Shropshire (or Salop), county in west-midlands of England, bounded N. by Cheshire and detached part of Flintshire, E. by Staffordshire, S. by Worcestershire, Herefordshire, and Radnorshire, and W. by Montgomeryshire and Denbighshire; area, 844,565 acres, population 248,014. The river Severn, running SE., divides the co. into 2 nearly equal parts. The northern, occupied by the new red sandstone, is generally level; the southern, belonging to the old red sandstone, is of a more elevated and rugged character, reaching in the Clee Hills a height of 1805 ft. The soil is various, but generally fertile and well cultivated; there are, however, considerable tracts of waste land. The principal crops are wheat, barley, oats, pease, beans, vetches, turnips, and potatoes. The co. is famous for its breed of sheep. Cattle-breeding and dairy-farming are carried on in the S. and W. The principal mineral products are coal and iron, with limestone, freestone, and lead. The manufactures, besides those connected with iron, include carpets, flannels, gloves, glass, stoneware, paper, and inalt. Shropshire is connected by the river with Gloucester and Bristol, and by canals with Chester and Liverpool, while Shrewsbury is a railway centre. The county contains 14 hundreds, 252 parishes, with parts of 6 others, the parliamentary and municipal borough of Shrewsbury, and the municipal boroughs of Bridgnorth, Ludlow, Oswestry, and Wenlock. It is in the dioceses of Hereford, Lichfield, and St Asaph.
– John Bartholomew, Gazetteer of the British Isles (1887)
Acton Scott Historic Working Farm
Wenlock Lodge, Acton Scott
Church Stretton SY6 6QN
01694 781307
Acton Scott Historic Working Farm is one of Britain’s leading working farm museums. We specialise in practical demonstrations of historic farming using traditional skills and period horse-drawn machines.
Battlefield Church – St Mary Magdalene
Battlefield Church
Shrewsbury SY1 1ED
Battlefield church (St Mary Magdalene church) was built on the site of the Battle of Shrewsbury in 1406. Visitors to Battlefield Church can see five newly installed panels describing the five main players in the Battle of Shrewsbury.
Blists Hill Victorian Town
Legges Way, Madeley
Telford TF7 5DU
01952 433 424
Experience life as it was over 100 years ago through the sights, sounds, smells and tastes of a recreated Victorian Town. Victorian characters will give you a fascinating insight into Victorian life as they go about their daily lives in their cottages, shops and places of work.
Broseley Pipeworks – Clay Tobacco Pipe Museum
Duke Street
Broseley TF12 5NA
01952 433 424
Few places are as evocative as Broseley Pipeworks. This abandoned factory once made millions of clay pipes – the kind that people smoked tobacco with – and exported them across the world.
Buildwas Abbey – English Heritage
Buildwas
Telford TF8 7BW
01952 433274
Impressive ruins of a Cistercian abbey, including its unusually unaltered 12th-century church, beautiful vaulted and tile-floored chapter house, and recently re-opened crypt chapel. In a wooded Severn-side setting, not far from the Iron Bridge and Wenlock Priory.
Clun Town Trust Museum
Town Hall, The Square
Clun SY7 8JA
01588 640681
Houses a multitude of local historical & agricultural artefacts covering last 250 years reflecting the diversity of trades in this once self contained town in the centre of a large farming community. Unique noted collection of over 6,000 flints from Mesolithic period. Victorian smocks, uniforms and relics of 1st & 2nd World wars.
Coalbrookdale Museum of Iron
Coalbrookdale
Telford TF8 7DQ
01952 433 424
Step inside the mighty Coalbrookdale Museum of Iron and discover the revolutionary techniques that made Coalbrookdale the most famous ironworks in the world. Explore the remains of the water powered blast furnace where Abraham Darby I perfected the smelting of iron with coke instead of charcoal.
Coalport China Museum
High Street, Coalport, Ironbridge
Telford TF8 7HZ
01952 433 424
Coalport China Museum was home to the famous firm until 1926 and is filled with the finest examples of their work. The factory’s unusual buildings contain colourful displays depicting a history of china-making, as well as demonstration workshops where, during school holidays, you’ll be able to have a go yourself. The Coalport China Manufactory was the largest works of its kind in the mid 19th century.
Collections: The museum holds the most comprehensive collection of 18th century Caughley porcelain anywhere. The reference collection includes the pieces, several hundred sherds excavated at the factory site, and plaster moulds, together with a significant paper archive relating to the history and development of the factory and personnel associated with it.
