Shropshire
Shropshire is an English county which is situated in the West Midlands. The county shares a border with Wales. This is one of the more rural areas of England that contains some of the most charming and beautiful countryside in the country. For example the hills in the south of the county have been given the accreditation as being an ‘Area of Outstanding Beauty’. Shrewsbury is the county town here. Locals often refer to the county as Salop, a historic abbreviation of the word Shropshire and the first county council here of the 1800s was actually known as Salop County Council. The main river of the county is the Severn.
There are over 20 towns in Shropshire but the county has no designated cities as such. The major towns of the area include Shrewsbury, Ludlow, Telford, Newport, Oswestry and Wellington. Most of the major towns and urban areas of Shropshire are located in the north of the county. The south is more rural in tone.
Given its proximity with Wales parts (or all of the county) have historically fallen within the Welsh borders. The county was probably ceded to Mercia around the 8th century by King Offa. The area was also an attractive proposition for the Viking invaders who made many attempts to take it over. In Norman times much of Shropshire was governed by the Norman Earl of Shrewsbury, Roger de Montgomerie. He was responsible for fortifying the area with a range of various castles and fortifications to try and protect the county from the Welsh. These include Shrewsbury Castle and Ludlow Castle.
Problems with the area continued into medieval times as the area was, at times, part of the Welsh Marches which brought it under conflict between Wales and England. The actual borders here between England and Wales were not formally laid out until the 16th century. To a certain extent the borders that exist today are still based on the outlines of the 16th century.
Although very rural in nature, Shropshire played a major role in the Industrial Revolution. Many experts in fact believe that Coalbrookdale in the county was one of the first places in the world to begin the industrial changes of this time. This county has historically been known for its coal, copper, lead sand and stone mining. It also has strong agricultural links and is well known for related industries such as fishing and forestry.
Shropshire is partly a popular tourist destination due to its differing landscapes. The north of the county, for example, is relatively flat and contains the North Shropshire Plain. Other areas of the county are more hilly and rich in valleys. The county is also rich in museums and attractions. Visitors, for example, can visit the Victorian village museum at Blists Hill and can take a ride on the Telford Steam Railway and the Severn Valley Railway. Other popular attractions include Offa’s Dyke, the Ironbridge site, Ludlow and Shrewsbury Castles, Shrewsbury Abbey and the Shropshire Union Canal.