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).