[i] In the original the list of streets is on front inside cover: it has been moved to the end in this transcription to make the start easier to follow.—DP.[2] The population of the Borough is 19,681; that of the Registrar’s District 23,104. There are 13 Churches, affording 9,618 “sittings;” and 25 Dissenters’ Meeting Houses, with 5,805 “sittings.” The numbers of attendants, March 30, 1851, including Sunday Scholars, were at the Churches, in the morning, 6,080; afternoon, 3,135; and evening, 2,853; and at the Dissenters’ Meeting Houses,—morning, 2,089; afternoon, 398; evening, 2,232.[3] We would refer the visitor, who may be desirous of acquainting himself with our local history, to the inestimable History of Shrewsbury by Owen and Blakeway, 2 vols. 4to; a work of high historic authority, and abounding with deep and true antiquarian research. From this valuable publication we have condensed our accounts of the ecclesiastical structures of the place.[20] The Council usually sat in Ludlow Castle, but for the greater dispatch of business occasionally assembled at Shrewsbury, Bewdley, and Hereford.[21] The chimney piece of the Great Chamber is now, it is believed, preserved in Condover Hall, near this town. Its sculpture consists of Adam and Eve amid the trees of Paradise.[53] Should the visitor feel disposed to prolong his walk in this direction, he will find himself amply compensated by the enjoyment of an extensive prospect of the town, and the windings of the Severn, amid the romantic and richly wooded banks of Shelton and Berwick.

A few minutes’ stroll along the turnpike road, beautifully shaded by overhanging beech trees, will also bring him to the magnificent iron gates which afford entrance to the delightful grounds of Berwick, abounding in trees of great size and beauty. The Mansion-House, the seat of the Honourable Wentworth Powys, soon presents itself; and at a short distance, embosomed in trees, stands the small, but picturesque CHAPEL, erected in 1672, on the site of an ancient ruinous structure, and appropriated to the use of the inmates of the adjacent Hospital for decayed housekeepers, erected and endowed at the above period by Sir Samuel Jones, Knt. the then possessor of the Berwick estates.

The Chapel

To the lover of sylvan scenery, the neighbouring woods of Almond Park and the picturesque and woody declivities of Leaton Shelf, will afford a rich treat; and the experienced botanist will find in them many rare and beautiful species of brambles, and other floral treasures, well worthy his careful investigation.[56] The turnpike road in this direction will conduct the stranger to Battlefield, “the royal field of Shrewsbury,” the site of the important Battle of Shrewsbury, fought on 20th July, 1403:—

“the bloody rout that gave
To Harry’s brow a wreath,—to Hotspur’s heart a grave.”

To detail the events of this direful contest would far exceed our prescribed limits, and we must, therefore, content ourselves by referring our readers to works of a higher order:—

“Trace, Visitor, the tale as beats thy vein,
Clad in cold-hearted History’s homely weeds,
Or garlanded with Avon’s dewy flowers.”

Battlefield Church

The spot, where it is said the bodies of the slain were interred, is now covered by a church, once collegiate, founded by Henry IV., in gratitude for his victory. It contains a handsome monument, in the florid Gothic style, to the memory of the late John Corbet, Esq. of Sundorne. A short walk over the adjacent fields brings us to the splendid Gothic mansion of Sundorne, the seat of A. W. Corbet, Esq. In the Library and Drawing-room are several fine and valuable paintings by Titian, Salvator Rosa, Rembrandt, Guido, Raphael, Rubens, Wouvermans, and Van Huysum. Within the grounds, midway of Haughmond’s “bosky hill,” are the venerable ruins of Haughmond Abbey, rich in many a curious remain of early architecture. One peculiar feature of the earlier portions of this Abbey, which merits the attention of the architectural antiquary, is, that whilst the round or Norman arch is used, the mouldings and pillars belong to the Early English era:—a singular and uncommon instance of transition in style.

Tradition points out a knoll, planted with a clump of fir trees, called the Queen’s Bower, where Eleanor, the Queen of Henry IV. received the news of the victory at Battlefield. Her Majesty hearing the tidings of the messenger imperfectly, is said to have exclaimed “hey man,” from whence the hill subsequently acquired its name. A more probable derivation of the name is “Haut mont,” the High Mount. From these crags “that sprightly Scot of Scots, Douglas,” in endeavouring to escape after the battle, is said to have fallen, and sustaining considerable injury, was captured by his pursuers. The noble view from these heights cannot fail to rivet the attention.[67] See first page.[71] See Initial, page 1, for that on the south side.[86] Those who may feel interested in tracing the rise and progress of this Institution will do well to consult “Records of the Salop Infirmary, by Henry Bevan, 4to. 1847,” a work of great accuracy and pains-taking, and especially deserving of praise for its valuable statistical tables.[97] Engravings of the Old Church will be found in the Gentleman’s Magazine, vol. 81, p. 9, (N. E. view,) and vol. 66, p. 369, (E. end.)[109] See a north-west view of this once fine old Church in the Gentleman’s Magazine, vol. 77, p. 297.[126] At this Parliament, held Sept. 30th, the patriotic and unhappy David, the last Prince of Wales, was tried, and condemned to an ignominious and cruel death, which, to the disgrace of Edward, was permitted to be carried into execution. To this convention two knights were summoned from each county, and two deputies from certain of the principal cities and towns, (of which Shrewsbury was one,) and thus was laid the foundation of the British House of Commons. After the trial of David the Parliament adjourned to Acton Burnell, where the famous statute of that name received the royal assent.[127] Henry VIII. had previously by an Act of the twenty-sixth year of his reign appointed twenty-six suffragan or assistant bishops, to whom he assigned twenty-six borough towns dispersed over the kingdom as their sees. Shrewsbury was judiciously selected as one. This useful law was however seldom enforced, one only suffragan Bishop of Shrewsbury being known; Lewis Thomas, late Abbot of CwmhÎr, consecrated suffragan Bishop of the see of Salop by Archbishop Cranmer, 24th June, 1537. He died 1560 or 1561.[133] The engraving represents the eastern end previous to the alterations.[153] A short walk along the retired and shady lane opposite St. Giles’s church brings us to a small but highly picturesque wood, covering the ragged bank of the Meole Brook; embosomed in which is Sutton Spa, the water of which has been found by experience to be highly serviceable in scrofulous disorders. The attendant resides on the spot, in a neat cottage, near to which are hot and cold baths, with suitable accommodations.[154] Continuing our walk for three miles along the London-road, we arrive at the little village of Atcham, with its picturesque church on the margin of the Severn, which river is here crossed by an elegant stone bridge, designed by the architect Gwyn.

