Changes on Ipswich roads shown pictures over 100 years old

Bramford Road is just one of the areas in Ipswich that has seen a lot of change in the last 100 years. <i>(Image: William Pratt/ Google Maps)</i>
Bramford Road is just one of the areas in Ipswich that has seen a lot of change in the last 100 years. (Image: William Pratt/ Google Maps)
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Postcards certainly have a tinge of nostalgia about them nowadays after being the go to way to contact people and show them where you were.

A series of cards from across the 1900s show how Ipswich has changed over the last century. 

Comparing the cards with street views of recent years, you can certainly see how Ipswich has changed.

The Spotted Cow, Bramford Road, Ipswich

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Bramford Road, near the centre of Ipswich, is one of the busiest roads in the town, with it leading to Crown Street at one end and the village of Bramford at the other. 

In this interactive slider you can see a tram carrying out its journey using Ipswich's network which used to span 10 miles.

The route went from Westgate Street to the side of the railway on what is now the B1067. 

The image also shows the Spotted Cow pub, which was most recently known as the Iron Horse, before it was demolished in 1999 to make way for the housing and buildings you can see on Google Street View. 

The Cornhill, Ipswich 

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The next Ipswich transformation is the Cornhill with a lot changing since the picture was taken in around 1916.

With the area now being mainly pedestrianised, you will struggle to see any horse drawn carriages or trams. 

Many of the buildings in the postcard still stand with businesses coming and going.

The Old Post office is now The Botanist. 

Carr Street, Ipswich  

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A short walk from the Cornhill will take you to the Carr Street, and here is how it looked in 1915. 

It has also changed since Google Street View last visited in 2019, with the empty department store now home to Ipswich Bazaar. 

St Helen's Street

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One place that still stands is the old County Hall, which used to be home to Suffolk County Council until 2004. 

It has since sat empty, with plans to turn it into 40 home being approved in 2020. Since then it has been listed for sale despite the developer promising to see the plans through. 

The building was featured in the Victorian Society's 2012 list of the top 10 endangered buildings, with it in disrepair compared to its condition seen in 1907. 

Ipswich Waterfront

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With a great deal of change since the 1914 postcard, the Neptune Quay and waterfront may be the area of Ipswich with the biggest amount of change. 

With a decline in shipping in the area, the quay has undergone a transformation to be dubbed the jewel of the town.

This is in part to the regeneration of the area over the last few decades with the creation of many apartments overlooking the water.

There has also been the repurposing of some of the most historic buildings with many also turned into offices, and restaurants. 

 

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