Shropshire

Shropshire
Motto of County Council: “Floreat Salopia” (“May Shropshire flourish”)
Geography
Status	Ceremonial & (smaller) Non-metropolitan county
Origin	Historic
Region	West Midlands
Area - Total - Admin. council - Admin. area	Ranked 13th 3,487 km² (1,346 sq mi) Ranked 14th 3,197 km² (1,234 sq mi)
Admin HQ	Shrewsbury
ISO 3166-2	GB-SHR
ONS code	39
NUTS 3	UKG22
Demography
Population - Total (2006 est.) - Density - Admin. council - Admin. pop.	Ranked 42nd 451,100 129/km² (334/sq mi) Ranked 34th 289,100
Ethnicity	97.3% White 1.2% S.Asian
Politics
Shropshire County Council http://www.shropshire.gov.uk
Executive	Conservative
Members of Parliament	Mark Pritchard (C) [1] Philip Dunne (C) [2] Daniel Kawczynski (C) [3] Owen Paterson (C)[4] David Wright (L)[5]
Districts
North Shropshire Oswestry Shrewsbury and Atcham South Shropshire Bridgnorth Telford and Wrekin (Unitary)

Shropshire (pronounced /ˈʃrɒpʃɪɚ/, /-ʃɚ/), alternatively known as Salop^[6] or abbreviated Shrops^[7], is a county in the West Midlands region of England. It borders Wales to the west. Shropshire is one of England's most rural and sparsely populated counties^[8], with the population of the non-metropolitan/shire county 289,100 - making it the least populated two-tier governed area in the United Kingdom. The borough of Telford and Wrekin, included in Shropshire for ceremonial purposes, has been a unitary authority since 1998.^[9] The county town is Shrewsbury, which is culturally and historically the most important town in the area^[10], although Telford, which was constructed around a number of older towns, is today the most populous^[11]. Other notable towns are Oswestry, Bridgnorth and Ludlow. The Ironbridge Gorge area has become known as the birthplace of industry but this is disputed by many since "industry" was in existence long before industry existed in that locality - it being of relatively recent origin. The term was coined as an advertisement in an attempt to enhance the status of the town. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which covers Ironbridge, Coalbrookdale and a part of Madeley^[12]. There are additionally other notable historic industrial sites located around the county such as Broseley, Snailbeach and Highley as well as the Shropshire Union Canal.^[13] The Shropshire Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty covers about a quarter of the county, mainly in the south^[14]. The Wrekin is one of the most famous natural landmarks in the county^[15], though the highest hills are the Clee Hills^[16], Stiperstones^[17] and the Long Mynd^[18]. Wenlock Edge is another significant geographical and geological landmark^[19], and the River Severn, Great Britain's longest river, runs through the county. Shropshire is landlocked, and with an area of 1,346 mi², is England's largest inland county^[20].

Divisions and environs

The area under the control of the county council, or shire county, is divided into five non-metropolitan districts. They are North Shropshire, Oswestry, Shrewsbury and Atcham, South Shropshire and Bridgnorth.^[21] Telford and Wrekin is a unitary authority which forms part of the county for various functions such as Lord Lieutenant but does not come under county council control. Oswestry, Shrewsbury & Atcham and Telford & Wrekin have the status of boroughs. The county including Telford and Wrekin, the ceremonial county, borders Cheshire, Staffordshire, Worcestershire, Herefordshire, and the Welsh preserved counties of Powys and Clwyd.

