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78-658: The River Rea is a small river that flows through south east Shropshire , England . It passes just to the east of the small market town of Cleobury Mortimer and just south of the Hamlet (place) of Neen Savage , before entering the Teme at Newnham Bridge in Worcestershire . Its waters eventually reach the Bristol Channel , via the Severn . The upper stretch of the river is known as

156-619: A broad beam canal, joins the Severn at Hawford , near to the River Salwarpe , and connects to the Droitwich Canal (narrow beam) in the name town, which then forms a link to the Worcester and Birmingham Canal. The two Droitwich canals re-opened in 2010 after major restoration. The Gloucester and Sharpness Canal connects the Severn at Gloucester to the Severn at Sharpness , avoiding a stretch of

234-774: A possible inspiration for the Robin Hood legend. Parts of Shropshire are inside the ancient Forest of Arden , which was the part if the English Midlands , that in antiquity and into the Early Modern Period was bounded by the Roman roads including to the North by the Watling Street and to the west by Wales. This forest was the Setting of Shakespeare's As You Like It , and that play

312-648: A wide, flat valley before exiting into Worcestershire south of Bridgnorth. The village of Edgmond , near Newport , is the location of the lowest recorded temperature in England and Wales. There is evidence of Neolithic and Bronze Age human occupation in Shropshire, including the Shropshire bulla pendant. The hillfort at Old Oswestry dates from the Iron Age , and the remains of the city of Viroconium Cornoviorum date from

390-441: Is Psmith , a fictional character in a series of Wodehouse's novels. In Oscar Wilde 's The Importance of Being Earnest , Algernon attempts to trick Jack into revealing the location of his country home by inferring he resides in Shropshire. The 1856 plantation literature novel White Acre vs. Black Acre by William M. Burwell features two Shropshire farms acting as an allegory for American slavery – "White Acre Farm" being

468-462: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This article related to a river in England is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Shropshire Shropshire ( / ˈ ʃ r ɒ p ʃ ər , - ʃ ɪər / ; historically Salop and abbreviated Shrops ) is a ceremonial county in the West Midlands of England, on the border with Wales . It is bordered by Cheshire to

546-500: Is a Bronze Age stone circle set in dramatic moorland on Stapeley Hill . The area was once part of the lands of the Cornovii , which consisted of the modern day counties of Cheshire, Shropshire, north Staffordshire, north Herefordshire, and eastern parts of Powys. This was a tribal Celtic Iron Age kingdom. Their capital in pre- Roman times was probably a hill fort on the Wrekin . There

624-541: Is a legend that one of the caves of Hawkstone Park was the burial ground of King Arthur , and the Arthurian story of the giants Tarquin and Tarquinus is located, or Whittington Castle and linked to the Holy Grail since the 13th century. Old Oswestry has been identified as a possible home of Guinevere. Ludlow Castle site features heavily in the folk-story of Fulk FitzWarin , outlawed Lord of Whittington, Shropshire and

702-683: Is acknowledged to potentially be a cultural monument to Sir Rowland Hill , a prominent Tudor statesman and publisher of the Geneva Bible from the county. Shropshire was the original seat of prominence of the Cotton family who held the Cotton Library before it was taken to found the British Library. Shrewsbury Abbey features in The Cadfael Chronicles ; Brother Cadfael is a member of

780-534: Is also referred to in the same play (Act II, scene ii). There is a tradition that the Stanley monuments in St Bartholomew's Church, Tong are the work of Shakespeare. William Wycherley was born at Clive near Shrewsbury, although his birthplace has been said to be Trench Farm to the north near Wem later the birthplace of another writer, John Ireland , who was said to have been adopted by Wycherley's widow following

858-591: Is an important Iron Age Hill fort at Old Oswestry earthworks, this has been linked to where King Arthur’s Guinevere was born and called "the Stonehenge of the Iron Age." According to tradition, Caracticus made his last stand against the Romans in Shropshire. Ptolemy 's 2nd century Geography names one of their towns as being Viroconium Cornoviorum ( Wroxeter ), which became their capital under Roman rule and one of

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936-474: Is believed the area of Shrewsbury was settled in the 5th century by refugees from the nearby Roman City of Viroconium Cornoviorum , most physical evidence dates from the 7th century. Oswestry saw conflict in the early mediaeval period and is reputed to be the place of death of Oswald of Northumbria in 641 or 642 CE. Oswald was later regarded as a saint, with Bede saying that the spot where he died came to be associated with miracles , and people took dirt from

