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Shropshire

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Shropshire
Ceremonial county
Motto: 
“Floreat Salopia” (“May Shropshire flourish”)
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Constituent countryEngland
RegionWest Midlands
OriginHistoric
Time zoneUTC+0 (GMT)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+1 (BST)
Ceremonial county
Area[convert: needs a number]
 • Rank of 48
 • Rank of 48
Density[convert: needs a number]
Ethnicity
97.3% White
1.2% S.Asian

Shropshire (alternatively Salop or abbreviated Shrops) is a county in the West Midlands of England. It borders Wales to the west. Shropshire is one of England's most rural and sparsely populated counties, 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 and geographical purposes, has been a unitary authority since 1998.

The county town is Shrewsbury, although the new town of Telford is the largest town. The Ironbridge Gorge area of Shropshire is known as the birthplace of industry and there are other notable industrial sites located around the county. Ironbridge Gorge is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which includes Ironbridge, Coalbrookdale and a part of Madeley. The Shropshire Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is located in the south-west.

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.[1] 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.

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 Marcher Lordships.

Local government reform

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 in Shropshire) will not be affected and there will be no boundary changes.

Shropshire County Council, supported by South Shropshire District Council and Oswestry Borough Council, have 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 authorities - Telford & Wrekin and Shropshire. However, there has been opposition to the proposals, mainly from Shrewsbury and Atcham Borough Council.

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.

Location

Shropshire is part of the West Midlands region of England, though it is also described as being in the Welsh Marches. Both Shrewsbury and Ludlow have held the position of capital of the Welsh Marches, at a time when it was a political entity (with the Council of Wales and the Marches). Historically Shropshire was part of the Kingdom of Mercia and the name exists to this day in the police force which the county comes under - the West Mercia Constabulary.

History

Main article: History of Shropshire

Cradle of industry

Quite why this remote, rural county on the Welsh border became the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution is mystifying to many people. The reason, however, is mainly due to Shropshire's diverse geology. Shropshire is the "geological capital" of the UK, as just about every rock type in Northern Europe is found within its borders, as are coal, lead, copper and iron ore deposits. In addition to this, the River Severn flows through the county and has been used for the transportation of goods and services for centuries. The Ironbridge Gorge became a focal point of new industrial energies in the 18th Century.

The towns of Broseley and Madeley were centres of innovation during the late 18th Century. It was in nearby locations where key events of the Industrial Revolution took place. Coalbrookdale is where modern iron smelting techniques were developed, Ironbridge is where the world's first iron bridge was constructed and Ditherington is where the world's first iron framed building was built. Other places notable for early industry are Jackfield and Coalport.

Salop

The origin of the name "Shropshire" is the Old English "Scrobbesbyrigscīr" (literally Shrewsburyshire), perhaps taking its name from Richard Scrob (or FitzScrob or Scrope), the builder of Richard's Castle near what is now the town of Ludlow. However, the Normans who ruled England after 1066 found both "Scrobbesbyrig" and "Scrobbesbyrigscir" difficult to pronounce so they softened them to "Salopesberia" and "Salopescira". Salop is the abbreviation of these.

When a council for the county was set up in 1888, it was called "Salop County Council". The name was never popular, with local MP Jasper More raising an amendment to the 1972 Local Government Bill to rename the county "Shropshire"[2] - at the time the council itself opposed the change, although later, in 1980, would exercise its power to legally change the name of the county.

The Times noted in a February 19, 1980 article about the name change that "there was no record of why the name Salop County Council was adopted". The decision to make the change was taken on March 1, 1980, at a special meeting of the council, with 48 votes in favour versus five against. It came into effect on April 1.[3][4]

The term "Salopian", derived from "Salop", is still used to mean "from Shropshire". Salop can also mean the county town, Shrewsbury, and in historical records Shropshire is described as "the county of Salop" and Shrewsbury as "the town of Salop".

The Latin motto of "Floreat Salopia" (may Shropshire flourish) was originally used by the borough of Shrewsbury, and was adopted in 1896 by Salop (or Shropshire) County Council when they received a grant of a coat of arms. The motto is now used in a number of other emblems associated with the county.

Another reason why Salop was unfavourable was the fact that if you add the letter 'E' and make it Salope, this is a French word and means 'Bitch or Loose Woman'.

The modern county boundaries are the same as the historic ones, except for the removal of several exclaves and enclaves, and other minor alterations along the border with Herefordshire and Worcestershire.[5] The largest of the exclaves was Halesowen, which became part of Worcestershire in 1844, and the largest of the enclaves was Herefordshire's Farlow in South Shropshire, transferred to Shropshire in 1844 too.[6]

Geography

Geographically, Shropshire is divisible into two distinct halves - North and South.

