Brook Street 1904

This street takes its name from the river Gwenfro which, until the late 19th century flowed along its course. In 1881 the Gwenfro was culverted and the surface of Brook Street laid over the top of it. Evidence of the culverted nature of this street (the River Gwenfro runs underneath it) can be seen in the levels of the of the road and the pavement on the right, in front of Mary Ann Square, in some of the photographs in this gallery.

In 1700, a public brew house was located in Brook Street, close to Town Hill, where local people, for a small charge, take their own malt and hops and use the brewing equipment provided. It was sold at the turn of the 19th century.

Many of the poor-quality industrial houses on the south side of Brook Street were demolished during the 1930’s slum clearing program and the site was occupied by the new many years by the new Odeon Cinema. Brook Street served as the terminus for buses operating between Wrexham and the outlying village areas. In 1953 the buses were moved to a new station on King Street, a decision that many shopkeepers thought the ruination of business on Brook Street.

Brook Street presented a very different appearance to that of today with the front of the entrance to the Albion brewery at the top end of the street. Originally Thomas’ Brewery, the Albion Brewery, in its heyday in the mid-19th century, was owned by John Beirne. The buildings were located below the Parish Church alongside the River Gwenfro and were accessed through an arch on Bridge Street at the foot of Town Hill. They were demolished during the construction of the Albion car park. Prior to being a brewery, the site was occupied by a house, yard and dye-house.

The large redbrick building at the corner of Brook Street and Bridge Street was built as the Central Stores and has had many usages since. The recently demolished Scott’s night dub was originally the home of the British School, and is a sad loss to the streetscape of this old area of the town.