204 THE VALLEY OF THE TEME 



thanks to the action of one or two energetic men, co- 

 operation was making some headway in what was 

 otherwise rather an isolated and old-fashioned farming 

 district. 



From the Clee hills we dropped down into the 

 valley of the Severn ; and after Bridgnorth, one of the 

 most attractive of old-world Midland towns, returned 

 on our track a little and struck once more north-west, 

 through Much Wenlock and over that surprising ridge 

 of Silurian limestone and shale known as Wenlock 

 Edge. This is a scarp of limestone about seven miles 

 long, which when viewed from either end looks like a 

 single perfect peak, so straight is the ridge and so 

 sharp is the slope on either side, but especially so 

 towards the north-west. Once over the ridge we 

 regained the wide Severn valley, where we ran through 

 a flat country of light alluvial or drift soils, mostly under 

 the plough and highly esteemed for barley-growing, all 

 the way into Shrewsbury. 



