This aerial view of the Newtown area of Chester shows a townscape in transition: the large development of high- and low rise flats is approaching completion but the Cattle Market to their right is still in place. This will soon be demolished and replaced with a large traffic island on the St. Oswald's Way section of the Inner Ring Road- the future line of which may be seen running diagonally across the cleared land in front of the new flats. It was opened in January 1971. St. Anne Street runs up the left hand side of the picture.

At the top, steam trains can be seen at the General Station and from here Brook Street still runs unbroken diagonally across the picture to a recently-rebuilt Cow Lane Bridge. Except where diverted by the railway bridge, this diagonal line is the exact route of the Roman road which ran from the fortress, along today's Frodsham Street and Brook Street, through the suburb of Hoole (where these words are being written)- and on to Frodsham and Warrington. Much of the route remains in use to this day- although some sections, as at the Newton Hollows in Hoole, are now little more than footpaths.

In the bottom-left corner, the demolition of the Northgate Station- soon to be replaced by the Northgate Arena- and the construction of the Inner Ringroad are underway.

Amid all these changes, only the line of the City Walls, the Deanery Field and Shropshire Union Canal appear much as we know them today.

Go here to see some more photographs of the building of Chester's Inner Ring Road...