You get a different perspective on Wolverhampton when looking from high above.
Up there with a bird’s eye view the city is laid out like a map below and you see so much more. There have been dramatic changes over the years which are brought into stark focus, such as the ring road which has carved its way through the cityscape, and the Mander Centre which transformed the centre.
Now here’s a question - was Wolverhampton a better place before the major developments of the 1960s and 1970s, or did they make the town, as it was then, keep pace with the needs of the modern world?
Judge for yourselves as we take flight above the city and enjoy a selection of pictures from down the decades and share your memories and views in the comments.
- You can enjoy this and more with our weekly FREE Nostalgia Newsletter - with scores of archive pictures and exclusive features on the history of Wolverhampton, Staffordshire and the Black Country - all sent to your inbox every week. Sign up here
- For anyone curious about where their own family story leads, MyHeritage DNA kits are currently £19.90, excluding shipping. The test can help explore genetic origins and identify DNA matches who may share branches of your family tree.

17. Ringing the changes
Ring roads are a mixed blessing, aren't they? They deal with rising levels of traffic and relieve town and city centres, but they also take up a lot of land and seal off places from each other. This is the fourth stage of Wolverhampton's ring road pictured from the tower block of Wolverhampton Polytechnic. The Molineux Hotel and the Wolves ground are at the top in this August 1970 view. | Express & Star archive

18. A place of golden memories
For Wolves fans of a certain age, this is the Molineux they grew up with. On the left is the Molineux Street stand which narrows sharply from one end to the other. The Waterloo Road stand, with its semi-dogleg, is on the right. This picture was first published in January 1970. | Express & Star archive

19. A new Molineux takes shape
"A bird's eye view of Molineux and the new £2 million stand which will be in use at the start of next season... The new stand is having the skeleton roof sections fitted in place. Work on levelling out the ground where the old Molineux Street used to be is just about completed, and next month this area will be turfed over ready for the pitch to be switched to its new position, once the grass has knitted together." It's June 1979. | Express & Star archive

20. Looking down on progress
Scaffolding riggings, a heavy crane hook hanging in mid air, and a vast bird’s eye view across new suburban estates, this October 1967 photograph captures the vista from the high rise flats under construction at Leasowes Drive. Looking down from high above, neat rows of newly built low rise housing, cul de sacs, and parked cars line the streets below, surrounded by green verges and sprawling trees. Framing the skyline beyond, traditional residential suburbs meet the horizon, offering a striking perspective on Wolverhampton's rapid upward and outward growth during the late 1960s. | Express & Star archive

