West Street in 1895

This tranquil scene from the late 19th century is undisturbed by traffic because passing vehicles were mainly horse-drawn and children played safely in the streets, in this case several young girls wearing pinafores over their dresses, a practice that survived well into the 20th century to ensure that their main garment did not get soiled.
The Town Hall can be seen in the distance with the old Crown Hotel on the left, a popular hostelry with both shoppers and traders and a venue for larger gatherings, mainly all male dinners and smoking concerts which were popular during Victorian times although in the late 19th century it was also known as the Crown Hardwick Hotel after the landlord, Henry Hardwick, a local cattle dealer.
The hotel remained in business as licensed premises until 1991 and is now the centre of a shopping complex known as Crown Walk.