Local government reform

The ceremonial county and unitary authorities from 2009 as currently proposed

In 2006 a local government white paper supported proposals for new unitary authorities to be set up in England in certain areas. Existing non-metropolitan counties with small populations, such as Cornwall, Northumberland and Shropshire, are favoured by the government to be covered by unitary authorities in one form or another (the county can either become a single unitary authority, or be broken into a number of unitary authorities). Existing unitary authority areas within these counties' ceremonial boundaries (such as Telford and Wrekin) will not be affected and there will be no boundary changes. Shropshire County Council, supported by South Shropshire District Council and Oswestry Borough Council, proposed to the government that the non-metropolitan county of Shropshire become a single unitary authority (i.e. the district/borough councils would be abolished). The process would be similar to that of the Isle of Wight in the early 1990s, when its districts were abolished, leaving a unitary county authority. The ceremonial county of Shropshire would therefore consist of two unitary authority areas - Telford & Wrekin and Shropshire. The new unitary authority of Shropshire would be one of the largest in England in terms of area. There has been opposition to the proposals, on the grounds of loss of local democracy and abolishing councils rated as "excellent" or "good", chiefly from Shrewsbury and Atcham Borough Council. The proponents, however, feel that the move will save funds and allow the area to gain more regional prominence.^[22] The proposal to create a Shropshire unitary authority, covering the area of the existing non-metropolitan county, is supported by the DCLG and April 2009 has been set as a target for the re-organisation to take place. It seems very likely now to happen and elections to the new authority would take place in May 2009.[1] Part of the proposals include parishing and establishing a town council for the currently unparished area of Shrewsbury. This would create one of the largest civil parishes in England, with a population of over 70,000. It was announced in July 2007 that the changes would go ahead as part of the 2009 structural changes to local government in England.

History

The Old Market Hall, Shrewsbury.

The Iron Bridge at Ironbridge.

The new town of Telford.

Main article: History of Shropshire

The area now considered Shropshire was annexed to Mercia by King Offa in the eighth century, at which time he built two significant dykes there to defend his territory against the Welsh or at least demarcate it. In subsequent centuries, the area suffered repeated Danish invasion, and fortresses were built at Bridgnorth and Chirbury.^[23] After the Norman Conquest in 1066, major estates in Shropshire were granted to Normans, including Roger de Montgomerie, who ordered significant constructions, particularly in Shrewsbury, the town of which he was Earl^[24]. Many defensive castles were built at this time across the county to defend against the Welsh and enable effective control of the region, including Ludlow Castle^[25] and Shrewsbury Castle^[26]. Also in this period, a number of religious foundations were formed, the county largely falling at this time under the diocese of Hereford and that of Coventry and Lichfield. Some areas in later times fell under the diocese of St. Asaph until it ceased to exist in 1920. The county was a central part of the Welsh Marches during the medieval period and was often embroiled in the power struggles between powerful Marcher Lords, the Earls of March and successive monarchs.^[27] The county also contains a number of historically significant towns, including Shrewsbury, Ludlow and Oswestry. Additionally, the area around Coalbrookdale in the county is seen as highly significant, as it is regarded as one of the birthplaces of the Industrial Revolution. The village of Edgmond in Shropshire is the location of the lowest recorded temperature (in terms of weather) in England and Wales.^[28]

County extent

The border with Wales was defined in the 16th century - the hundreds of Oswestry (including Oswestry) and Pimhill (including Wem), and part of Chirbury had prior to the Laws in Wales Act formed various Lordships in the Welsh Marches. The present day ceremonial county boundary is almost the same as the historic one. Notably there has been the removal of several exclaves and enclaves. The largest of the exclaves was Halesowen, which became part of Worcestershire in 1844 (now part of the West Midlands county), and the largest of the enclaves was Herefordshire's Farlow in South Shropshire, also transferred in 1844, to Shropshire. Alterations have been made on Shropshire's border with all neighbouring English counties over the centuries. Gains have been made to the south of Ludlow (from Herefordshire), to the north of Shifnal (from Staffordshire) and to the north (from Cheshire) and south (from Staffordshire) of Market Drayton. The county has lost land in two places - to Staffordshire and Worcestershire.^[29]

Geography

Geographically, Shropshire is divisible into two distinct halves - North and South. The county has a highly diverse geology.

North Shropshire

Countryside of mid-Shropshire

The River Severn is the primary waterway of the county.