1014-858: Is the longest river in Great Britain . It is also the river with the most voluminous flow of water by far in all of England and Wales , with an average flow rate of 107 m /s (3,800 cu ft/s) at Apperley , Gloucestershire. It rises in the Cambrian Mountains in mid Wales , at an altitude of 2,001 feet (610 m), on the Plynlimon massif, which lies close to the Ceredigion / Powys border near Llanidloes . The river then flows through Shropshire , Worcestershire and Gloucestershire . The county towns of Shrewsbury , Worcester and Gloucester lie on its course. The Severn's major tributaries are

1092-576: Is thought to derive from a British word * sabrinā , possibly from an older form * samarosina , meaning "land of summertime fallow". During the Roman occupation the Severn was known by the Romano-British Latin name Sabrina . Milton 's 1634 masque Comus makes Sabrina a nymph who had drowned in the river. In Shrewsbury , there is now a statue of Sabrina in the Dingle Gardens at

1170-408: Is tidal. Several more villages sit beside the tidal stretch. Amongst these are Elmore , Epney and Framilode on the east bank and Minsterworth , Broadoak and Newnham on Severn on the west bank. The Severn is bridged at many places, and many of these bridges are notable in their own right. The Iron Bridge at Ironbridge was the world's first iron arch bridge. Several other bridges crossing

1248-583: The Arkendale H and Wastdale H died in the accident. There have been frequent floods in Shrewsbury , Bewdley and elsewhere. More recently the river flooded during the 2007 United Kingdom floods and the 2019–20 United Kingdom floods . There is a public right of navigation between Pool Quay , near Welshpool , and Stourport. However this stretch of the river has little traffic, other than small boats, canoes and some tour boats in Shrewsbury. Below Stourport, where

1326-616: The Clent Hills , near St Kenelm's Church at Romsley . It flows north into the adjacent West Midlands at Halesowen . It then flows westwards through Cradley Heath and Stourbridge , where it leaves the Black Country . It is joined by the Smestow Brook at Prestwood before it winds around southwards to Kinver , and then flows back into Worcestershire. It then passes through Wolverley , Kidderminster and Wilden to its confluence with

1404-760: The Gloucester and Sharpness Canal provides a navigable channel south. Between the docks and Lower Parting Llanthony Weir marks the Normal Tidal Limit (NTL) of the East Channel of the river. In the tidal section of the river below Gloucester, the Gloucester Harbour Trustees are the competent harbour authority. The Trustees maintain navigation lights at various points along the river (including on Chapel Rock and Lyde Rock, and leading lights at Slime Road, Sheperdine and Berkeley Pill). There are locks on

1482-534: The Irish Sea through Cheshire causing a large lake to develop across much of Shropshire. It was supposed that this lake, named as Lake Lapworth , overtopped its southern margin and rapidly cut down to form the Ironbridge Gorge providing the Severn with a southerly exit to the sea as remains the case today. An alternative theory which has gained favour in recent years does away with Lake Lapworth, suggesting that

1560-578: The Norman conquest in 1066, major estates in Shropshire were granted to Normans, including Roger de Montgomerie and later his son Robert de Bellême , who ordered significant constructions, particularly in Shrewsbury, the town of which he was Earl . Many defensive castles were built at this time across the county to defend against the Welsh and enable effective control of the region, including Ludlow Castle and Shrewsbury Castle . The western frontier with Wales

1638-520: The Quarry , as well as a metal sculpture erected in 2013. There is a different deity associated with the Severn Estuary: Nodens , represented as mounted on a seahorse , riding on the crest of the Severn bore . The Welsh form of the name is Afon Hafren ( pronounced [ˈavɔn ˈhavrɛn] ) first recorded in the 12th-century Historia Regum Britanniae . The Old Welsh form of

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1716-626: The River Tern , after flowing south from Market Drayton and being joined by the River Meese and the River Roden , meets the Severn at Attingham Park . The River Worfe joins the Severn's left bank just above Bridgnorth , before the Mor, Borle and Dowles brooks join on the opposite bank over the next few miles, the last-named draining Wyre Forest . The River Stour rises in the north of Worcestershire in

