Shropshire

Shropshire [ˈʃɹɒpʃə] (abbreviated Salop or Salops, Welsh Swydd Amwythig) is a ceremonial and traditional county in the West Midlands in England. The county borders the counties of Cheshire, Staffordshire, Worcestershire, Herefordshire and the Welsh counties of Powys and Wrexham County Borough. Shropshire was part of the Principality of Powys until the Conquest of Powys, but was not included in what is now Wales. Thus the Welsh language is still spoken there as a mother tongue by many people in the mountainous west. The border wall, which was built in the 9th century against the Welsh, also leads around Shropshire.

Along with Herefordshire, Shropshire is one of the very agricultural counties. The historic capital is Shrewsbury, with the largest town in the county being Telford. The county is also home to Coalbrookdale, from where the Industrial Revolution in England began, and Ironbridge, the site of The Iron Bridge, the world's first iron bridge (hence the name). The abbreviation Salop was used in official documents for centuries. "Salop" comes from "Salopesbiry", the former name of the administrative seat of Shrewsbury.

On 1 April 1998, the District of Telford and Wrekin was administratively separated from Shropshire and became a Unitary Authority. On 1 April 2009 the remaining five Districts of Bridgnorth, North Shropshire, Oswestry, Shrewsbury and Atcham and South Shropshire were dissolved and their powers transferred to Shropshire Council. Since then the ceremonial county of Shropshire has consisted of the Unitary Authorities of Shropshire and Telford and Wrekin.

The cradle of European industry

Despite the rural nature of the county, Shropshire became the starting point of the Industrial Revolution. Shropshire has numerous geological strata and contains almost every type of rock found in northern Europe. Coal, lead, copper and iron ore can be mined. Another advantage is the river Severn, which offers a natural transport route for the mined mineral resources.

Cities and towns

• Albrighton, All Stretton, Alveley, Aston Munslow, Atcham
• Baschurch, Bayston Hill, Bishop's Castle, Boscobel, Bridgnorth, Broseley
• Coalbrookdale, Church Stretton, Cleobury Mortimer, Clun, Chirbury, Craven Arms, Church Preen
• Dawley, Diddlebury, Dorrington
• Eaton, Ellesmere, Eyton
• Ford
• Grafton, Great Sutton, Gretton
• Hatton, Highley, Hilton, Hope, Hope Bowdler, Homer
• Ironbridge
• Jackfield
• Kenley, Knowbury
• Leigh, Little Stretton, Llanfair Waterdine, Llanyblodwel Longville in the Dale, Longnor, Ludlow
• Market Drayton, Misterley, Monkhopton, Much Wenlock, Munslow
• Nantmawr, Newcastle, Newport
• Oswestry
• Pennerley, Pontesbury
• Ratlinghope, Richard's Castle, Rushbury...
• Shawbury, Shifnal, Shipley, Shrewsbury, Snailbeach, Stiperstones
• Telford, Ticklerton, Tong, Trefonen
• Wall under Heywood, Wellington, Wem, Whitchurch, Whittington