Politically, North Shropshire is composed of Oswestry district, North Shropshire district, Shrewsbury and Atcham borough and the borough of Telford and Wrekin. The North Shropshire Plain is an extension of the flat and fertile Cheshire Plain. It is here that most of the county's large towns, and population in general, are to be found. Shrewsbury at the centre, Oswestry to the north west, Whitchurch to the north, Market Drayton to the north east and Newport and the Telford conurbation (Telford, Wellington, Oakengates, Donnington and Shifnal) to the east. The land is fertile and agriculture remains a major feature of the landscape and the economy. The River Severn runs through the lower half of this area (from Wales in the west, eastwards), through Shrewsbury and down the Ironbridge Gorge, before heading south to Bridgnorth. The area around Oswestry has more rugged geography than the North Shropshire Plain and the western half is over an extension of the Wrexham Coalfield and there are also copper deposits on the border with Wales. Mining of stone and sand aggregates is still going on in Mid-Shropshire, notably on Haughmond Hill, near Bayston Hill and around the village of Condover. Lead mining also took place at Snailbeach and the Stiperstones, but this has now ceased. Other primary industries, such as forestry and fishing, are to be found too. The A5 and M54 run from Wolverhampton (to the east of the county) across to Telford, around Shrewsbury parallel to the line of Watling Street an ancient trackway. The A5 then turns north west to Oswestry, before heading north into Wales in the Wrexham area. This is an important artery and the corridor is where most of Shropshire's modern commerce and industry is found, notably in Telford new town. There are also a number of railway lines crossing over the area, which centre at Shrewsbury. To the south west of Telford, near the Ironbridge Gorge, is Ironbridge Power Station.

The Wrekin is a prominent geographical feature located in the east of the county.

The new town of Telford is built partly on a former industrial area centred on the East Shropshire Coalfield as well as on former agricultural land. There are still many ex-colliery sites to be found in the area, as well as disused mine shafts. This industrial heritage is an important tourist attraction, as is seen by the growth of museums in the Ironbridge, Coalbrookdale and Jackfield area. Blists Hill museum and historical (Victorian era) village is a major tourist attraction as well as the Iron Bridge itself. In addition, Telford Steam Railway runs from Horsehay.

South Shropshire

For information specifically on the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, see Shropshire Hills AONB.

Politically, the area is composed of South Shropshire district and Bridgnorth district.

The Long Mynd near Church Stretton.

South Shropshire is more rural, with fewer settlements and no large towns, and its landscape differs greatly than that of North Shropshire. The area is dominated by significant hill ranges and river valleys, woods, pine forests and 'batches', a colloquial term for small valleys and other natural features. Farming is more pastoral than the arable found in the north of the county. The only substantial towns are Ludlow, with a population of around 10,000 people, Bridgnorth and Church Stretton. The Shropshire Hills AONB is located in the south-west, covering an area of 804 km²; it forms the only specifically protected area of the county. Inside this area is the popular Long Mynd, a large plateau of 536 m Stiperstones and 516 metres high to the East of the Long Mynd, overlooking Church Stretton. The A49 is the main road through the area, running north to south, from Shrewsbury to Herefordshire. A railway line runs through the area on the same route as the A49 with stations at Church Stretton, Craven Arms and Ludlow. The (heritage) Severn Valley Railway runs from Bridgnorth into Worcestershire. Church Stretton is known as Little Switzerland due to its valley location and character. Nearby are the old mining and quarrying communities on the Clee Hills, notable geological features in the Onny Valley and Wenlock Edge and fertile farmland in the Corve Dale. The River Teme drains this part of the county, before flowing into Worcestershire to the South and joining the River Severn. One of the Clee Hills, the Brown Clee Hill, is the county's highest peak at 546 m. South West Shropshire, or simply "Clun", is a little known and remote part of the county, with Clun Forest, Offa's Dyke and the River Clun. The small towns of Clun and Bishop's Castle are in this area. The countryside here is very rural and is in parts wild and forested. To the south of Clun is the Welsh town of Knighton.

Transport

The Shropshire Union Canal near Norbury Junction.

Shropshire is connected to the rest of the United Kingdom via a number of road and rail links. Historically, rivers in the county and the Shropshire Union Canal were used for transport also, although their use in transport is now significantly reduced. The county's main transportation hub is Shrewsbury, through which many significant roads and railways pass and join. Major roads in the county include the M54 motorway, which connects Shropshire to the rest of the motorway network, and more specifically to the West Midlands county. The A5 also runs through the county, in an east-west direction. The road formerly ran through Shrewsbury, although a large dual-carriageway bypass has since been built. Other major trunk roads in the county include the north-south A49, the A53 and the A41. There are a number of major railway lines running through the county, including the Welsh Marches Line, the Cambrian Line, the Heart of Wales Line and the Wolverhampton to Shrewsbury Line. The two train operating companies working in the county are London Midland and Arriva Trains Wales. A new company, Wrexham & Shropshire, will commence services from Shropshire to London Marylebone station, in spring 2008. Shropshire is also the home of two major water supply aqueducts, the Elan Aqueduct running through South Shropshire carrying water from Elan Valley to Birmingham and the Vyrnwy Aqueduct running through North Shropshire delivering water from Lake Vyrnwy to Liverpool.

