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SHROPSHIRE. 



SHROPSHIRE. 



MS 



U auoUi-wMt of Shrophire, nd funns the district of mountainous 

 Un 1 call*l Clan Korert. portion* of which ntuin an elevation of 1200 

 feet aod upward*. Cunnteted with th rnoge by intermediate hill, is 

 M elevated tnet situated north of Buhop't Castle, the central ridge 

 of whioh ran* nearly fruiu couth to north, and attain* ita highest 

 point in Condon Mountain, 1700 feet Un the east, thu tract it 

 flanked by a vrry singular man of rock* called the Stiperstonee. 

 Proceeding to the south-rut, anothrr range of hills u approached, the 

 mot eouwUrmble portion of which, called the Longmynd, attaining 

 the height of 1074 feet abore the tea-level, U connected on the south 

 with a mountainous district lying east of Clun Forest, and forms with 

 it the watershed between the Clun and Unny river*. Un the eastern 

 tide of the Loogtuynd Un the valley of Church Stretton, which is 

 bounded on the eastern tide by the Caradoo Hills, reaching the height 

 of from 900 to 1800 feet This rang*, like those just described, runs 

 from south-west to north-east. It extends across the Severn in tracts 

 of inferior elevation, and terminates, near Wellington, in the remark- 

 able and well-known hill called the Wrekin. This hill rises 1320 feet 

 above the sea, and, being nearly detached from neighbouring hills 

 forms a conspicuous object. The long narrow valley of Ape-Dale lies 

 between the Caradoo Hills and an elevated ridge, called Wenlock- 

 Edjn, which extends from the valley of the Onny to the Severn at 

 Coalbrookdale, a distance of about 20 miles. It rites gradually on the 

 eastern aide to a considerable height, but the western slope is very 

 rapid. Wonlock-Edge is flanked on the east by a number of detached 

 rounded hills, all of which, as well at the greater portion of Wenlock- 

 Edge, are under cultivation or planted to their summits. Between the 

 hills last described and the town of Ludlow lies a rich tract of 

 low land, called Curve-Dale. This valley extends north to within a 

 short distance of Wenlock, and on the south opens to the valley of 

 the Teme. It is shut in on the east by a range of hills extending 

 from Ludlow northward. Connected with this range, a little to the 

 eastward, are the Clee Hills, a long ridge running due north and 

 south, and rising here and there into lofty summits, two of which 

 Brown Clee Hill (1805 feet) and Titterstoue Clee Hill (1750 feet) are 

 the highest po:uU in the county. 



The chief part of the northern division of Shropshire may be 

 described as a plain rising gradually from the left bank of the Severn 

 to the northern border of the county, just within which the northern 

 edge of the basin of the Severn is no more than 300 feet above the 

 tea. A small portion in the extreme north-west of the county 

 belongs to the basin of the Dee, which river, and its feeder the 

 Ceiriog, form part of the boundary. Another small district in the 

 north-east of the county is drained by the Weaver (a feeder of the 

 Mersey) and its tributaries. 



There are extensive tracts of waste lauds in Shropshire. Clun 

 Forest is not, as its name would imply, a wooded tract ; it consists of 

 smooth rounded hills, which were formerly used as sheep-walks ; the 

 greater portion of it is now inclosed. The cultivation of mountain 

 land is on the increase. There are numerous wastes between Shrews- 

 bury and Drayton, and the county also contains several extensive 

 motets or bogs, such as Bagley Moors, between Shrewsbury and Elles- 

 mere. The forest of Wyre lies on the right bank of the Severn, 

 between the towns of Bewdley and Cleobury Mortimer. It is a large 

 timct, covered principally with underwood, which is cut for the pur- 

 pose of burning into charcoal to supply the iron-works in the vicinity. 

 Shropshire contains a greater quantity of oak-timber than almost any 

 other county in England. 



The Severn, the chief and only navigable river in Shropshire, enters 

 the county from Montgomeryshire, a short distance below its junction 

 with the Vyrnwy. Its course is by Shrewsbury and Bridgenorth. 

 Its entire course through the county is nearly 70 miles, for the whole 

 of which distance it is navigable. [SEVEHX.J 



The TOM rises in Radnorshire, and enters Shropshire from Here- 



dshire a thort distance above the town of Ludlow, whence it flows 

 south to the border of the county, which it separates from Hereford- 

 hire and Worcenterahire, entering the latter county below Tenbury, 

 and falling into the Severn near Worcester. Throughout its whole 

 course it flows through rich and picturesque sceuery. The Clun nnd 

 u Z*J *** feeder of the Teme. The Tern rises in a small pool on 



borderi of Staffordshire, in the north-eastern district of Shrop- 



ahire, and flows couth-west past Market-Drayton. It then takes a 



itherly course, and is joined ou the left bank by the river 



t, which runs near Newport. It runs again westward, and receives 



>den on the right, reaching the Severn between Atcham and 



1U whole course is about 30 miles. The Terry, the 



> Councl, and the Warf are tributaries of the Severn. There 



three streams in the county bearing the name of Rea, but 



e principal of them takes its rie in the parish of Ditton Priors, in 



northern projection of the Clee Hills, and, running south past 



niry Mortimer, unites with the Teme at Newuham, below Tenbury 



arcesternhire. The Caret takes its rise on the western slope of 



the tame ridge, and flows south-west through Corve-Dale into the 



Teme at Ludlow. 



The fob that frequent that part of the Severn which is in Shrop- 

 aalmon, trout, grayling, pike, perch, shad, chub, gudgeon, 



K*, dace, carp, flounder*, eels, and a few lampreys. The fish of the 

 other rivers and streams are principally trout and grayling. 



The lakes, or natural pools of water, are not numerous or extensive. 

