Remembering how Andover looked over the years - in pictures

Whether a special occasion, or mundane, each preserves a moment in history. As a local newspaper, the Advertiser has many such pictures in its archives, reflecting a specific moment in time from our beginnings in 1858 all the way to today.

Here's just a few pictures from the archives showing Andover over the years:

The High Street

Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee Celebrations in the High Street in 1897

Pictured in 1897, massive crowds gathered on the High Street to commemorate the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria, who had ruled the British Empire since 1837. It couldn't be more different to today's High Street, which lies largely empty due to the wet weather.

A picture of the Star and Garter in 1937, taken by George Bricknell

Turning to the side, a pre-Second World War Star and Garter has changed somewhat over the years, though the building remains relatively similar between 1937 and today.

An undated picture of the High Street

Further up the High Street, this undated picture is clearly before the Chantry Centre, with the old buildings that used to sit on the site still present as women queue up the road.

Rounding the corner into Black Swan Yard, and it was a snowy day next to Freeman, Hardy and Willis when this picture was taken. Today, the sign is gone, and the snow replaced by puddles.

The Angel Inn in the 1960s

The Angel Inn has been a fixture of Andover for hundreds of years, and so looks relatively similar in these pictures though 50 years have passed. However, you wouldn't catch a car parking inside anymore!

An undated picture of Chantry Street

Continuing round the corner and onto Chantry Street, and you catch a glimpse of the people of the past, now lost to history, as with many of the buildings which used to line the street.

West Street around 1970

At the bottom of Chantry Street, West Street is largely unrecognisable with new buildings have obliterated those seen in this picture from circa 1970.

The Town Mills in 1965

Heading through the Riverside Park, and you can see in this picture how the Town Mills used to look before Wilko and the viking ship were built.

The Station Inn and Andover Town Station before 1900

Heading round the bend, and you come to the former site of Andover Town Station, which closed decades ago. What used to be Sainsbury's, and the road, have now been built over it, but the Station Inn remains as a reminder.

Elsewhere in Andover

VJ Day celebrations on Old Winton Road in 1945

Old Winton Road played host to this celebration of Victory in Japan day in 1945, signifying the final end of the Second World War after Japan surrendered to the allied forces, with Nazi Germany having already capitulated.

An aerial photo of Icknield Way taken in 1939

With the construction of Augusta Park and the expansion of Andover, this aerial photo of Icknield Way from 1939 is unrecognisable today, with the same view being filled with urban sprawl.

An undated picture of Millway Road in Andover

A solider stands alone in the middle of Millway Road in this picture, which wouldn't be possible today as cars rush up and down.

Shepherds Spring at the turn of the 1900s

It's unlikely the residents of Shepherds Spring, then a Victorian favourite for picnics, would have known that over a century later their area would be gone, and that Andoverians would be receiving vaccines against a disease they would never experience.