the distance on Gaolgate Street there is W.T. Jeffs & Co., the shop sold women’s wear, curtain materials, dress materials, carpets and bedding. In later year the premises became a travel agent. On the right the various shops include Hepworth’s menswear, George Mason grocers, Shields, DER television rentals, Rose & Co. wallpapers and paints, Dewhurst butchers, Baxter’s butchers, Singer sewing machine shop, later known as Caroline Electric, an entrance to the Market Hall and on the extreme right is the Noah’s Ark public house which at the time of the photograph was closed. All of the buildings on the right remain (2025) although over the years their ground floors have changed use on several occasions.

The Market buildings were demolished in the early 1990s to make way for the construction of the Guildhall Shopping Centre, with a new Market Hall and an overhead car park. The Noah’s Ark Inn was incorporated into the Shopping Centre and over the years it has changed owners several times. During 2025 part of the Guildhall Shopping Centre, all of the Market Hall and overhead car park were being demolished for a major redevelopment of the area.