1794-812: The Roman period. During the Anglo-Saxon era the area was part of Mercia . During the High Middle Ages the county was part of the Welsh Marches , the border region between Wales and England; from 1472 to 1689 Ludlow was the seat of the Council of Wales and the Marches , which administered justice in Wales and Herefordshire, Shropshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire. During the English Civil War Shropshire

1872-726: The Second Severn Crossing road bridge, and carries the South Wales Main Line section of the Great Western Main Line under the channel. The original line built before the Severn Tunnel was the South Wales Railway from Gloucester , that followed the estuary alongside present day stations of Lydney , Chepstow , Caldicot and Severn Tunnel Junction to Newport . Cars could also be transported through

1950-700: The Usk all flow into the estuarine section of the Severn. The main tributaries are described in sequence below. The first tributary of significance is the Afon Dulas , joining from the south immediately upstream of Llanidloes , with the Afon Clywedog joining in the town. The Afon Cerist , bolstered by the Afon Trannon , and the Afon Carno join as left bank tributaries immediately upstream of Caersws. Mochdre Brook enters on

2028-861: The Vyrnwy , the Tern , the Teme , the Warwickshire Avon , and the Worcestershire Stour . By convention, the River Severn is usually considered to end, and the Severn Estuary to begin, after the Second Severn Crossing , between Severn Beach in South Gloucestershire and Sudbrook, Monmouthshire . The total area of the Estuary's drainage basin is 4,409 square miles (11,419 km ). That figure excludes

2106-525: The abolitionist Northern United States, and "Black Acre Farm" being the slaveholding Southern United States. The angel Aziraphale , a principal character in Good Omens , was credited with designing Shropshire by Terry Pratchett . In the novel Howards End , Mr. Wilcox's daughter gets married in Shropshire. Part of the novel is set near Clun . Shropshire was the native county and rural seat of power of Sir Rowland Hill , who coordinated and published

2184-638: The 1560 Geneva Bible . This important Bible was the senior Bible of English Protestantism for the early decades of the Elizabethan Religious Settlement . Prior to the Reformation , there are accounts of major festivals in the county. The "first flowerings of English drama" in the Tudor period are considered to be in the town, according to the 18th century Poet laureate and scholar Thomas Warton . Whitsuntide and mystery plays were performed in

2262-468: The English fantasy writer. In Susanna Clarke 's Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell (2004), Jonathan Strange is from the county, and some parts of the book are set there. Another fictional character from Shropshire is Mr Grindley, from Charles Dickens ' Bleak House . P. G. Wodehouse 's fictional Blandings Castle , the ancestral home of Lord Emsworth , is located in Shropshire. Also from Shropshire

2340-506: The Hatherley and Horsbere brooks, before it reaches Gloucester. The River Leadon enters the tidal West Channel of the Severn at Over, immediately west of Gloucester. The River Frome is the second significant tributary to enter the tidal stretch of the Severn, doing so at Framilode. Bideford Brook drains the easternmost part of the Forest of Dean , entering the Severn estuary east of Blakeney . On

2418-588: The High Medieval period the Shropshire area influenced important poetry: the poet William Langland , writer of Piers Plowman , was born in Cleobury Mortimer , and the 14th-century alliterative poem St Erkenwald is written in a local dialect. The only copy of the ancient poem 'Life and Death' was also found in Shropshire. In this period the county was also associated in divers places and ways with Arthurian legends, for instance at Hawkstone, where there

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2496-571: The Lichfield diocese. The county was a central part of the Welsh Marches during the medieval period and was often embroiled in the power struggles between powerful Marcher Lords , the Earls of March and successive monarchs. From 1457, King Henry VI created for his son, Prince Edward , a Council to rule Wales and the Marches, Cheshire , and Cornwall , which became the Council of the Marches. Shropshire

2574-691: The Rea Brook (not to be confused with the Rea Brook which flows from Marton Pool to the River Severn in Shrewsbury ). For a short stretch between Cleobury Mortimer and Neen Sollars the river forms part of the Shropshire-Worcestershire border. It is crossed (at 52°23′15″N 2°28′44″W  /  52.387401°N 2.478847°W  / 52.387401; -2.478847 ) by the Elan aqueduct . The name of

