Shropshire

I

Introduction

Shropshire, county, west-central England, bounded by the Welsh unitary authority of Wrexham and the English county of Cheshire to the north, Staffordshire to the east, Herefordshire and Worcestershire to the south, and the Welsh unitary authority of Powys to the west. The county's position on the border with Wales meant that for some eight centuries after the Saxon conquest of the area it was the scene of constant conflict. Later, when the Welsh became more interested in trade than in warfare, Shropshire became a quiet and largely agricultural county. The previous name for the county, Salop, was originally a name for Shrewsbury and is still used as an abbreviation. The area of Shropshire is 3,490 sq km (1,348 sq mi).

II

Land and Resources

Shropshire is divided by the River Severn, which rises in Powys, flows through Shrewsbury, and then south-east to the county of Hereford and Worcester. To the south and west of the river, the county comprises a continuation of the Welsh mountain ranges, and is made up of a series of ridges, running north-east to south-west—including Stiperstones, the Long Mynd, the Caradoc Hills, Wenlock Edge, and the Clee Hills. The last named reaches a height of 546 m (1,792 ft); Brown Clee is the highest point. The Caradoc Hills terminate on the north side of the Severn in The Wrekin, a hill that rises from the plain to a height of 407 m (1,334 ft). These ridges consist variously of Cambrian rocks, slate, gritstone, sandstone, and limestone. To the north and east of the Severn, the county consists of gently undulating lowlands; in the far north-west there is an area of marshland, peat-bogs, and small lakes.

The principal river of Shropshire is the Severn, which is now barely navigable within the county, although formerly boats could sail as far north as Shrewsbury. Its tributaries include the Vyrnwy, the Perry, the Tern, and the Worfe. The River Teme flows from west to east across the southern part of Shropshire, and the Dee forms a part of the northern boundary with Cheshire. Canals link the Severn with the Dee, the Mersey, and the Stour. The Shropshire Union Canal crosses the eastern side of the county. The Countryside Agency has designated the Shropshire Hills in the south-west of the county as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

The climate of Shropshire is generally moderate. Average annual rainfall is in the region of 760 to 1,000 mm (30 to 40 in).

III

Wildlife

The Shropshire countryside is home to many animals, such as badgers, voles, hares, and rabbits. Birds to be seen regularly include buzzards, dippers, grey wagtails, herons, and pied flycatchers.

IV

Population and Administration

The population of Shropshire was estimated in 2001 to be 283,240. The main towns are Shrewsbury (population, 1991, 64,219), Bridgnorth (1991, 11,229), and Oswestry (2001, 37,308). Other towns of note are Church Stretton (1991, 3,435), Ludlow (1991, 9,040), Market Drayton (1991, 9,482), and Whitchurch (1991, 7,868).

The county is administered from the Shirehall, Shrewsbury. The county at present has a county council and five district councils: Bridgnorth, North Shropshire, Oswestry, Shrewsbury and Atcham, and South Shropshire. The administrative structure of Shropshire changed as a result of the Local Government Act 1992, which revised the structure of local government in England. In April 1998, one of the old district councils was separated from the county to become a new unitary authority, Telford and Wrekin; it remains geographically part of Shropshire. The rest of the county retains the existing two-tier structure of county and district councils. The police authority is the West Mercia Constabulary, with headquarters in Hindlip, Worcester. A Crown Court sits at Shrewsbury.