Ironbridge

Ironbridge has the world's first cast iron bridge built in 1779 spanning the River Severn and was awarded the status of World Heritage Site. This remarkable feat of engineering attracted attention worldwide and is regarded as the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution. Today the bridge is still just as awe inspiring and there are many museums which tell the story of Ironbridge. The attractions are both educational and fun making this a great day out for all ages. In particular we like the Blists Hill Victorian town which has been reconstructed to really allow you step back in time.

The houses built on the hillside are also very interesting accessed via steep and narrow streets. You will notice that the bigger houses are situated at the top of the hill giving the richer classes the best views whereas the smaller houses are nestled towards the bottom of the hillside.

Shrewsbury

The attractive town of Shrewsbury is mostly known for its black and white timber framed buildings, many of which are listed. The town has a fantastic selection of high street, independent and designer shops and a good offering of pubs, restaurants and cafes. We have surveyed residential and commercial buildings in Shrewsbury .

Shrewsbury Castle dates back to the latter part of the 11 th century and was built to protect the border with Wales . Much of the original castle has been altered over the years and today it houses the Shropshire Regimental Museum which has a fine collection of military memorabilia.

Shrewsbury was the birthplace of the English naturalist Charles Darwin in 1809 at Mount House in Frankwell which is now known as Darwin House. He was educated in Shrewsbury School which is now the Library building. Darwin was very influential in the world of biological history and in particular as to man's likeness to monkeys.

Telford

The area was designated as a New Town in 1968 and was given its name in commemoration of the legendary civil engineer Thomas Telford. Since then the town has grown substantially making it the largest town in Shropshire.

Thomas Telford was born in 1757 in Scotland and was to become a renowned engineer famed for the building of roads, canals and bridges as well as being involved in restoration projects such as restoring Shrewsbury Castle from a ruin into a home. He was involved in the building of several bridges in the Shropshire area such as the Montford Bridge and his last project was the Shropshire Union Canal but he died in 1834 before the canal opened.

Telford offers many attractions such as Telford Shopping Centre which has over 150 shops, the 450 acres of Telford Town Park or a dry ski slope for the more adventurous. The town also houses the Telford International Exhibition Centre and the Racquet Sports Centre.

Much Wenlock

Much Wenlock is an attractive town known for its many black and white timber framed buildings. As surveyors we admire the town's mix of architecture including Georgian, Victorian and the timber frame and cruck constructed properties.

Much Wenlock is the inspiration for the name of one of the official mascots called Wenlock of the 2012 Olympics, as Pierre de Boubertin was so inspired when watching the Much Wenlock Games in the 19th century that he went on to found the modern Olympics. In fact the Much Wenlock Games are still held today.

Wenlock Priory is situated on the site of St Milburga's Abbey which was founded by King Merewalh of Mercia around 680AD. English Heritage look after the ruins of this historic building including the 13th century church and the 12 th century chapter house which are set within beautiful gardens. An audio tour lets you step back in time and embrace the Priory's history.

Market Drayton

Market Drayton has a wonderful mix of attractive architecture comprising red brick and half timbered buildings. The town had a disastrous fire in 1651 which destroyed many of its buildings although thankfully some still remain such as Cotton's House on Shropshire Street which dates back to about 1600. The most spectacular building of all has to be the sandstone built St Marys Church which was constructed in the 14 th century although the doorway dates back to the 12 th century when there was another church on the site.

The town was given its market charter from Henry III and has since continued the tradition of markets holding a weekly street market on Cheshire Street . Damson Fairs were held in the past where the northern cloth makers would purchase damsons from the stallholders to dye their cloths.

Market Drayton is famed as being the home of gingerbread for over 200 years! Having first been recorded in 1793 by the maltster Roland Lateward the town's tradition of gingerbread making still lives on today.

Ludlow

The market town of Ludlow is situated in south Shropshire about ten miles from the welsh border. The town has a medieval street pattern and many listed historic buildings.

Grandly overlooking the River Teme is Ludlow Castle which was built around 1085 with further additions over the following 200 years thereby giving it an interesting mix of architecture from Norman , Medieval and Tudor times. Unfortunately the castle fell into disrepair and was bought by the Earl of Powis in the early 1800's whose family still own it today. Many events are held in the castle grounds each year.

