Say “Hightown� to most Wrexham people and they will immediately mention the flats.
The off-white blocks between Kingsmills Road and Brynycabanau Road were pulled down in early 2011 – four decades after they were built – when managing their structural problems became unaffordable for the council.
Yet while many townspeople condemned them as an eyesore with a reputation for social problems, to residents those flats were home and many were sorry to leave. Some had lived there for more than 30 years: raising families, losing loved ones and sharing joy and sadness with their neighbours.  (continues below)

They may cast a long shadow, but Hightown was never just about the flats. Thanks to Hightown Barracks, which opened in 1877, the area has a long association with the Royal Welch Fusiliers, now known as the 1st Battalion, Royal Welsh. Many streets are named after officers, and older people recall the time when the site was fully functioning. Many local men have served in the regiment or its territorial battalions.
Opinion is divided but to many locals Hightown extends well beyond Brynycabanau Road and the Barracks Field estate, to include Whitegate, Percy Road and Stockwell Grove – a huge diversity in housing. Over and above the physical landscape though, the real heart of Hightown is its people. Many residents have lived their whole lives in the area, while others have arrived from other parts of Britain or abroad. The overwhelming sense is one of a community full of warm-hearted and down-to-earth people. This project aims to celebrate those who live and work in Hightown. A photofilm on the project can be viewed here.