Towns and villages

Further information: List of places in Shropshire, Category: Towns in Shropshire, and Category: Villages in Shropshire

Shropshire has no cities, but 22 towns, of which 2 can be considered major^[30]. Telford is the largest town in the county with a population of 138,241 (which is approximately 30% of the total Salopian populace); whereas the county town of Shrewsbury has a lower, but still sizeable population of 70,560 (15%). Other substantial settlements include Oswestry, Bridgnorth and Ludlow. The majority of settlements can be classed as villages. Towns and villages are primarily concentrated in a central belt that roughly follows the A5/M54 roadway. Other settlements are concentrated on rivers, i.e. Ironbridge on the Severn, as these waterways were historically vital to trade. ^[31]

Towns (by Population): Telford (138,241) Shrewsbury (70,560) Wellington (20,430) Oswestry (15,613) Bridgnorth (12,212) Newport (10,814) Ludlow (10,500) Market Drayton (10,407) Whitchurch (8,907) Bayston Hill (5,247) Wem (5,142) Church Stretton (4,186) Pontesbury (3,500) Ellesmere (3,223) Much Wenlock (2,605) Craven Arms (2,289)

Ironbridge (2,457) Bishop's Castle (1,630) Borough Key: 1 - Telford & Wrekin (UA) (161,600) 2 - Shrewsbury & Atcham (96,300) 3 - North Shropshire (59,100) 4 - Bridgnorth (52,200) 5 - South Shropshire (42,300) 6 - Oswestry (39,200) Colour Key:       Rivers       Motorways       'A' Roads       District boundaries       Settlements

Economy

Shrewsbury's town centre contains the Darwin, Pride Hill and Riverside shopping centres, as well as more traditional historic retail areas.

Telford Plaza in Telford Town Centre.

Beatties department store opened in 2004 at the west end of Telford Shopping Centre.

The economy of Shropshire was traditionally dominated by agriculture^[32]. However, in more recent years it has become more service orientated. The county town of Shrewsbury, the historic castle-dominated Ludlow and the industrial birthplace of Ironbridge Gorge are the foremost tourist areas in Shropshire^[33], along with the reclaimed canal network which provides canal barge holidays on the Shropshire Union Canal and linked canal networks in the region, although the natural beauty of the county draws people to all areas. Industry is mostly found in Telford, Oswestry, Whitchurch, Market Drayton and Shrewsbury, though small industrial estates can be found in other, rural towns such as Church Stretton and Newport. Shrewsbury is becoming a centre for distribution and warehousing, as it is located on a nodal point of the regional road network^[34]. In Telford, a new rail freight facility is being built at Donnington. Telford and Shrewsbury are the county's two main retail centres, with contrasting styles of shopping - Shrewsbury's largely historic streets and Telford's large modern mall, Telford Shopping Centre^[35]. Shrewsbury also has two medium-sized shopping centres, the indoor 'Pride Hill' and 'Darwin' centres (both located on Pride Hill)^[36], and a smaller, partially covered, 'Riverside Mall'. Shrewsbury's situation of being the nearest substantial town for those in a large area of mid-Wales helps it draw in considerable numbers of shoppers, notably on Saturday. Well-known companies in Shropshire include Müller Dairy (UK) Ltd in Market Drayton^[37]. The RAF have two bases at RAF Cosford and RAF Shawbury^[38], and the charity PDSA has its head office in Priorslee, Telford^[39].

Statistics

Below is the chart of regional gross value added for the non-metropolitan county (that is, excluding Telford & Wrekin) of Shropshire at current basic prices published (pp.240-253) by Office for National Statistics with figures in millions of British pounds sterling.

