Shropshire: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 17:16, 1 January 2007

Revision as of 17:23, 1 January 2007

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The area around [[Oswestry]] has more rugged geography than the North Shropshire Plain and the western half is over an extension of the [[Wrexham]] Coalfield and there are also copper deposits on the border with [[Wales]]. Mining of stone and sand [[aggregate]]s is still going on in North Shropshire, notably on [[Haughmond Hill]], near [[Bayston Hill]] and around the village of [[Condover]]. Lead mining also took place at the [[Stiperstones]], but this has now ceased. Other primary industries, such as forestry and fishing, are to be found too.

The [[A5 road|A5]] and [[M54 motorway|M54]] run from [[Wolverhampton]] (to the east of the county) across to Telford, around Shrewsbury roughlyparallel followingto the line of [[Watling Street]] an [[ancient trackway]]. The A5 then turns north west to Oswestry, before heading north into Wales in the Wrexham area. This is an important artery and the corridor is where most of Shropshire's modern commerce and industry is found, notably in Telford new town. There are also a number of railway lines crossing over the area, which centre at Shrewsbury. To the south west of Telford, near the Ironbridge Gorge, is [[Ironbridge Power Station]].

The new town of Telford is built on a former industrial area centred on the East Shropshire Coalfield. There are still many colliery heaps to be found in the area, as well as disused mine shafts. This industrial heritage is an important tourist attraction, as is seen by the growth of museums in the [[Ironbridge]], [[Coalbrookdale]] and [[Jackfield]] area. [[Blists Hill]] museum and historical ([[Victorian era]]) village is a major tourist attraction as well as the Iron Bridge itself. In addition, [[Telford Steam Railway]] runs from [[Horsehay]].