Coleham Pumping Station
Longden Coleham
Shrewsbury SY3 7DN
01743 361196
www.shrewsburymuseums.com/coleham
The Pumping Station, resembling a Victorian chapel in style, was built in 1900 to house two massive steam-driven beam engines. The beam engines were built by Renshaws of Stoke to pump sewage as part of Shrewsbury’s new sewerage system.
Darby Houses
Coalbrookdale
Telford TF8 7DQ
01952 433 424
The Darby family’s historic homes – Rosehill House and Dale House – are collectively known as the Darby Houses. See family objects, papers, plans and pictures which dot the rooms and give you a very real sense of how the family lived, as well as worked.
Dudmaston Estate – National Trust
Dudmaston Quatt
Bridgnorth WV15 6QN
01746 780866
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/dudmaston
Dudmaston Hall, an 17th manor house is still very much today a family home, but with a surprise up its sleeve as although you will find some of the rooms expected in a house of this type, it also houses an important modern art collection assembled by Sir George Labouchere during his travels as an Ambassador to Spain.
Enginuity
Coach Road, Coalbrookdale
Telford TF8 7DQ
01952 433 424
www.ironbridge.org.uk/our_attractions/enginuity
Packed with hands-on experiences and interactive exhibits, a visit to this fun-filled science and technology centre is great fun for all ages. Investigate science and discover more about the power of technology at Enginuity.
Haughmond Abbey – English Heritage
Off the B5062
Haughmond SY4 4RW
01743 709661
The extensive remains of an Augustinian abbey, including its abbots’ quarters, refectory and cloister. The substantially surviving chapter house has a frontage richly bedecked with 12th and 14th century carving and statuary, and a fine timber roof.
House on Crutches Museum
Opposite Town Hall, High Street
Bishops Castle SY9 5AA
01588 630556
www.bchrc.co.uk
First established in 1993, the House on Crutches Museum is situated in a remarkable timber framed building: an early 15th century house with crooked stairs, wonderful beams and sloping floors. This houses an extensive social history collection covering all aspects of this South Shropshire community. The story of this thriving market town is told through displays of local artefacts and memorabilia, temporary exhibits and the sharing of knowledge by our team of enthusiastic volunteers.
Iron Bridge & Tollhouse
Ironbridge
Telford TF8 7JP
01952 433 424
Step onto the Iron Bridge and follow in the footsteps of millions of tourists who, since 1779, have journeyed to marvel at the world’s first cast-iron bridge. Built by Abraham Darby III and now recognised as one of the great symbols of the Industrial Revolution, the remarkable Iron Bridge still dominates the small town that bears its name. Discover the secrets of how and why the Iron Bridge was built in an exhibition within the original Tollhouse (the Tollhouse is open every weekend during the local school summer holidays or by prior arrangement for groups and school parties).
Ironbridge Gorge Museum, Library & Archives
Long Warehouse, Coalbrookdale
Telford TF8 7DQ
01952 432 141
The museum has built up an extensive research library, which is based in the Long Warehouse, adjacent to the Coalbrookdale Museum of Iron. Collections include material on the history of the iron industry, bridge building, civil engineering, brick and tile manufacture, coal mining, the pottery and porcelain industries, railways, canals, the social history of the East Shropshire Coalfield and all other subjects represented at the museum’s sites.
Jackfield Tile Museum
Salthouse Road, Jackfield
Telford TF8 7LJ
01952 433 424
The village of Jackfield was once the world centre of the tile industry, and Jackfield Tile Museum set in an immense Victorian factory, celebrates the decorative tiles that once graced the Empire. Room after room is filled with beautiful displays and room settings such as the pub, the tube station and the butchers.
Collections: The museum has an impressive collection of over 23,000 19th-century decorative tiles, with examples from most of the major Victorian factories in this country.
Land of Lost Content – Museum of British Popular Culture
The Market Hall, Market Street
Craven Arms SY7 9NW
01588 676176
www.lolc.org.uk
A million memories from the 20th century. See all we enjoyed and all we endured, everything you, your parents, grandparents, sons and daughters owned, used, played with and threw away.
Lilleshall Abbey – English Heritage
Oakengates
Nr Telford TF10 9HW
01216 256820
Extensive ruins of an Augustinian abbey, later a Civil War stronghold, in a deeply rural setting. Much of the church survives, unusually viewable from gallery level, along with the lavishly sculpted processional door and other cloister buildings.