With the statistics for the borough of Telford and Wrekin included, the following represents the ceremonial county:

Education

Shropshire has a completely comprehensive education system, with thirteen independent schools, including the prestigious Shrewsbury School, which the famed Charles Darwin attended. In the ceremonial county, the Telford and Wrekin borough has two selective schools and two independent schools.

Places of interest

Attingham Park, Atcham Blists Hill, Madeley Bishops Castle Boscobel House, nr. Wolverhampton Brown Clee Hill, South Shropshire Burford House, Burford Caer Caradoc, nr. Church Stretton Cardingmill Valley, Church Stretton Clun Castle, Clun Flounder's Folly, nr. Craven Arms Haughmond Hill, nr. Shrewsbury Haughmond Abbey Hawkstone Park, North Shropshire Hopton Castle, nr. Craven Arms The Ironbridge, Ironbridge Kynaston's Cave, nr. Nesscliffe Langley Chapel, nr. Shrewsbury The Long Mynd, Church Stretton Ludlow Castle, Ludlow

Mitchell's Fold, Chirbury Moreton Corbet Castle, Moreton Corbet Offa's Dyke Path, Welsh Marches Shrewsbury Abbey, Shrewsbury Shrewsbury Castle, Shrewsbury Shropshire Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), South Shropshire Shropshire Union Canal Snailbeach nr. Shrewsbury St Laurence Church, Ludlow The Stiperstones, nr Pontesbury Stokesay Castle, nr Craven Arms Telford Steam Railway, Telford Titterstone Clee Hill, nr. Ludlow Wenlock Edge, Much Wenlock Wenlock Priory Whittington Castle, nr. Oswestry The Wrekin (and Ercall) nr. Wellington Wroxeter, nr. Atcham

Shrewsbury Castle Attingham Park Mansion

Famous people

Clive of India statue in Shrewsbury's Square.

Charles Darwin, creator of Darwinism theory.

• Robert Clive "Clive of India"
• Rowland Hill, 1st Viscount Hill, Napoleonic era general
• Lords and Ladies Craven (of Stokesay Castle)
• Abraham Darby early industrialist
• Charles Darwin emminent naturalist
• K.K. Downing, guitarist with Judas Priest
• William Farr epidemiologist and early bio-statistician
• Chris Hawkins (of Loppington), radio presenter, DJ, and celebrity
• George Jeffreys of Wem, (infamous judge)
• Adrian Jones, sculptor of the Quadriga at Hyde Park Corner
• Stephen Marchant, ornithologist
• Len Murray, (former head of the T.U.C)
• Mirabel Osler, author
• Wilfred Owen leading First World War poet
• Edith Pargeter (1913-1995), author
• Edmund Plowden (1518-1585)—legal scholar and theorist
• Sir Edmund Plowden (1590-1659)—Proprietor, Earl Palatine and Governor of New Albion
• Barbara Pym novellist
• Isobel Cooper (Izzy) famous opera singer from Much Wenlock
• T'Pau, 1980s pop group
• Sir Philip Sidney prominent Elizabethan
• Mary Webb (1881-1927), author
• Matthew Webb, (first man to swim the English Channel)
• Billy Wright, Captain of Wolves and England
• Humphrey Kynaston (1474-1534) - highwayman
• John Mytton 'Mad Jack' Mytton, Regency rake, MP, gambler and horseman.
• William Wycherley Restoration dramatist and playwright famous for The Country Wife
• Avtarjeet Dhanjal Sculptor, only artist in Shropshire who has shown his work at the Hayward Gallery in London and recognised internationally.

Politics

Election results 2001

Election results 2005

Shropshire has five constituencies, four of which returned Conservative MPs at the 2005 general election and one, Telford, returned a Labour MP. This is a marked change from the 2001 general election result, where the county returned only one Conservative, three Labour and a Liberal Democrat to the Commons (see maps to the right). The current MPs of Shropshire are:

• David Wright, Labour, Telford (covering the town of Telford)
• Owen Paterson, Conservative, North Shropshire (covering the North Shropshire district and Oswestry borough)
• Philip Dunne, Conservative, Ludlow (covering the South Shropshire and (the majority of) Bridgnorth districts)
• Daniel Kawczynski, Conservative, Shrewsbury and Atcham (covering the borough of Shrewsbury and Atcham)
• Mark Pritchard, Conservative, The Wrekin (covering Telford and Wrekin borough, minus Telford, and including a small area of Bridgnorth district)

In 2005 there was also a County Council election in which the Conservatives gained overall control of the shire county. Telford and Wrekin Unitary Authority remains under Labour control. Being a rural county, there are a number of independent councillors on the various councils in the county. ^[48] The Conservatives gained complete control of Shrewsbury and Atcham Borough Council in the May 2006 local elections.