2652-423: The SSW-NNE aligned valley either side of Welshpool is there any obvious relationship to geological structure; the valley follows the lines of the Severn Valley Faults. For much of the rest of its course it runs directly across geological structures. It was first proposed in the 1900s that the former northerly course of the upper Severn was disrupted during the course of the ice age by the blocking of its access to

2730-485: The Severn Estuary from the mid 19th century to the late 1970s by P & A Campbell of Bristol . The vessels, Cardiff Queen , Bristol Queen , Glen Usk , Glen Gower and Britannia all operated on this route in the 1950s and 1960s. Since 1986 Waverley Excursions has operated occasional sailings to Sharpness and Lydney by the MV Balmoral . A number of ferries were also operated on the tidal river, for example at New Passage , Purton and Arlingham . The last ferry

2808-401: The Severn Tunnel. In the 1950s three trains a day made round trips between Severn Tunnel Junction and Pilning . The vehicles were loaded onto open flat bed carriages and pulled by a small pannier tank locomotive , although sometimes they were joined to a scheduled passenger train. The prudent owner paid to cover the vehicle with a sheet, as sparks often flew when the steam locomotive tackled

2886-424: The Severn at Stourport-on-Severn . The Dick Brook , Shrawley Brook and Grimley Brook enter on the right bank before the River Salwarpe , which runs through Droitwich enters on the opposite (east) bank. The River Teme flows eastwards from its source in Mid Wales , straddling the border between Shropshire and Herefordshire ; it is joined by the River Onny , River Corve and River Rea before it finally joins

2964-410: The Severn on the southern edge of Worcester . Bushley Brook joins just upstream of the confluence of the Warwickshire Avon with the Severn at Tewkesbury . One of several Avons, this one flows west through Rugby , Warwick and Stratford-upon-Avon . It is then joined by its tributary the River Arrow , before joining the Severn. The rivers Swilgate and Chelt also join the Severn's left bank, as do

3042-447: The Shropshire Plain, these lower Palaeozoic rocks are replaced by Permian and Triassic age strata though largely unseen beneath a thick cover of Quaternary deposits. Certain stretches also run across Carboniferous strata as at Shrewsbury and for much of the distance between Ironbridge and Bewdley. Permo-Triassic bedrock then continues until the Severn moves intermittently onto the Jurassic outcrop from Tewkesbury southwards. Only in

3120-421: The area of the River Wye and the Bristol Avon , both of which flow into the Severn Estuary. The Estuary discharges into the Bristol Channel , which opens into the Celtic Sea and from there into the Atlantic Ocean. An etymology has been proposed, which signifies that 'Severn' is an anglicized version of a ancient Celtic phrase signifying 'a gap (in the coastline)', referring to the estuary. The name Severn

3198-409: The club-rush growing along the banks of the River Severn to make wicker baskets. The name history shows evidence of Scandinavian influence: In the Summer of 893 a coalition of all of the Danish armies in England made a determined attempt to annex western Mercia to Danish Mercia. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle (ASC) recorded an account of the Battle of Buttington , and included this description of

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3276-402: The community at the Abbey. The poet A. E. Housman used Shropshire as the setting for many of the poems in his first book, A Shropshire Lad . Moreover, many of Malcolm Saville 's children's books are set in Shropshire. Additionally, D. H. Lawrence 's novella, St. Mawr , is partially set in the Stiperstones area of South Shropshire . The early 20th century novelist and poet Mary Webb

3354-429: The county of Powys . The first town it encounters downstream of its source is Llanidloes where it is joined by the Dulas and the Clywedog. It flows past the villages of Llandinam and Caersws before reaching Newtown . It then runs by Abermule and Cilcewydd before flowing beside Welshpool , the last town on its course in Wales. Entering Shropshire and England, a few villages such as Shrawardine sit back from

3432-489: The death of Ireland's parents. The playwright George Farquhar 's 1706 play The Recruiting Officer is set in Shrewsbury. The "father of English ballet", as well as the originator of pantomime, John Weaver , developed his art in Shrewsbury. A second generation dancing master in the town, he founded English ballet, founded pantomime, and wrote on the philosophy, theology, statecraft and biology embedded in his era's understating of dance. Later in life he came to publish on

3510-401: The early tenth century, the relics of St Alkmund were translated to Whitchurch, this was also probably the work of Æthelflæd. There is evidence to show that by the beginning of the 900s, Shrewsbury was home to a mint . Archaeological excavations at the site of Shrewsbury castle in 2019 have indicated that the castle itself may have been a fortified site in the time of the Saxons. After