 The largest is Ellesmere, near the town of that name. It covers 

 about 116 acres. The smaller are Whitemere, Colemere, Avesmere, 

 and Mereton pools. 



The first canal formed in this county appears to have been a short 

 line commencing at Donnington Wood, in the parish of Lilleshall, and 

 terminating at Pave Lane near Newport, a distance of about seven 

 miles, with a short branch to the lime-works at Lilleshall. This was 

 continued by the Shropshire Canal, completed in 1792, to the Severn, 

 at Coalport, below Coalbrookdale. The Shropshire Canal is 7 A miles 

 in length ; it has a rise of 120 feet and a fall of 333 feet. It is of the 

 greatest importance in conveying the produce of. the coal, iron, and 

 other works to the Severn. The Shrewsbury Cnal starts from thu 

 Severn at Shrewsbury, and, after running ou the left bank of that 

 river for some distance, turns north-east and joins the Donuington nnd 

 Shropshire canals a short distance E. by N. from Wellington. The 

 Shrewsbury Canal is 17 miles long ; it has a rise of 154 feet and a fall 

 of 22 feet. Inclined planes are used in these canals instead of locks 

 for the ascent and descent of boats. The Birmingham and Liverpool 

 Junction Canal passes through the north-eastern part of the county, 

 and there is communication between this and the Shrewsbury Canal. 

 The Chester and Ellesmere Canal traverses the north of the county. 

 A branch of it, known as the Montgomeryshire Canal, passes through 

 the north-west of the county. It was intended to form another Hue 

 from Hordley, on the Montgomeryshire Canal, to Shrewsbury, but it 

 has not been carried farther than Westou Wharf. The southern part 

 of Shropshire is devoid of water communication. 



The principal coach-road in the county is the London and Holyhead 

 rood, which enters Shropshire between Wolverhainpton and Shi(l'n;>ll, 

 passes through Shrewsbury, and enters Denbighshire near Chirk. It 

 is 30 feet wide, exclusive of the footpaths. This road was the chief 

 line of communication between London and Dublin before the intro- 

 duction of railways. The Bristol, Shrewsbury, and Chester road 

 enters Shropshire at Ludlow, passes through Church Stretton to 

 Shrewsbury, and thence northward. There is a branch from this 

 road leading from Ludlow to Bishop's Castle and Montgomery. There 

 arc coach roads from Bridgenorth to Shrewsbury, Ludlow to Birming- 

 ham over the Clee Hills, Ludlow to Wenlock and Coalbrookdale, and 

 from Ludlow to Bridgeuorth. There are also various" roads communi- 

 cating with Coalbrookdale, Wellington, Drayton, Newport, Ellesmere, 

 Whitchurch, <fcc. 



The Birmingham, Shrewsbury, and Chester railway enters the 

 county on the east at Albrighton, and runs through Shitfuall and 

 Wellington to Shrewsbury, whence it runs north-west through Baa- 

 church, Whittingfcon, Qobowen, and Chirk, where it crosses the 

 Ceiriog into Denbighshire. From the Gobowen station a branch line 

 of two miles in length runs to Oswestry. The Shrewsbury and 

 Hereford railway ruus south from Shrewsbury through Condover, 

 Church Stretton, and down the vale of the Onny to Ludlow. The 

 Shrewsbury and Stafford railway leaves the Birmingham, Shrewsbury, 

 and Chester line at the Wellington station, and runs north-east past 

 Newport. Besides these great lines there are many short rail and 

 tram roads, connecting the various mines with the furnaces, the Severn, 

 and the canals in the Coalbrookdale district. 



Otology and Mineralogy. The Severn nearly forms the division 

 between the new red-sandstone system on the north, and the older 

 formations on the south. An outlier of lias, situated between Whit- 

 church and Market-Drayton, lies in on elliptical basin, the new red- 

 sandstone rising from beneath, and formiug around the lias on the 

 south the hills of Hawkstone, and appearing on the east and south-east 

 at Belton and Market-Drayton, ou the north-east in the rising ground 

 extending towards Nnntwich, and to the north-west in the undulating 

 country near Whitchurch. The greater part of this basin consists of 

 lower lias shale, finely laminated; but the overlying subdivision of 

 the marlstone is also apparent at Frees. The strata contain the 

 characteristic fossils of the lias. This outlier is distant 60 miles from 

 the nearest point of the great lias formation in Worcestershire and 

 Warwickshire. 



The new red-sandstone system, which rises from beneath and sur- 

 rounds the bed of lias, occupies the whole northern portion of the 

 county, extending north and east into Cheshire and Staffordshire, and 

 on the west passing into the coal formation of Chirk and Oswc-stry. 

 On the aouth-west it warps round the edges of the Silurian rocks of 

 Montgomeryshire, and extends for some miles south of tho Severn 

 to the coal formations about Westbury and Pontesbury, where the 

 southern edge of the new red-sandstone overlies that coal-field which 

 extends north-east to near Shrewsbury; but the sandstone again 

 penetrates south to a narrow point near the Caradoc Hills, and is 

 succeeded on the west by the coal-field of Le Botwood. The edges of 

 the rocks of the Silurian system extending north across the Severn, as 

 well as the trap rocks of the Wrekin, again deflect the sandstone, tho 

 boundary line of which is extended still farther to the north-east from 

 Wellington to near Newport, by the coal formation of Coalbrookdale, 

 on tho western edge of which field tho sandstone again appears, and 

 occupies the remainder of the county east of the Severn. The new 

 red-sandstone system in this part of England consists of saliferous 

 marls and calcareous flags, red-sandstone and quartzose conglomerate, 

 calcareous conglomerate, and lower red-sandstone. As the new red- 



