Demolition of Shrewsbury shopping centre begins in 'significant moment' for town centre

To mark this historic milestone, Shropshire Council has asked for the public’s help in compiling a history of the area over the last 50 years as work to tear down the former Riverside shopping centre and medical practice got under way on Tuesday.

Named Riverside Remembered, the social history initiative will see Shropshire Council and the Shropshire Archives work together to curate a collection of memories from the area between the years of 1974 and 2024.

Members of the public are encouraged to submit their photos online at smithfieldriverside.com for inclusion in the project.

For those with physical photographs, videotapes or even mementos, a drop-in event will be held at Shropshire Local in the Darwin Centre on September 5 from 9am – 3pm.

On October 1, an event will be held at Shropshire Archives on Castle Gates, Shrewsbury, which will include a display of images submitted, and screening of a film about the historical development of Raven Meadows.

Demolition of the centre - which closed in February - marks the first visible sign of change as part of the wider Smithfield Riverside regeneration scheme – an ambitious plan led by the council and its development manager, RivingtonHark, to revitalise the area between the River Severn, The Darwin centre, Roushill and Raven Meadows in Shrewsbury town centre.