SHROPSHIRE. 



SHROPSHIRE. 



63 



sandstone system in Shropshire occurs in the form of a basin, the 

 lower member* will appear towards the edges of that system ; and 

 accordingly the lower red-sandstone is met with all along the line that 

 forms the boundary of the system. 



The coal-field of Coalbrookdale, the most extensive and productive 

 in the county, extends from near Wenlock, on the right bank of the 

 Severn, across that river to Wellington and Lilleshall, while a thiu 

 tortuous zone extends south to Tasley, withiu a short distance of 

 Bridgenorth. On the north-west and east, this coal-field is bounded 

 and overlaid by the lower new red-sandstone. On the west it is flanked 

 by a thin zone of the lower Silurian rocks, and by the trap rocks of 

 the Wrekiii and Ercall Hills, and on the south by the old red-sand- 

 stone and upper Silurian rocks. In the upper measures of this fieM 

 there is a remarkable band of fresh-water limestone, the geological 

 position of which is immediately under the youngest members of tho 

 carboniferous series. The coal and iron measures below it are 

 genei ally more abundant in the northern than in the southern part of 

 the field. The coal-measures on the east side of the field are not less 

 than 1000 feet thick. The ironstone of this field is both concretionary 

 and flat-bedded. The ores of iron are peroxides in sandstone, argil- 

 laceous carbonates in * hale, and sulphureU in the coal Petroleum 

 occurs in great abundance in both the upper and lower measures, and 

 some of the beds of shale of the latter afford excellent fire-clay, which 

 is used in the manufacture of pipes and pottery. The Shrewsbury 

 coal-field extends from the Severn at the Breiddin Hills on the west, 

 to Shrewsbury on the east, and occupies a semicircular bay, of which 

 Pontesbury is the southern point. The seams are separated from 

 each other by red, green, and black shale, and clod. 



The coal-field of Oswestry is situated on the western verge of the 

 county, and a quite distinct from those already noticed. The pro- 

 ductive portion of it is very limited, occupying a small area between 

 Oswestry and the hills of Llanvorda, Trefouen, Treflach, and Sweeney. 

 The carboniferous limestone is better developed- hen than in any 

 other part of the county. It separates the millstone-grit from the 

 older Silurian rocks, and has a maximum thickness of 500 feet. 



The coal-fields of Shropshire remaining to be noticed are situated 

 on the sooth side of the county. The Titterstone Glee Hill coal-field 

 lies between the towns of Ludlow and Cleobury Mortimer. At Corn- 

 brook and Kudwlbury in this field there are four principal beds of 

 coal, which vary in thickness in different parts; and beneath the 

 uppermost bed the shale contains concretions of ironstone of excellent 

 quality, which also occur beneath the next seam. The millstone-grit 

 rises at many points from beneath the productive coal-field, and is 

 separated from the old red-sandstone by the carboniferous limestone 

 at Oreton ; but in other part* it rests immediately upon the sand- 

 stone. At Koowlbury the iron-ore is profitably worked. The 

 coal-field of the Brown Clee Hills lies a few miles north of the forma- 

 tion just described, and, like that, is surrounded on all sides by the 

 old re.l-n<ltone, which here separates the coal-measures into two 

 distinct elevations, known as the Clee Barf and the Abdon Barf. 

 These two are the loftiest carboniferous tract* in Great Britain. The 

 pita on the Abdon Barf are shallow. Those of the Clee Barf vary 

 from 14 to 80 yards. Nearly all the best coal ha* been extracted. 

 In this coal-fif I'l, as well as in that of the Titterstone Clee Hill, there 

 is abundant evidence of the tract having been heaved up into its 

 present position by powerful forces acting from beneath, which have 

 thrown the carbonaceous masses into separate troughs or basins. 



The coal-field of Wyre, or Bewdley Forest, lies east of those just 

 described, occupies the south-eastern corner of the county, and extends 

 into Worcestershire, the greater part of it lying within that county. 

 It baa a length from north to south of about 20 miles, and a breadth 

 in the Forest of Wyre of 5 or 6 mile*. That portion of it lying in 

 Shropshire and extending southward in a narrow zone from near 

 Bridgenorth, is bounded on the west by the old red-sandstone of 

 Chelmarsb. 



The old red-sandrtone system occupies a considerable part of tlio 

 southern division of the county. It terminates on the north in the 

 coal-field of Coalbrookdale, and on the east in that of the Forest 

 of Wyre. On the west it is bounded in Corve-dale by the upper Lud- 

 low rock of the Silurian system. At Hayton's Bent, north of Ludlow, 

 veins of copper-ore occur, which were formerly worked, but have been 

 abandoned for upwards of a century. A large outlier of old red-sand- 

 stone, the principal part of which forms Clun Forest, occurs on the 

 south-west of the county, and is separated from the great man by 

 wide intervening tracts of Silurian rocks. Thi* outlier is nearly 100 

 square miles in superficial extent Its western extremity reaches into 

 Radnorshire. 



The Silurian and Cambrian systems of rocks occupy all the southern 

 division of the county lying west of a line drawn from Ludlow to the 

 Severn at Coalbruokdafe, with the exception of Clun Forest. The 

 Ludlow rock* Hue from the old red-sandstone of Corve-dale into 

 eminence* of 1000 or 1100 feet above the sea, exhibiting the sub- 

 division* of the formation, namely, the upper Ludlow rock, Aymestry 

 limestone, and lower Ludlow rock. West of these, and separated 

 by Hope dale, is an escarpment extending from the valley of the Onny 

 IbrookfUle, called Wenlock-Edge, and composed of Wenlock 

 limestone. This is succeeded by Wenlock >hl*, composing the 

 valley of the Caradoc, or Church Stretton Hills, which con -lit chiefly 



of different varieties of unbedded or amorphous trap, flanked on the 

 east and west sides by Caradoc sandstone. On the north-eastern 

 extremities of these Silurian rocks is an elevated and extensive tract 

 of rocks of the Cambrian system, composing the Lougmynd and other 

 mountains, with outbreaks of trap, and these are again succeeded by 

 Caradoc sandstone, the altered and irregular ridge of the Stiperstone, 

 and the trap-rocks of Shelve and Corndon. A vast expanse of Ludlow 

 rocks then succeeds, and extends into Montgomeryshire. Among the 

 trap and sandstones of Shelve and Corndon occur several metalliferous 

 veins containing ores of lead, &c., of considerable value. 



