NOW and THEN - WYCH HOUSE LANE

They say that a picture is worth a thousand words and we've said right from the beginning that 'Now & Then' shots would be an excellent way of illustrating in  a sometimes dramatic manner just how much Middlewich has changed over the years. The idea is a simple one and, as far as we know, not subject to copyright or patent laws.
So here's the first of our occasional 'Now & Then' features showing views of Wych House Lane taken 37 years apart.
In 1974 the long straggling line of buildings forming part of Seddon's workshops takes up the left hand side of the lane. Middlewich D.I.Y is just out of shot to the right. In 2011 the area has taken on an almost rural aspect with trees and shrubs surrounding the Salinae Centre (now part of the Cheshire East empire). The clinic and its gardens take up the space previously occupied by the workshops, the Wesleyan Chapel and the Cof E School. Further down the slope where the Seddon's salt works once stood is a lawned area fronting onto the canal. The alignment of the lane has been altered slightly to allow parking space for Middlewich D.I.Y which, again, is just out of shot to the right. The drainpipe on the old Seddon's building would be just about where the lamp post (?) is in the centre of the modern shot.
Just a brief note about the cameras used: The 1974 picture is a Kodachrome 126 transparency taken with a Kodak Instamatic, and the 2011 view (taken 2nd August 2011) was snapped on a Blackberry 8900 phone. So here's a thought; If you're wandering around Middlewich with your hi-tech phone and you see something of interest, why not click the shutter and send the result to us? We might even be able to match it up with an older shot..Our aim is to record the modern day scene as well as looking into the past. I'd  like to think that in 2048 someone will be taking delight in our 'old pictures of Middlewich'

First published 3rd August 2011
Re-formatted and re-published 3rd August 2017