High Street, Eccleshall

Description:Looking east along High Street. On the far right is the Royal Oak Inn, one of Eccleshall's two coaching inns on the London to Chester road (the other is the King's Arms on Stafford Street). With the advent of the railway the landlord compensated for the decline of his business by running an omnibus service, collecting passengers from trains arriving at Norton Bridge.

In the 1860s the Royal Oak had become a commercial hotel, and in the 1890s landlord Henry Milward had set up a funeral and furniture removal business.

The second inn sign on the right belongs to the Crown Inn. On what today is the inn's car park were cowsheds and stables for travellers' horses.

The timber framed building on the left is the Market Hall, built in 1884. The building replaced the Old Market Hall and was constructed to the same design. Later used as a reading room, and briefly rented by the British Legion, the hall is now an off licence, but is still referred to as the Market Hall by locals.

Postcard published by William Shaw of Burslem.