Craven Arms
The town of Craven Arms lies in the south of the county of Shropshire in the West Midlands area of England. The town lies close to the Shropshire Hills which is designated as being an area of outstanding natural beauty. Craven Arms is essentially split into two sections - Newton and New Inn which is also sometimes referred to as Newington.
Craven Arms started life as a small rural village which was known as Newton by the late 1600s. Modern day Craven Arms incorporates this village and the village of New Inn. The modern day name Craven Arms comes from the Craven Arms Hotel. The name Craven itself harks back to the Craven family who owned Stokesay Castle close to the town. The town itself really grew during the 1800s when it became connected to the rail network. As with so many other places in England during this period this connection to the outside world boosted commercial and industrial opportunities.
However, for many years the main industry in the town and surrounding area was rural and agricultural by nature. At one point Craven Arms had one of the largest sheep stockyards in the country, for example. The advent of the railway changed things to a certain extent but the town has not lost its historic charm and beauty.
Visitors to Craven Arms should make sure to visit Stokesay Castle which lies to the south of the town and which was originally built in the late 1200s. This is a fortified manor house that historically belonged to the Craven family. It is considered by many to be the best example of a manor house of its kind in the country. It also contains an interesting Jacobean gate house with timber framing. Many people also come to the town because of its rural location which makes it an ideal base for walking, riding, hiking and cycling, for example.
The Land of Lost Content Museum (also known as The National Museum of Popular British Culture) is worth a visit if you are in the area. This museum shows a collection of iconic and quirky items from the 20th century. The Shropshire Hills Discovery Centre is also close to Craven Arms - this centre gives an interesting guide to the county from a geographical perspective. The Acton Scott Farm is a historical working farm which will be of interest to all the family.