3588-402: The east of the county, and Shrewsbury (76,782), in the centre, are the only large towns. Shropshire is otherwise rural, containing market towns such as Oswestry (15,613), Bridgnorth (12,212) and Newport (11,387). For local government purposes the county comprises two unitary authority areas: Shropshire , and Telford and Wrekin . Shropshire is generally flat in the north and hilly in

3666-491: The founding years of Shrewsbury School under Thomas Ashton ; they attracted the attention of Queen Elizabeth I . Later this was expressed in the many arbours built in Shrewsbury for that town's particular tradition of pageantry and performance. Shakespeare memorialised the Battle of Shrewsbury in Henry IV, Part 1 , in Acts IV (Scenes and 3) and V (Scenes 1-5). The arrest of Buckingham referred to in Richard III ( Act IV, scene iv) happened near Wem. Ludlow castle

3744-414: The grounds of a church, the medieval Church of the Holy Fathers in Sutton , Shrewsbury, making it Britain's oldest place of worship. The Shropshire bulla ("bulla" is Medieval Latin for "a round seal", Classical Latin for "bubble, blob", plural bullae), also known as the Shropshire sun pendant, is a Late Bronze Age gold pendant found by a metal detectorist in 2018 in Shropshire. At Mitchel's Fold there

3822-443: The largest settlements in Britain. After the Roman occupation of Britain ended in the 5th century, the Shropshire area was in the eastern part of the Welsh Kingdom of Powys ; known in Welsh poetry as the Paradise of Powys . As 'Caer Guricon' it is a possible Shrewsbury was the site of the seat of the Kingdom of Powys in the Early Middle Ages. This would date establishment of the town to the 500s CE under Brochwel Ysgithrog . It

3900-421: The lower Severn to enable seagoing boats to reach as far as Stourport. The most northerly lock is at Lincomb, about 1 mile (1.6 km) downstream from Stourport. The Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal , the Worcester and Birmingham Canal , (both narrow beam) and the Herefordshire and Gloucestershire Canal join the Severn at Stourport, Worcester and Gloucester respectively. The Droitwich Barge Canal ,

3978-533: The name Habren was recorded c.800. Documented history of the Welsh name: The toponym for Habren might be: The English form of the name (" Severn ") is derived from Old English Sæfern . However the name is also influenced by English dialect seave (" sedge, rush ") hence the origin of the name Seaverne recorded in the 16th–17th century. Common club-rush ( Schoenoplectus lacustris ) prefers to grow in shallow water such as that found in ponds, streams and river margins. The Hwicce people used

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4056-400: The name of the Dalvík – Grímsey ferry in Iceland . The River Severn's current form is the result of a multi-million year history and complex underlying geology but is in part the result of glaciation during the last ice age in the Pleistocene epoch of the Quaternary period. Within Wales, the river runs through a landscape formed in Ordovician and Silurian rocks. As it enters

4134-400: The north, the Welsh county of Wrexham to the north and northwest, Staffordshire to the east, Worcestershire to the southeast, Herefordshire to the south, and the Welsh county of Powys to the west. The largest settlement is Telford , while Shrewsbury is the county town . The county has an area of 3,487 km (1,346 square miles) and a population of 498,073. Telford (155,570), in

4212-485: The opposite (southeast) bank the flow of the River Cam is usurped by the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal before reaching the estuary. The Lyd enters the west bank of the estuary at Lydney Harbour , opposite the place where Berkeley Pill carries the waters of the Little Avon River into it. The final tributary before the Severn Bridge is the collection of streams which enter via Oldbury Pill. The River Wye, from its source in Plynlimon in Wales (2 miles (3 km) from

4290-478: The river as it meanders eastwards towards the county town of Shrewsbury . More villages, notably Atcham , Wroxeter and Cressage sit beside the river as it turns southeast and heads for the gorge at Ironbridge before turning south for Bridgnorth . The Shropshire villages of Quatford and Hampton Loade and the Worcestershire village of Upper Arley follow, before the Severn runs through Bewdley and Stourport-on-Severn in quick succession. The river then passes

4368-423: The river derives from a root found in many Indo-European languages and means "to run" or "to flow". The historic or alternative name for the river is the River Neen and there are three settlements along its course which take its name: Neen Sollars , Neenton and Neen Savage . This name appears to come from Brythonic *Nein- , which could mean either washing or snowing. This Shropshire location article

