Greengate Street, Stafford

Description:This view shows a busy scene with shoppers in Greengate Street, Stafford. 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 this picture remain (July 2022) although some have changed use on several occasions.

On the left is John Mottram’s store with its large clock above the shop frontage. John Mottram's hatter, clothier, jewellers and hardware store at 6 Greengate Street was established in 1869. John Mottram (1841-1914) was Mayor of Stafford 1904-1905. As John Mottram Ltd. the shop remained a feature of Stafford's main shopping street for over a century, finally closing around 1990. It has since had a number of occupants including a Bonmarche women’s fashion shop and later by a Greenwoods menswear shop which closed in 2019 and currently the premises are empty. Next door is the Bear Inn with its landmark sign and the carved wooden bear, set high on the building. The seventeenth century Bear Inn was built on the site of the Old Black Bear Inn.

Centre right the Swan Hotel can be seen and adjacent is the timber framed building known as the Ancient High House, which built by Richard Dorrington in 1595. In 1826 the building was bought by John Marson, who converted the lower floor into shops. The building is now owned by Stafford Borough Council and opened to the public as a heritage and exhibition centre in 1987. On the extreme right there is a part view of McDonald’s fast food restaurant.

This photograph was taken by Stafford photographer Tony Boydon.