When the Normans arrived soon after 1066 Shrewsbury was already well established as an administrative centre with trading links throughout both England and Wales. That early market town thrived so that by 1300 or so it was one of the dozen most important and wealthy towns in England, despite regular incursions from the Welsh just over the nearby border. It was the wool trade that made Shrewsbury so successful and this success is evident in the many fine timber buildings.

By Victorian times Shrewsbury's importance was being overtaken by newer conurbations growing in industrial areas elsewhere but in a sense this was fortunate since the heart of the town did not suffer massive redevelopment. This unique selection of old and new images and informative captions will be essential reading for anyone who knows and loves this town.