4446-439: The river is more navigable for larger craft, users must obtain permits from the Canal & River Trust , who are the navigation authority . During spring freshet the river can be closed to navigation. At Upper Parting above Gloucester, the river divides into two, and flows either side of Alney Island to Lower Parting. The West Channel is no longer navigable. The East Channel is navigable as far as Gloucester Docks, from where

4524-432: The river were designed and built by the engineer Thomas Telford . The two major road bridges of the Severn crossing link south eastern Wales with the southern counties of England. Prior to the construction of the first bridge in 1966, the channel was crossed by the Aust Ferry . Other notable bridges include: The Severn Tunnel , completed in 1886 by John Hawkshaw on behalf of the Great Western Railway , lies near

4602-406: The route taken by the Danes : "... Foron þa up be Temese oþþæt hie gedydon æt Sæferne , þa up be Sæferne . The Seafarer (poem) ..."þæt he a his sæfore sorge næbbe, to hwon hine Dryhten gedon wille." ..."that he never in his seafaring has a worry, as to what his Lord will do to him." The name Sæfern might be related to: The Old Norse name Sæfari ("Seafarer") lives on as

4680-421: The site, which led to a hole being dug as deep as a man's height. King Offa of Mercia annexed the entirety of Shropshire over the course of the 8th century from Powys, with Shrewsbury captured in 778, with two dykes built to defend, or at least demarcate it from the Welsh. King Offa converted the palace of the rulers of Powys into his first church, dedicated to St Chad (a foundation that still survives in

4758-501: The slope leading to the tunnel exit. A railway coach was provided for passengers and drivers. Reservations could be made and the fee for the car was about thirty shillings (£1.50) in the early 1950s. There have been many disasters on the Severn , which have claimed perhaps 300 lives, depending on sources, especially during the 20th century. The Severn Railway Bridge was badly damaged by the collision of two river barges in 1960, which led to its demolition in 1970. Five crew members of both

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4836-420: The source of the Severn), flows generally south east through the Welsh towns of Rhayader and Builth Wells . It enters Herefordshire , flows through Hereford , and is shortly afterwards joined by the River Lugg , before flowing through Ross-on-Wye and Monmouth , and then southwards where it forms part of the border between England ( Forest of Dean ) and Wales . The Wye flows into the Severn estuary south of

4914-402: The south. The Shropshire Hills AONB covers about a quarter of the county, including the Wrekin , Clee Hills , Stiperstones , the Long Mynd , and Wenlock Edge . Part of the Fenn's, Whixall and Bettisfield Mosses National Nature Reserve , which extends into Wales, occupies the low-lying north west of the county. The county's major river is the Severn , which enters from the west and forms

4992-408: The subject of dance, which he located in a wider understanding of his culture as representing a component of Ptolemaic harmony and an earnest part of the statecraft of his time. The first known architectural project of Inigo Jones is the Cotton monument in the Church of St Chad, Norton-in-Hales . There are a number of important buildings in the county. The world's first iron-framed building

5070-536: The tidal river which is dangerous to navigate. The Stroudwater Navigation used to join the tidal Severn at Framilode , but since the 1920s has connected to the Severn only via the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal. The Lydney Canal is a short canal which connects Lydney to the river. The section of the river between Tewkesbury and Worcester forms part of the Avon Ring , a 109-mile (175 km) circular cruising route which includes 129 locks and covers parts of three other waterways. Paddle steamers were operated in

5148-467: The town and operated on that initial site for over 1000 years, moving in 1792). In later centuries, Vikings repeatedly invaded and fortresses were built at Bridgnorth (912) and Chirbury (913). In 914, Æthelflæd , Lady of the Mercians, fortified Shrewsbury, along with two other fortresses, at Scergeat (a currently unknown location) and Weardbyrig , Viking rides from the north traveling south were reaching Bridgnorth at this time (910CE). In

5226-406: The town of Chepstow . The Mounton Brook and Nedern Brooks enter on the Monmouthshire side between the two motorway crossings. The Port of Bristol is on the Severn Estuary , where another River Avon flows into it through the Avon Gorge . The River Usk and the Ebbw River flow into the Severn Estuary at Uskmouth just south of Newport . The river's course within Wales lies wholly within

