These aerial images show how Deeside has been transformed over the past 70 years. <\/p>\n
The first picture dates back to 1945 with the Shotton Steel site a dominant landmark on the ground. <\/p>\n
Back then it would have been working at full capacity as part of the war effort - with many women stepping into roles at the plant while more than 1,000 men were away on war duty. <\/p>\n
Spanning the River Dee was the Jubilee Bridge (Blue Bridge), built in 1926 to carry road traffic, and the railway bridge (Hawarden Bridge) built by the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway and opened in 1889. <\/p>\n
RAF Sealand was another key site on the border. <\/p>\n
It started the war as the home of No 5 FTS (Flying Training School), equipped with Airspeed Oxfords and in 1941 19 Elementary Flying Training School (EFTS) equipped with Tiger Moths was based at RAF Sealand. <\/p>\n
During the war Tiger Moths, Lysanders, Leopard Moths, Dragons and Dominies were a regular sight on the grass runways. <\/p>\n
Fast forward to the early 2000s and there are another two crossings over the River Dee. <\/p>\n
The A494 now has a new crossing point at a four lane bridge at Queensferry while the Flintshire Bridge carries the A548 from the border to Connahs Quay. <\/p>\n
Parts of the former RAF Sealand site have been transformed into Deeside Industrial Park with a growing number of major employers setting up on site. <\/p>\n
Shotton paper mill and motor giant Toyotas engine plant are among the new developments. <\/p>\n
There is also additional housing at Queensferry and Shotton, filling up some of the former green spaces while retail developments like Asda in Queensferry also appear on the map. Deeside Leisure Centre and the ice rink also come into view. <\/p>\n
Moving on to the current day the industrial park has continued to expand while the Shotton steel furnaces have gone, although steel workers continue to be employed at Tata Steel. <\/p>\n
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Watch how Deeside has transformed over 70 years on Google Earth - Daily Post North Wales<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" These aerial images show how Deeside has been transformed over the past 70 years. The first picture dates back to 1945 with the Shotton Steel site a dominant landmark on the ground Continue reading