This area was known as The Crofts. Echoes of this persist today in the street names Hollis Croft and White Croft. Originally forming part of the town fields, the area was one of the first to be developed when the town outgrew its medieval limits in the 17th and early 18th centuries and this polygon represents the second phase of development of this area in the late 18th century. The area contained a mix of housing and workshops. By the 19th century the area had gained a reputation as a slum (Belford 2001). The area was significantly depopulated during between 1925 and 1938 by the clearance of most residential property with cleared areas subsequently redeveloped for light industrial use. Today, the area still retains a number a small works, although most date to the mid twentieth century or have seen significant alteration. Exceptions are three groups of listed industrial buildings and a 19th century chapel on Scotland Street. The streets curve gently up the hill following the line of the furrows from the old town fields. Legibility is significant due to this.