In photos from the 20th century, Longton's Market Street looks like a bustling centre of commerce – a far cry from the array of empty and boarded up shop units to be found in January 2025.

Remants of retail giants of the past still remain – such as siganage from the town centre's Woolworths branch which closed more than 16 years ago when the national shop chain made a shock departure from High Streets across the country.

But while other former Woolworths stores have been re-purposed by other retailers, in the years since 2009 Longton's branch twice became home to a cannabis factory. The building has recently been put up for sale – and it is one of more than a dozen empty shops to be seen as you walk along Market Street.

Woolworths closed in Longton more than 16 years ago (LDRS).

Look up at some of the buildings and there are fragments of the street's more prosperous past to be seen – finely crafted details and decorations in the stonework that reflect the area's civic pride and can still be enjoyed today by eagle-eyed passers-by. In 2023 repair works got underway at Victoria Buildings, on one end of Market Street, supported by funding from the Longton Town Partnership Scheme in Conservation Areas (PSiCA) grant.

The late Victorian-era building was the first to benefit from the Longton grant scheme, which formed part of the Stoke-on-Trent Ceramic Heritage Action Zone (HAZ) and was jointly funded by Stoke-on-Trent City Council and Historic England. Speaking in 2023, Mike Fern, who owns Victoria Buildings, said, "My business has been trading in Longton for over 50 years and I am very excited to be involved in this project to reinvigorate our once bustling town.

"Such schemes are essential to attract footfall and life back to the town centre after years of neglect and decline. Such regeneration work is essential to 'level up' the Potteries and bring pride back to the Potteries."

Trees and vegetation can be seen growing inside empty buildings (LDRS).

But almost two years later, elsewhere in Market Street, trees and vegetation can be seen growing out of some of the higher floors of empty buildings. Ground floors are boarded up in some of the vacant units – and a poster promoting Longton's creative ceramic heritage can been seen through a gap in the boards in one spot.

On a gloomy January weekday the weather doesn't help entice visitors in. Shoppers and traders alike reflect that Market Street does not give the best first impression of a town that has far more to offer when you venture further in.

Sheila Hallam, who has lived in the city all her life, said: "It's messy here, but it's just this street. The rest of Longton they're doing a lot with.

"A lot of the old buildings are empty. There used to be shops open all the way up (Market Street).

Sheila Hallam has lived in the city all her life (LDRS).

"It does make me sad. The other side of Longton looks really nice – it's nicer than Hanley. If only they could tidy this up a bit and there should be a shelter at the bus stop – you are outside in all weathers here."

Another person who prefers Longton town centre to Hanley is Lewis Brassington, working at family-run shoe shop Brassingtons. Last year the business moved out of Hanley after 123 years to focus its efforts on its Longton shop.

The store in Market Street is a welcoming beacon amongst the empty shop units, offering a roomier experience than the former city centre for customers to view what's for sale. Lewis said: "For us, it's better here than in Hanley and we find people are prepared to come up here.

"Unfortunately this is the roughest looking road in Longton. If anyone is starting or opening a business, they aren't going to pick Market Street, but for us it's a lot better than Hanley."

Lewis Brassington says he prefers Longton town centre to Hanley (LDRS).

Stacey Dunn and Keith Emery, who are shopping in the town centre, both used to work in Market Street. Stacey said: "I used to work at Ethel Austin, but Market Street has gone down a lot since then.

"It's the main road coming from Hanley and Fenton and it gives a bad impression – it used to be really popular. I'd still rather come to Longton than Hanley though."

On the other end of Market Street from Brassington's, another long-running business, Noshers, is seeing a steady stream of customers coming in to buy lunch. They have just seen the closure of another unit in the street, the town's Halifax bank branch, earlier this month.

"Shop units shut and don't reopen again on this road", they said. "It's a bit of an eyesore.

"Most of the businesses open have been here for a while. People come here for certain things, but Halifax shutting down will affect people in the long run."

Shoppers still say they'd rather visit Longton than Hanley (LDRS).

Halifax is just the latest bank to move out of Market Street. The TSB branch closed last year – and Natwest has also announced plans in recent to depart Market Street in June.

A turn into Bennett Precinct and a walk into the Longton Exchange Shopping Centre rewards you with a more vibrant vision of Longton. Here there is more footfall and far more open shop units, offering an eclectic range of goods to browse.

It demonstrates that first impressions should not always define a place. And a venture beyond the surface is well worth the effort, not just for shoppers but for the business working to keep Longton a place to visit.

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