The trap-rocks of the Wrekin, &c., as in the other volcanic districts, 

 have disturbed and altered the adjacent strata, and from observing 

 these phenomena and the dislocations of Coalbrookdale and the Clee 

 Hills, " it may," says Sir R. I. Murchison, " be affirmed that this dis- 

 trict in Shropshire furnishes proofs of the alternate play and repose 

 of volcanic action during very long periods." In the northern division 

 of Shropshire granitic boulders occur both isolated and in groups : 

 they occur in groups on the northern face of Haughruond Hill and 

 the north-western slopes of the Wrekin, and isolated in the district 

 lying a few miles south of Shrewsbury. There are numerous saline 

 springs issuing from the new red-sandstone of North Shropshire. A 

 saline spring, called Saltmoor, occurs also at Ashford, on the banks of 

 the Teme below Ludlow, from which, at the period of the Norman 

 conquest, it appears salt was manufactured. On Prolley Moor, on the 

 western side of the Longmynd, there is a spring containing chloride 

 of lime. Chalybeate springs occur near Sherlot Common, in the 

 neighbourhood of Wenlock, at Moreton Say, and other places. 



Soil and Agriculture. The soil of the county along the right bank 

 of the Severn is chiefly a red-clay and gravel, derived from and over- 

 lying the new red-sandstone formation ; it is favourable for many 

 kinds of agricultural produce. The south-west portion of the county 

 is the least productive. The ground is too steep and elevated, and 

 the soil too light to admit of general cultivation. The valleys consist 

 of loam resting on gravel, and forming good meadow and pasture 

 land. The farms are for the most part arable, but some are for grazing, 

 for hay, for the dairy, and for rearing and feeding. The crops in 

 general cultivation are wheat, barley, oats, peas, vetches, turnips, 

 potatoes, and beans. Some hemp and flax are grown, and some hops 

 on the southern edge of the county adjoining Herefordshire. Irriga- 

 tion of the grass-land is extensively practised, and with the greatest 

 advantage. The meadows adjoining the Severn and other rivers and 

 streams are often overflowed ; and the water lies on them, especially 

 near the Severn, for a considerable time. The fertilising effect of 

 the** floods is very great ; they generally occur before the grass is in 

 a forward state, or after it has been mown and removed. 



Shropshire is not remarkable for its dairy produce. The cattle are 

 reared from the improved breeds of Lancashire, Cheshire, Leicester- 

 shire, and Staffordshire. In the neighbourhood of Bishop's Castle 

 there is a good breed of cattle, of a dark-red colour ; in the south 

 the Herefordshire breed is more common. Most of the farmers rear 

 a few calves every year. There are some hor-es bred in Shropshire, 

 a* well for the road as the plough. The waggon horses are generally 

 of a strong black sort Breeding mares constitute a portion of almost 

 every team. On Clun Forest and the Longmynd a small hardy race 

 is reared, approaching to the character of the Welsh pony. The old 

 Shropshire sheep are horned, with black or mottled faces and lego. 

 Their size is nearly that of the South-Down, but the neck is longer 

 and the carcass not so compact They abound on the Longmynd. 

 The small Welsh breed of sheep exists here, as well as the large 

 Leicestershire sheep. Upon the hills towards Wales the sheep are 

 without horns, with white faces and with shorter legs, and heavier 

 but coarser fleeces than the Shropshire sort The sheep are not gene- 

 rally folded. Pigs are fattened to a great extent Some cider and 

 perry are made in the south of the county. The farms generally vary 

 from 100 to 1000 acres ; but on the borders of Wales there are many 

 farms not exceeding 20 acres. 



Mining, Industry, and Manufacture*. The mineral wealth of Shrop- 

 shire has been indicated above. Several thousand persons are engaged 

 in raising coal, ironstone, and lime, and in the manufacture of iron. 

 Cool is raised in various part* of the county. In 1740 there were six 

 furnaces in Shropshire, producing 2000 tons of iron annually. The 

 trade was then languishing in consequence of the scarcity of wood 

 charcoal for smelting. But about this period the iron-masters of Coal- 

 brookdale adopted Edward Lord Dudley's invention of smelting iron 

 with pit-coal, and with such success as to give a great and decided 

 impulse to the trade, not only in Shropshire, but throughout England. 

 It is in this county and Staffordshire that the manufacture of iron is 

 seen in it* greatest perfection. The beauty and finish of their rolling- 

 machinery, which is run at au immense speed, enables them to secure 

 almost the whole of the very small and extra sizes of iron, which they 

 throw off at little more cost than the Welsh manufacturers do their 

 common bars. A considerable quantity of lead is procured from the 

 Snail-beach Hope, and other mines in the district of Shelve and 

 Corndon. 



Among the industrial product* of the county are iron-costings for 

 mill-work ami steam-machinery, nails, &c. ; chimi, earthenware, tiles, 

 Ac., at Coolport, below Ironbridge on the Severn, nnd in the neigh- 

 bourhood of Broseley; glass at Wrackwardiue near Wellington; 