The village of Atcham is memorable as the birth-place of Ordericus Vitalis, one of the best of our earliest Historians, who was born 16th February, 1075.

Within sight of the village, on the confluence of the rivers Tern and Severn, is the noble edifice of Attingham Hall, the seat of the Right Honourable Lord Berwick, built from designs by the celebrated Athenian Stuart. The mansion consists of a centre and two wings, connected by corridors, and is adorned by a handsome tetrastyle portico of the composite order.

Tomb of Confessor Burton Close adjoining, amid the beautiful woods and plantations on the banks of the Severn, is the fine Gothic mansion of Longner, the residence of Robert Burton, Esq. In the Garden is preserved, with sacred care, the Altar-Tomb of one of the ancestors of the Burton family, known as the “Confessor Burton,” who died suddenly for joy on the restoration of the Reformed Religion on the accession of Elizabeth, and whose corpse being refused burial in the family vault in St. Chad’s, the parish church, by the Romish clergyman who then officiated there, was carried back and interred in this spot by his family.

Portion of Roman City Wall About a mile from Atcham is the Roman station of Uriconium, or Wroxeter. A PORTION OF THE CITY WALL is still standing, and the foundations of the boundary walls of the whole place may be traced with tolerable accuracy in the adjoining fields. Many sepulchral inscribed stones, altars, pavements, coins, fibulÆ, vases, &c. have at various times been ploughed up by the inhabitants. The church is well deserving of notice: and in the walls of the chancel may be seen curious remains of early Anglo-Norman arches. The interior contains the fine altar-tomb, with cumbent effigies, of Sir Thomas Bromley, Lord Chief Justice of England, one of the Executors of Henry VIII. There are also monuments to the Barkers of Haughmond; Sir Richard Newport, ancestor of the Earls of Bradford; Francis, first Earl of Bradford, and several others of the Newport family. From the village a fine prospect of the adjacent Wrekin is obtained.[157] Continuing our walk we speedily reach the peaceful and sequestered village of Meole Brace, celebrated for its excellent trout stream, on the banks of which was born and educated Thomas Barker, from whom honest Izaak Walton, in his delightful book, “The Complete Angler,” acknowledges that he derived the greater portion of his information, relative to fly-fishing. Mr. Barker published in 1691 a work entitled “Barker’s Delight, or the Art of Angling,” which ran through three editions in the space of eight years, and which is still in much repute among the lovers of the “gentle art.” Near the Bridge are Evans’s Alms-houses, built in 1844, under the will of the late Mr. John Evans of this town, for nine poor widows, who each have a liberal yearly allowance.

Meole Bridge, &c.

At the distance of a mile from Meole are the Sharpstones Hill and Bomere Pool, noted for their lovely scenery, and as the habitats of many of the rarer species of plants indigenous to the vicinity.[176] At a distance of two miles on the Holyhead road stands Shelton Oak, which, according to tradition, “the irregular and wild Glendower” ascended to reconnoitre the state of the contending armies on the Battlefield; but finding that the king was making a powerful head, and had “beat down young Harry Hotspur and his troops,” he precipitately retreated with his army into Wales. This majestic veteran of the forest,

“Whose boughes are moss’d with age,
And high top bald with dry antiquity,”

is completely hollow; many of the greater arms are dead, and the whole is fast falling to decay. Whatever be the degree of credit due to the tradition, certain it is there is positive evidence in a paper dated 1543, preserved among the title deeds of the Waring family, that this tree was esteemed a great one within 140 years of the Battle of Shrewsbury, and an object of remark to old people long before. The following are the dimensions:—girt at bottom, close to the ground, forty-four feet three inches; ditto, five feet from the ground, twenty-five feet one inch; ditto, eight feet from the ground, twenty-seven feet four inches; height to the top of the main trunk, or principal bough, forty-one feet six inches.

Shelton Oak

A little beyond this, on the Welsh Pool road, is Christ Church, Oxon, consecrated October 3rd, 1854, for a district comprising several outlying portions of the Parishes of St. Chad and St. Julian.

Immediately opposite is the Lunatic Asylum for the Counties of Salop and Montgomery, erected after a design by Messrs. Scott.