Wem High Street - Union Buildings

NumberOwner/Occupier
51
  • 1927- Challinor & Bailey Jewellers(Also listed in 1934) H Taylor Hairdresser (1930) and Mabel Clay (1934)(Fruiterer was listed at 51a.
  • S.E.Bailey (Hairdresser) at closure- moved to No 21
    • 53Urban & Rural milk office
    55-59C.Wright- Grocer & Tobacconist - moved to 11 on closure They replaced WJ Evans who was there in 1930
    61
  • Percy Edgerton- Cycle dealer
  • 1943- J.Reede - Boot & Shoe Maker- moved to 65 Aston st
    • 63
  • Matthews Bros- Boot repairer
  • 1934 Frederick Matthews- Boot repairer
    • 65Norman Stanley Duckett- Butcher in 1934.See advertisement in Market Hall to right

    1902 Advertisement for premises

    Looking at the front of the church today, it is difficult to image a 2 narrow, 2 storey building filling the gap between the church lawn and the High St.the tree behind the memorial must have been planted over the site of the old back wall. However, the Union Buildings occupied the site from 1831 until about 1943, when they were demolished. At that time, the entrance to the church lawn and the War memorial was via steps in Mill street, with a metal arch over them which has disappeared. Today, the entrance is from the High Street, with steps at the top of which are 2 contemporary lamps donated by Wem Civic Society. WCS also donated the metal rail in the centre of the steps.
    The white building in the background of the photograph below was, at the time, the Black Lion Inn, which would have served the market and shops in the part of the High Street that was, at one time, known as Market Street.In the sketch, the end shop of the buildings was Josiah Franklin, a jeweller. One of the reasons that the buildings were demolished was to allow easier flow of traffic. Looking at the third photograph (taken in 2012) shows that this theory has not worked in practice. There has been massive damage to the church wall in Mill Street and to the shops opposite, though fortunately not by this particular truck.

    Pictures (above- clockwise) C18th map of the area, Lorry squeezing out of Mill Street in 2010; 1920s Advertisement for one of the shops; New lamps and steps installed by WEM CIVIC SOCIETY in the 1990s.