Ludlow Castle
Castle Square
Ludlow SY8 1AY
01584 873355
Walk through the castle grounds and see the ancient houses of kings, queens, princes, judges and the nobility – a glimpse into the lifestyle of medieval society. The castle, firstly a Norman Fortress and extended over the centuries to become a fortified Royal Palace, has ensured Ludlow’s place in English history – originally built to hold back unconquered Welsh, passing through generations of the de Lacy and Mortimer families to Richard Plantagenet, Duke of York.
Ludlow Library & Museum Resource Centre
7-9 Parkway
Ludlow SY8 2PG
01584 813 665
The Ludlow Library and Museum Resource Centre is situated at the end of Parkway off Corve Street, with a large public car park accessible from Upper Galdeford and Station Drive. Disabled parking and provision for bicycles is available adjacent to the entrance.
Ludlow Museum
Buttercross
Ludlow SY8 1AW
0345 678 9024
There’s been a museum in Ludlow since 1833. The Resource Centre cares for some of Shropshire’s most important collections. Find out about the town, its history, its archeology, its geology and its wildlife.
Market Drayton Museum & Resource Centre – The Story of Drayton
53 Shropshire Street
Market Drayton TF9 3DA
01630 654300
The story of Market Drayton and the surrounding area, from earliest times to today, told with things, pictures and words. Everything in it is associated with Drayton – either made here or with a special Drayton connection.
Much Wenlock Museum
High Street
Much Wenlock TF13 6HR
01952 727679
www.shropshire.gov.uk/museums
Much Wenlock Museum has been refurbished with financial assistance from the Heritage Lottery Fund and Shropshire Council. The new displays tell the story of the town and surrounding area, the links between Dr. William Penny Brookes and the Modern Olympic Games, and the geology of Wenlock Edge.
Museum of The Gorge
The Wharfage, Ironbridge
Telford TF8 7NH
01952 433 424
Understand more about the history of the Ironbridge Gorge and discover why, as a World Heritage Site, it ranks alongside the Pyramids and the Taj Mahal in its importance in world history. Located in a Gothic-style warehouse the museum of the Gorge provides a fascinating insight into the history of the Ironbridge Gorge and is a great place to start your visit to the area.
Mythstories Museum of Myth & Fable
The Morgan Library, Aston Street
Wem SY4 5AU
01939 235500
Mythstories is an actual and virtual museum of myths, fables and legends. Its focus is on storytelling and the oral tradition, every visitor gets to hear at least one verbal story. Group visits are tailored to their requirements – educational visits are always welcome, we cater from pre-school through to U3A. Given notice we can cater for most non-English speaking groups.
Northgate Museum
Northgate, High Street
Bridgnorth WV16 4ER
Visit the Northgate Museum in Bridgnorth, Shropshire. Packed full of treasures, the museum should be the first stop for anyone wanting to discover the history of the town and the local area.
Collections: It has over 4,500 objects in its collection. The earliest object on display at the museum dates back to the Saxon period.
Oswestry Transport Museum
Oswald Road
Oswestry SY11 1RE
01691 671 749
www.cambrian-railways-soc.co.uk
We are the Cambrian Railways Society, based in the Welsh-border market town of Oswestry. Formed in 1972, the group has spent the intervening period gathering an invaluable collection of artefacts from railways in the former Cambrian Railways Company (CR) area, which once covered a vast chunk of mid and north Wales, together with the Shropshire borderland; and ensuring the survival of many more.
Park Hall Countryside Experience
Park Hall Farm
Whittington SY11 4AS
01691 671123
www.facebook.com/parkhallfarmoswestry
Park Hall near Oswestry in Shropshire is one of the region’s most exciting all weather family visitor attractions. There are three museums: The Victorian School at Park Hall aims to offer a unique insight into the school life of the child born in the Victorian era; in 2009 a reproduction of an Iron Age roundhouse was built at Park Hall to compliment the development of the nearby Old Oswestry Iron Age Hillfort; we are proud to offer a permanent home to a magnificent collection of uniforms, artefacts and memorabilia which depicts the history of the life in the Welsh Guards.
