VI.

Places of Interest

In addition to the beauty of the River Severn, the charm of the lakes around Ellesmere, and the magnificent scenery of the upland ranges, including the Long Mynd and the jagged crags of Stiperstones, Shropshire has much of interest to offer in its towns. The county is noted for its black-and-white timber-framed buildings, and houses in this style are to be widely seen—Shrewsbury and Ludlow both have some excellent examples. Shrewsbury Castle was rebuilt by Edward I in the latter part of the 13th century, but still retains its Norman gateway; some of the town's ancient walls also remain. The castle now accommodates the Shropshire Regimental Museum. Bridgnorth is divided by the Severn into the Higher Town, on a cliff that rises to 60 m (200 ft), and the Lower Town on the river bank. Stokesay Castle, some 16 km (10 mi) south of Church Stretton, is a remarkably well-preserved 13th-century fortified manor house. Some parts of the Roman town of Viroconium have been excavated at Wroxeter. The Roman Catholic Cathedral of Our Lady Help of Christians and St Peter of Alcantara, built in the mid-19th century, is in Shrewsbury.

In the early 18th century, Abraham Darby came to Coalbrookdale, the mining area of Shropshire, to begin smelting ironstone with coke. Ironstone, limestone, charcoal, and sulphur-free coal, from which the coke could be produced, were all readily available—and so was water-power and transport, on the River Severn. Here, it is sometimes claimed, the Industrial Revolution began, its most striking testimonial being the cast-iron bridge, erected in 1779, which spans the Severn, and is a major tourist attraction at Ironbridge, the little town named after the structure itself, and now a World Heritage site. A group of museums nearby tell the story not only of Abraham Darby's achievements, and the cast iron industry, but of the local Coalport china works. Modern technology can be seen at the Aerospace Museum, near Shifnal. Just south of Church Stretton is the Acton Scott Historic Working Farm, which preserves farming methods of many years ago.