Other notable buildings in Ludlow are St Laurence's Church which is one of the biggest parish churches in the country and The Feathers Hotel, a Jacobean building where if you look carefully you will see on the timber framed facade motifs of ostrich feathers which were a popular feature at the time to celebrate Charles becoming Prince of Wales, who later became King Charles I.

Ludlow is known as Shropshire 's gastronomic capital as it has a wealth of restaurants and speciality food shops and hosts food fairs. There is always plenty to do in Ludlow with events and festivals held throughout the years. There is also Ludlow Racecourse if you fancy a flutter at the races!

Bridgnorth

Unusually Bridgnorth is split on two levels namely The High Town or The Low Town. On 7 th July 1892 the Bridgnorth Cliff Railway was opened to link the two areas and save the arduous task of climbing the many steps! Today the electric railway still transports locals but is also a popular tourist attraction as it claims to be the oldest and steepest railway of its kind.

There are stunning views from either The High Town or The Low Town and there are a good selection of gift shops and cafes in the town to leisurely enjoy. Bridgnorth Visitor Information Centre is situated in The Library on Listley Street .

You will notice when you visit the ruins of Bridgnorth Castle that they lean precariously, even more so than the Leaning Tower of Pisa! The castle was blown up by Cromwell's men in 1646 and was then ordered to be demolished to its current state the following year. Today the castle ruins are surrounded by well kept gardens and of course the fantastic views of the Severn Valley .

Take a step back in time on the Severn Valley Railway steam engines and enjoy the views and the experience of a steam train trip to Kidderminster .

Ellesmere

The busy market town of Ellesmere has attractive Georgian and half timbered properties with a good selection of independent shops, cafes and a weekly market.

Located on the edge of Ellesmere is The Mere which is 48 acres of lakes, woods and gardens providing habitat to various wildlife as well as a popular area for fishing, boating, walking, picnics, etc. This beautiful landscape originated from the Ice Age where the ice melting resulting in the creation of the lakes.

The canals of Ellesmere were designed by the prestigious local engineer Thomas Telford and more recently have had the addition of a new marina and overnight moorings.

Oswestry

The bustling market town of Oswestry is situated on the border of North Shropshire and Wales . The town centre has a good selection of independent shops and cafes and in the summer months is a blaze of colour when the flowers are at their full bloom.

The town's architecture comprises a mixture of timber framed houses, Georgian and Victorian. Historically the town was surrounded by town walls; follow the Oswestry Town Trail leaflet to explore the towns interesting sites including the town's old gates and Castle Bank. Leaflets can be obtained from the Tourist Information Centre at Mile End.

To the northern edge of the town the earthworks of an Iron Age Hill fort are visible dating back over 2500 years.

Whittington

Situated near Oswestry the village of Whittington was supposedly the home of Dick Whittington who then went on to seek his fortune in London and indeed become Mayor of London three times.

The historic Whittington Castle is at the heart of the village and is the venue for many of the town's events. Admiringly the local community have taken a 99 year lease of the castle and are endeavoring to restore it with some financial assistance from the Heritage Lottery Fund. The castle has an interesting history of inhabitants including Fulk FitzWarin during the late12th/early 13 th century, a gentlemen from the Castle who became an enemy of King John in his childhood and in adulthood was robbed of his wealth and taken to the woods as an outlaw; the story has been likened to that of Robin Hood.

Wem

Wem is a quaint town located in North Shropshire with some lovely traditional shops such as the iron mongers and an old fashioned sweet shop as well as its weekly market held on Thursdays. There is a good selection of pubs, bed and breakfasts and a caravan park to welcome visitors to the area as well as the warm and friendly atmosphere of this lovely market town. As surveyors, we particularly like its fine Georgian architecture.

During the Civil War the town was attacked but the locals with the help of the women of the town managed to deter the opposition.

Wem is also associated with the sweet pea. Henry Eckford, the famous hybridist moved to Wem in 1888 and started the town's association with the sweet pea. Since then the town has embraced the sweet pea and has held an annual colourful Sweet Pea Show since 1988.

Whitchurch

Whitchurch derived its name from White Church , a Norman church built from white stone. St Alkmunds Church has since been built on the site. Whitchurch was awarded a market charter in the 14 th century and still holds a weekly market on Fridays.