Royal Air Force Museum Cosford
Cosford
Shifnal TF11 8UP
01902 376200
The Royal Air Force Museum at Cosford houses one of the largest aviation collections in the United Kingdom. It is home to 70 aircraft and war planes, missiles, transport & training and research and development collections. The National Cold War Exhibition with its interactive kiosks and hotspots offers visitors the opportunity to see what life was like behind the Iron Curtain.
Shrewsbury Castle & Shropshire Regimental Museum
Castle Street
Shrewsbury SY1 2AT
01743 358516
www.shropshireregimentalmuseum.co.uk
The oldest parts of the castle were built between 1066 and 1074, during the reign of William the Conqueror. There were additions over several centuries. The castle houses the spectacular collections of the Shropshire Regimental Museum Trust including pictures, uniforms, medals, silverware, weapons and other artefacts from the 18th Century to the present day. There is also a modern army display (including information on The Rifles), items from the collections of the Lords Lieutenant of Shropshire and a history of the castle itself.
Shrewsbury Museum & Art Gallery
The Music Hall, The Square
Shrewsbury SY1 1LH
01743 258885
The collections of Shrewsbury Museums Service comprise about 166,000 items including geology, natural history, archaeology, social history, fine and decorative arts.
Shropshire Archives
Castle Gates
Shrewsbury SY1 2AQ
01743 255350
www.shropshire.gov.uk/archives
The archives and local studies centre for the historic county of Shropshire. We have 5 ½ miles of shelving holding local material from 12th century charters right up to yesterday’s Shropshire Star.
Shropshire Family History Society
Larkrise, 16 Glentworth Avenue
Oswestry SY10 9PZ
01691 653 316
www.sfhs.org.uk
The Shropshire Family History Society was founded in 1979 to provide a meeting place in Shropshire for all those interested in family history. The society has around two thousand members from all round the world.
Stokesay Castle – English Heritage
Craven Arms SY7 9AH
01588 672544
Stokesay Castle is the finest and best preserved 13th-century fortified manor house in England. It offers visitors a unique glimpse into a distant age, when strength and elegance were combined. Set amid peaceful countryside near the Welsh border, Stokesay Castle forms an outstandingly picturesque group with its timber-framed gatehouse and the parish church. An audio tour will help you to imagine Stokesay as the centre of medieval life.
Tar Tunnel
Coalport
Telford TF8 7HT
01952 433 424
www.ironbridge.org.uk/our_attractions/tar_tunnel
Amongst the oldest tourist attractions in the Ironbridge Gorge is the Tar Tunnel, where miners digging in 1787 struck a spring of natural bitumen, a black treacle-like substance. The eerie brick-lined tunnel was a great curiosity in the 18th century and bitumen still oozes from its walls today.
Wenlock Priory – English Heritage
Bull Ring
Much Wenlock TF13 6HS
01952 727466
Picturesque ruins of a large priory of Cluniac monks, whose love of decoration is reflected in the glorious carving of its 12th-century chapter house and rare ‘lavabo’ – a tiered washing fountain in a topiary bedecked cloister garden. Parts of the great church also stand, against the backdrop of the full-height infirmary wing. Set on the fringe of beautiful Much Wenlock, not far from Buildwas Abbey and the Iron Bridge.
Weston Park
Weston-under-Lizard
Nr Shifnal TF11 8LE
01952 852100
The front door of the House at Weston conceals a world of fascinating and internationally significant treasures. From French Gobelin tapestries to Oriental ceramic works of art, furniture by royal makers Morel and Hughes and iconic paintings of old masters such as Van Dyck, Stubbs, Gainsborough, Constable; Weston has one of the greatest English country house collections.
Whitchurch Heritage Centre
12 St Mary’s Street
Whitchurch SY13 1QY
01948 664577
www.whitchurch-heritage.co.uk
The Heritage Centre opened in 1998 and includes a Tourist Information facility. Staff are able to offer a wealth of information on the town’s history as well as giving invaluable advice on what to visit in the area and further afield. Displays in the Main Hall include local Roman archaeological finds and examples of Joyce’s clocks. The Gallery contains paintings by Randolph Caldecott and displays of Edward German memorabilia – both previous inhabitants of Whitchurch.
Wroxeter Roman City – English Heritage
Wroxeter
Nr Shrewsbury SY5 6PH
01743 761330
Wroxeter (or ‘Viroconium’) was the fourth largest city in Roman Britain. It began as a legionary fortress and later developed into a thriving civilian city, populated by retired soldiers and traders.