The Small Town of Church Stretton, Shropshire

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The small town of Church Stretton, Shropshire, England, lies in the West Midlands region of the country. It boasts a current population of around 4,200 people and lies about 13 miles to the south of the county town of Shrewsbury. It depends in large part on the tourism trade and is also a major center for the sport of archery.

The region surrounding the town has seen human habitation going back thousands of years. There have been people in the area since at least the Iron Age, with evidence of a hillfort located on a nearby hill called Caer Caradoc. Church Stretton is located in such a relatively hilly area it was once popularly known as "Little Switzerland" during Victorian and Edwardian times.

The name "Stretton" comes from the Old English, generally meaning "Roman road settlement." In fact, the remains of an old Roman road run through the town. Today, it is called Watling Street, or the A49. The town was first granted a market charter in 1214, by King John. Today, it still holds a market each Thursday. In 1593, much of the center of the town was destroyed by fire, with many present-day buildings dating from that rebuilding year.

Church Stretton also bases part of its economy on local bottling of deep underground glacial lake waters. It is brought up from what are called bore holes. These are located along the Long Mynd massif, a series of high hills located near to the town, and which gives it some of its best scenic vistas.

The ceremonial county of Shropshire, in which Church Stretton resides, is a West Midlands region of around 450,000 people. As a geographic note, it is bordered by Wales in the western reaches of the country. It is also one of the most rural and lightly populated of all counties in the country. Both the town and the county are classic examples of English life and living.

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