Aston
Aston maps (2 available)
Map of Staffordshire
Beautifully hand-drawn and coloured, dating from around 1840
See this old map of Staffordshire
Personalised maps
Create an historic map centred directly on any postcode!
Aston books (7 available)
Aston memories
Read and share memories of Aston and Staffordshire inspired by Frith photos
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You can also read memories of nearby places in Staffordshire below.
Staffordshire memories
Brine Baths
I remember as a child and teenager going to the Brine Baths with my brother and friends, what a wonderful building it was, swimming was never the same after the new baths were built, another fine old building was lost.
A memory of Stafford contributed by Elizabeth Harrison
Happy memories
I was born in Foregate Street, the home of my grandparents, in 1951. I left Stafford in 1953 and returned in 1960 to live in the north end of the town. I well remember playing on the 'Witches hat' with my friends, paddling in the childrens pool, I spent some very happy times in Victoria Park. Mum used to take us down to the park on a fine sunny day, jam sandwiches and a bottle of pop, Happy Memories. I now live in the Lake District and love it but Stafford will always hold some very special memories for me. Does anyone have a picture of old Foregate Street?
A memory of Stafford contributed by Elizabeth Harrison
The Music Library - Pride of Stafford!
The music library was in Friars Terrace until 1994, when it moved to the top floor of the library at the Green, which had been the Art Gallery before that moved to the Shire Hall.
By 1994 the LP collection was little used - it had been the biggest in any library in the UK. By 1994 we had the biggest CD collection in the UK, covering every possible kind of music. Stafford was the first library to lend CDs in the country, starting in 1983.
The Music Library moved to the Shire Hall in 1999 and is still one of the best CD collections in the UK (or world some say), priding itself on getting pretty well ...read more here
A memory of Stafford contributed by Andrew Baker
Public Disaster!!!!
This photograph is taken from the Lichfield Road. Veering off to the right in the distance is Greengate Street, and to the left, round the far corner of the library, the Newport Road. I used the library often. It had an annexe a little further up and 'off' the Newport road, past the Odeon Cinema, containing the library's music collection. I spent an even greater amount of time there. It was wonderful. Everything from Scarlatti to Lead Belly. What an education! (This was in my mid-teens.) You could actually borrow these records, take them home and play them on your Dansette if you wanted to, and/or listen to them in cubicles, rather like a 'language laboratory' as we used to call ...read more here
A memory of Stafford contributed by Penny Trueman
Extracts From Aston & Staffordshire books
The Shropshire Union Canal, engineered by Thomas Telford and con-
structed between 1827 and 1835, was the last of the major canals. It linked
Birmingham to the Mersey, and was built in a more direct line than previous
canals, sometimes through deep cuttings, to reduce distances in an attempt to
compete with railways. The Boat Inn stands beside the bridge.
An extract from from"Stafford Living Memories Pocket Album".
The Shropshire Union Canal, engineered by Thomas Telford and con-
structed between 1827 and 1835, was the last of the major canals. It linked
Birmingham to the Mersey, and was built in a more direct line than previous
canals, sometimes through deep cuttings, to reduce distances in an attempt to
compete with railways. The Boat Inn stands beside the bridge.
An extract from from"Stafford Living Memories Pocket Album".
One of the few thatched buildings in the area, the Duke’s Head is no longer
a public house. It has recently been renovated, and the timber-frame, probably
dating from the 16th century, is now exposed. For centuries Gnosall was a
small agricultural village, but in the 19th century many of the villagers also
made shoes for the Stafford shoe manufacturers.
An extract from from"Stafford Living Memories Pocket Album".
One of the few thatched buildings in the area, the Duke’s Head is no longer
a public house. It has recently been renovated, and the timber-frame, probably
dating from the 16th century, is now exposed. For centuries Gnosall was a
small agricultural village, but in the 19th century many of the villagers also
made shoes for the Stafford shoe manufacturers.
An extract from from"Stafford Living Memories Pocket Album".
The bishop was granted the right to hold a weekly market in 1153, and
later an annual fair. During the 19th century the market prospered; this
new market hall was built for £700, the money having been raised by
public subscription. It is now a shop. Note Tompkinson’s Garage with
its petrol pumps further up the street.
An extract from from"Stafford Living Memories Pocket Album".