Whitchurch is known as the home of tower clocks. J B Joyce & Co was established in the town in 1690 and are the oldest tower clock makers in the world. Some of their clocks can be seen throughout the town but they are renowned worldwide and were even involved in the building of Big Ben. Follow the Clock Town Trail to find out more!

Craven Arms

Craven Arms is a large market town with the usual mix of Georgian, Victorian and post war properties together with more modern developments.

The magnificent 13 th century Stoke Say Castle is situated near Craven Arms. The castle was originally a Norman stronghold built in 1281 and was later transformed by 1305 to the grand manor house that it is today. The Jacobean gatehouse followed in the 17 th century. This beautiful building is well worth a visit; there is an audio-tour to re-live its history and also gardens to explore and a gift shop.

Craven Arms is also the home of the Shropshire Hills Discovery Centre, also known as the Secret Hills Discovery Centre. This unique grass-roofed building contains everything you need to know about Shropshire 's landscape and history of the area.

Bishops Castle

Bishops Castle is a charming small town with many historic buildings to admire including the unique Elizabethan House on Crutches with its wooden post supports. Bishops Castle has a lovely selection of traditional shops such as butchers and grocers together with art galleries, furniture shops and bookshops.

Historically the town was a drover's town used as a stop off on the way to market; therefore there are many pubs and eateries to sample.

Shifnal

Shifnal is an attractive market town with some beautiful black and white buildings. Historically the town was a staging post on the London to Holyhead road. It is claimed that Charles Dickens stayed in Shifnal and that some of the buildings in the town were featured within his novel The Old Curiosity Shop'.

Boscobel House is located nearby which was the hiding place of Charles II following his defeat at the Battle of Worcester in 1651as well as the famous tree where he hid which is now known as the Royal Oak.

Wellington

The market town of Wellington is a great location for walkers wishing to explore the Wrekin. The town has some lovely buildings including the 15 th century Old Hall and the 18 th Century All Saints Church. As surveyors we would be delighted to survey listed buildings in Wellington such as these as well as the more modern properties. All properties in Wellington and throughout Shropshire as a whole should be surveyed prior to purchase to ensure that there are no hidden problems with the property; call 1stAssociated.co.uk on 0800 298 5424 to discuss further the advantages of an independent survey.

Another interesting building in the town is Sunnycroft, a Victorian suburban village from around 1899 which was originally built for a local brewer called Mr Wackrill. This type of building is known as a typical Victorian gentlemen's residence. The house is now under the care of the National Trust and is open to the public.

The annual Wellington Literary Festival is held in October.

Madeley

Madeley is a market town with many historic listed buildings including Woolfe's Barn which was a hiding place for Charles II following his defeat at the Battle of Worcester in 1651. He then went on to hide in Boscobel House and eventually reached safety in France .

Other historic buildings include the 18 th century St Michael's Church which was designed by Thomas Telford and the 17 th century Old Rectory opposite. The 16 th Century Madeley Court which was once the home of one of the architects of the Industrial Revolution called Sir Basil Brooke has now been given a new lease of life as a hotel.

Newport

Newport is a beautiful market town with many fine Regency and Georgian buildings. The former coaching town suffered great damage in a fire in 1665 which caused considerable damage resulting in the loss of many of the older buildings.

It is claimed that Charles Dickens stayed in the Bear Hotel and apparently his character Miss Haversham from his Great Expectations novel was modelled on a recluse called Elizabeth Parker from the town.

Just south of the town is the ruins of the Augustinian Lilleshall Abbey.

Cosford

Cosford is the home of the Royal Air Force Museum which displays over 70 historic aircraft. Aviation enthusiasts will be thrilled with the collection of aviation memorabilia including missiles, war planes, RAF transport planes as well as aircraft from the Research and Development collection. A great day out for all ages.

Church Stretton

In Victorian times Church Stretton was a health resort in a beautiful setting of hills and valleys. Today the town is a popular area for walkers to explore the Shropshire Hills and in fact was Shropshires first town to be awarded the status of Walkers Welcome' which signifies to walkers that there is a special attraction to visit the town.

In June each year the town holds a Walking Festival and in the summer the annual Church Stretton Arts Festival takes place.