North Shropshire

Countryside of mid-Shropshire
The River Severn dominates 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 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 North Shropshire, notably on Haughmond Hill, near Bayston Hill and around the village of Condover. Lead mining also took place at 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 on a former industrial area centred on the East Shropshire Coalfield. There are still many colliery heaps 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

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

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 hill ranges and valleys, forests and glens, and other natural features. Farming is more pastoral than the arable found in the north of the county. The only substantial towns are Ludlow, 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 516 metres high, overlooking Church Stretton.

File:PICT5590.JPG
The Long Mynd near 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. Infrastructure is generally quite poor in the south of the county, but this is due mainly to the low population density. 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 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.

One of the Clee Hills, the Brown Clee Hill, is the county's highest peak at 540 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.

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. Telford is the largest town in the county with a population of 138,241; whereas the county town of Shrewsbury has a lower, but still sizeable population of 70,560. Other substantial settlements include Oswestry (the third largest town with 17,181), Bridgnorth and Ludlow. The majority of settlements can be classed as villages.

File:Shropshiresettlements.jpg 1 - Telford (138,241)
2 - Shrewsbury (70,560)
3 - Ludlow (10,500)
4 - Oswestry (15,613)
5 - Bridgnorth (12,212)
6 - Wem (5,142)
7 - Wellington (20,430)
8 - Newport (10,814)
9 - Market Drayton (10,407)
10 - Whitchurch (8,907)
11 - Ellesmere (3,223)
12 - Pontesbury (3,500) 		13 - Church Stretton (4,186)
14 - Craven Arms (2,289)
15 - Bishop's Castle (1,630)
16 - Much Wenlock (2,605)
17 - Ironbridge (2,457)







Economy

Shrewsbury's town centre with its busy shopping streets

The economy of Shropshire was traditionally dominated by agriculture. 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, 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. 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 historic streets and Telford's modern mall, Telford Shopping Centre. 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.

Statistics

Below is the chart of regional gross value added for the non-metropolitan county (without 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.

Year Regional Gross Value Added[7] Agriculture[8] Industry[9] Services[10]
1995 2,388 238 618 1,533
2000 2,977 177 739 2,061
2003 3,577 197 843 2,538

With the statistics for the borough of Telford and Wrekin added, the total for the Shire (non-metropolitan) county is:

Year Regional Gross Value Added[11] Agriculture[12] Industry[13] Services[14]
1995 4,151 266 1,483 2,403
2000 5,049 197 1,512 3,340
2003 5,947 218 1,693 4,038

Places of interest

Famous people

Also, British poet A.E. Housman used Shropshire as the setting for many of the poems in his first book, A Shropshire Lad.

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 below).

The current MPs of Shropshire are:

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.

The Conservatives gained complete control of Shrewsbury and Atcham Borough Council in the May 2006 local elections.

With the recent Local Government White Paper's support for new unitary authorities, Shropshire County Council is proposing the abolition of Shropshire's district councils, becoming a unitary authority. [1].

Cultural references

Sport

Trivia

  • Shropshire holds the record for the coldest temperature recorded in England and Wales (weather wise). This was set on 10 January 1982, in Edgmond at -26.1 C. The following day the coldest daytime maximum temperature recorded in England occurred in the county, at -11.3 C.
  • The ceremonial county of Shropshire is the United Kingdom's largest inland (surrounded entirely by land) county.
  • There are 691 [2] public houses in the county. That means there are 643 people per pub. However many are closing and the figure fell below 700 for the first time in modern history in April 2006. See Category:Public houses in Shropshire.

See also

References

  1. ^ Vision of Britain - Divisions of Shropshire
  2. ^ Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). House of Commons. 6 July 1972. col. 958–963.
  3. ^ Salop likely to be Shropshire from April 1. The Times. February 19, 1980
  4. ^ A Shropshire lad wins campaign to drop 'Salop'. The Times. March 3, 1980
  5. ^ Vision of Britain - Modern county boundaries
  6. ^ Vision of Britain - Ancient county boundaries
  7. ^ Components may not sum to totals due to rounding
  8. ^ includes hunting and forestry
  9. ^ includes energy and construction
  10. ^ includes financial intermediation services indirectly measured
  11. ^ Components may not sum to totals due to rounding
  12. ^ includes hunting and forestry
  13. ^ includes energy and construction
  14. ^ includes financial intermediation services indirectly measured


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