Church Stretton

"CHURCH STRETTON, a parish and market town in the upper division of the hundred of Munslow, in the county of Salop, 12½ miles S. of Shrewsbury. It is a railway station on the Shrewsbury and Hereford line, and is pleasantly situated in a valley. The origin of its name is supposed to have arisen from its proximity to the Roman road Watling Street-hence "Street Town," shortened into Stretton. The town mainly consists of one long street, built at the foot of Longmynd Hill, the summit of which is 1,680 feet above the sea, and commands a fine view of North Wales. It contains a subscription library, newsroom, a savings-bank, and police station. The market-hall was erected a few years ago on the site of the old one. It is an election and polling place for the southern division of the county. The inhabitants are engaged in the woollen manufacture, the making of hop-bags, and the malt trade. The living is a rectory in the diocese of Hereford, value £542, in the patronage of C. 0. C. Pemberton, Esq. The church, dedicated to St. Lawrence, is a cruciform edifice, and possesses a fine altar-piece and beautiful stained-glass windows. There are free schools for both sexes, and some small charities. Caer Caradoc, or the "Mount of Caractacus," is about 2 miles distant, on the top of which are the remains of an ancient British camp; the prospect from its summit is very extensive. At a short distance stands Broeard's Castle, which is an insulated hill, from which may be seen the Longmynd range of mountains. Church Stretton was the birthplace of Dr. Mainwaring, the chaplain of Charles I. The parish is extensive, comprising 11,790 acres, chiefly sheepwalks. The market day is Thursday. Fairs are held in March, May, July, September, and November."[Transcribed from The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland 1868 by Colin Hinson ©2015]