5304-420: The upper Severn flowed beneath the icesheet in a bedrock hollow known as the Severn Trench eastwards from Melverley to the Ironbridge Gorge. It is possible that the trench and gorge were cut over successive ice ages. Over its length, there are a large number of tributaries, but the three largest feeding the non-tidal river are the Vyrnwy , the Teme and the Warwickshire Avon . The Wye , the Bristol Avon and

5382-405: The villages of Astley Burf and Holt Fleet before entry into the city of Worcester . Several villages sit back from the river before it runs by Upton-upon-Severn and then enters Gloucestershire as it joins with the Warwickshire Avon outside of Tewkesbury . A few more villages intervene, notable amongst which is Maisemore before the river enters the city of Gloucester from which point it

5460-405: The waters of the Banwy , Cain and Tanat , before forming part of the border between England and Wales, and joining the Severn near Melverley , Shropshire. The River Perry joins on the left bank above Shrewsbury , while both the Rad Brook and the Rea Brook , which flows northeast from its source at Marton Pool near the Welsh border, join the Severn within the town. The left bank tributary,

5538-446: The western edge of Newtown, followed by the Bechan Brook just northeast of the town. The Mule enters at Abermule , and the River Rhiw east of Berriew , followed shortly by the Camlad which rises above Churchstoke and by the Luggy Brook. The left bank Sylfaen Brook enters at Welshpool , and the Bele Brook via the New Cut east of Arddlin . The River Vyrnwy, which begins at Lake Vyrnwy , flows eastwards through Powys , gathering

5616-525: Was Royalist , and Charles II fled through the county—famously hiding in an oak tree —after his final defeat at the Battle of Worcester . The area around Coalbrookdale is regarded as one of the birthplaces of the Industrial Revolution and has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site . Evidence of Neolithic occupation of a religious form dating back before 2,000 BC, was discovered in 2017 in

5694-472: Was a Royalist stronghold, under the command of Sir Francis Ottley . In the autumn of 1642, Charles I had a temporary capital at Shrewsbury, though he immediately moved to Oxford after the events of the Battle of Wem . Prince Rupert established his headquarters in the town on 18 February 1644, being welcomed by Shrewsbury's aldermen. Much Wenlock was the birthplace of the modern Olympic movement. In

5772-664: Was born in Shropshire and lived most of her life there, and all her novels are set there, most notably Precious Bane , with its powerful evocation of the Shropshire countryside. A school in Pontesbury bears her name. Shropshire is widely believed to have been an influence for J. R. R. Tolkien 's landscape of the Shire in The Lord of the Rings . Specifically, the Wrekin (as The Lonely Mountain) and Ellesmere (as Laketown) are said to have inspired

5850-684: Was built in Shrewsbury at the Flaxmill Maltings : the techniques pioneered in that building were necessary preconditions for skyscrapers . Nash and Repton were active at Attingham Park . A rare Anglo-Saxon hall, which was a high status building from the Anglo Saxon period, and possibly a feasting hall or palace, was excavated at nearby Attingham in 2018; the dating window is between 400 AD and 1066. River Severn The River Severn ( Welsh : Afon Hafren , pronounced [ˈavɔn ˈhavrɛn] ), at 220 miles (354 km) long,

5928-536: Was governed via this council for several centuries. According to historian John Davies , at its peak under Sir Henry Sidney and for a period thereafter the Council: represented a remarkable experiment in regional government. It administered the law cheaply and rapidly; it dealt with up to twenty cases a day and George Owen stated that the 'oppressed poor' flocked to it. During the English Civil War , Shropshire

6006-511: Was not finally determined until the 14th century. Also in this period, a number of religious foundations were formed, the county largely falling at this time under the Diocese of Hereford and that of Coventry and Lichfield . Some parishes in the north-west of the county in later times fell under the Diocese of St. Asaph until the disestablishment of the Church in Wales in 1920, when they were ceded to

6084-676: Was the Aust Ferry , which closed in 1966 when the Severn Bridge opened. One of the Aust ferries, Severn Princess , is still in Chepstow although largely derelict. Currently the only passenger boat operating between Shrewsbury & Gloucester is the 'River King' vessel that operates in Stourport. Worcester River Cruises used to run boat trips up and down the river between Tewkesbury and Stourport, operating

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