Cultural references

• Many of Malcolm Saville's children's books are set in Shropshire.
• A character from the "Bugs Bunny Show" episode "Prison to Prison" is named "Shropshire Slasher."
• The 1985 television programme Blott on the Landscape was filmed mainly in South Shropshire, notably in Ludlow. The recently begun 2005 sit-com The Green Green Grass is set in Shropshire and is filmed near Bridgnorth.
• The 1984 film version of Charles Dicken's 'A Christmas Carol' was filmed in Shrewsbury. Scenes from the film are still displayed inside Goldsmith's the jewellers in the Square.
• Shrewsbury based football photographer Matthew Ashton published a book in 2007 about Gay Meadow, the old home of Shrewsbury Town Football Club.
• Shropshire was also used as a setting for ITV1 soap Coronation Street
• Shropshire was also used as a setting for the BBC's Fast Show for a Ted and Ralph special
• P.G. Wodehouse's fictional Blandings Castle, the ancestral home of Clarence, the ninth Earl of Emsworth, is located in Shropshire.
• In The Importance of Being Earnest Jack pretends to live in rural Shropshire, to mask his double life.
• Poet A.E. Housman used Shropshire as the setting for many of the poems in his first book, A Shropshire Lad.
• Composer Ralph Vaughan Williams wrote 'On Wenlock Edge' in 1907.
• The Shire is an informal name for the county used by many of its inhabitants
• In Susanna Clarke's Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, Jonathan Strange is from Shropshire, and some parts of the book are set there.

Sport

The New Meadow, stadium of Shrewsbury's STFC.

Hawkstone Motocross Circuit.

There are a number of significant sporting clubs and facilities in Shropshire, many of which are found in Shrewsbury and Telford in addition to a number of clubs found locally throughout the county. Shropshire is home to a variety of established amateur, semi-pro and professional sports clubs. Below are some of the more major sporting entities of the county:

Soccer

• Shrewsbury Town Football Club
• AFC Telford United Football Club
• Telford United Football Club

Ice Hockey

• Telford Tigers - Ice Hockey Club

Rugby

• Telford Raiders - Rugby League Club
• Telford Hornets - Rugby Club

American Football

• Shropshire Revolution - 2006 -present, Shropshire's only American Football Team, British American Football League Club
• Wrekin Giants - 1985-1989 Shropshire American Football Team.
• Shropshire Giants - 1989 Shropshire American Football Team.
• Cannock Chase Giants - 1989-1993/4 Shropshire American Football Team.

Ten-pin Bowling

• Telford Superbowl
• AMF Bowling

Motorsport

The area also has a rich motorsports heritage, with the Loton Park Hillclimb and Hawkstone Park Motocross Circuit situated near Shrewsbury. Shrewsbury Motocross Club has staged motocross events in the area for over 30 years. Hawkstone Park Motocross Circuit International Motocross Circuit

See also

• 53rd Regiment of Foot - Former British Army regiment
• Etymological list of counties - List of name origins
• Geology of Shropshire
• List of civil parishes in Shropshire
• Railways of Shropshire
• Shropshire Family History Society
• Shropshire Star - local newspaper covering the county
• Shropshire Magazine - local glossy magazine covering the county
• Shropshire Archives - Organization of archived Salopian material
• Diocese of Shrewsbury - Roman Catholic diocese which covers all of Shropshire

References

External links

• Shropshire Tourism- The official tourism website for Shropshire.
• i Shropshire - Search engine for Shropshire topics
• 1911 Encyclopedia - Shropshire article in the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica
• Goodbye Gay Meadow - Book about Shrewsbury Town's old historic ground, Gay Meadow
• Shropshire Magazine- Award winning glossy magazine covering the Shropshire county

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