Shropshire – TRAVEL WORDS

A – Z of Locations: M is for Market Drayton

During this year I shall be posting photographs from places around the UK, many of which have not been published before. Where I have previously blogged about a location I will provide a link to the post, though you won’t be able to comment on it as I restrict comments to six months.

M is for Market Drayton

Market Drayton is a market town in the north of Shropshire, England, close to the Cheshire and Staffordshire borders. It lies on the River Tern. Home to Müller Dairy which produces yoghurts here and a microbrewery. It is also known for its gingerbread, which was first recorded in 1793. Today, the only surviving brand still being made in the town is Billington’s Gingerbread. There is even an annual Ginger and Spice festival.

There are a number of listed buildings in the town including several timber-framed, 17th century shops and pubs around the town centre, plus Georgian and Victorian buildings. The streets converge on The Buttercross market shelter and on Wednesdays are filled with market stalls.

The town sits by the Shropshire Union canal about a mile from Tyrley Locks where a flight of five locks make this one of the most interesting sections of the canal.

(Bridge No 62) View of Betton Mill, now converted into apartments and Betton Bridge (No 63) straight ahead.

Shropshire Union Canal at Market Drayton.

A – Z of Locations: J is for Jackfield

J is for Jackfield

Jackfield is a village in Shropshire on the south bank of the River Severn, in the Ironbridge Gorge. There was a pottery here from at least 1634 and corn mills existed along the stream that flowed into the river. Manufacture of pottery continued throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, with specialism moving on to the production of tiles, including high quality encaustic tiles.

The Jackfield Tile Museum is one of ten museums in the Severn Gorge.

The Jackfield Tile Museum with some lengths of the former Severn Valley Railway trackbed today serve as a vehicle-free route for pedestrians and cyclists.

The settlement is mainly linear alongside the steep bank of the river from the Free Bridge to the Memorial Bridge which crosses over to the north bank and onto Coalport.

The Maws Craft Centre, formerly a part of the area’s tile works, is located on Salthouse Road between the Tile Museum and the Memorial Bridge and hosts a number of independent shops.

The eastern part of the settlement consists of the Tuckies and Salthouses.

Flooding badly affects the lower parts of Jackfield from time-to-time, including the Boat House pub which has floods recorded on its front door (the highest recorded at the pub being on 1 November 2000).

The Memorial Bridge is a footbridge spanning the River Severn, linking the Tuckies part of Jackfield with Coalport. It was built with funds raised by public subscription in 1922, and is in memorial to the men of Jackfield and Coalport who were killed in the First World War.

Flashback Friday #23

The Priors Halton Loop was a walk for Restless Jo in 2014 when I was living in Ludlow, South Shropshire.

With the recent good weather I have been trying to get out for a daily walk. Last Sunday we set off towards Priors Halton farm, about a mile or so outside of Ludlow. It is one of the few flattish walks around here, as Ludlow is surrounded by hills.

Most walks in and around Ludlow begin with crossing a bridge. This time Dinham, with a glance at ‘Ludlow Beach’, as locals name the area on the Teme where it is often safe to paddle. Repairs are being made to the weir (including a by-pass to allow salmon moving 50 miles upstream to spawn an easier way through the river ) has meant changes to the ‘beach’ too. And today there are many more youths than usual. It is a hot day, though they are a bit big to swim in the extremely shallow waters – amazing to think how high the water level was only a couple of months ago.

Instead of heading left along the Bread Walk or ahead up the Donkey Steps onto Whitcliffe Common, today we are continuing along the road towards Priors Halton. The road ends at Priors Halton farm, but you can continue on foot or bicycle to Lady Halton or Oakly Park and even Bromfield where you will find Ludlow Food Centre, a café and restaurant. Continue reading Flashback Friday #23

Flashback Friday #14

This post was originally published on April 02 2015 to celebrate Easter windows for the monthly challenge hosted by Dawn from ‘The Day After’ and appropriately in time for Good Friday this year! Happy Easter everybody!

“Walking around Ludlow before Easter you can’t help noticing all the sheep and fluffy chicks and eggs adorning the window displays in the town.

The bookshop, sweetshop and even the coffee shop have a spring feeling

Milk churn

Hen

Rabbit

Coffe shop

Chicks and flowers

The florist is a bit steamed up…

Rabbits on the rampage

Hares in hiding

Ranunculas

Birds and eggs

Spring colours

Continue reading Flashback Friday #14

Flashback Friday #2

This post was originally published on 8th January 2014 when I used to join in with Cee’s Which Way Challenge.

Shropshire has an odd name for its alleys or passageways, particularly those that pass through a building from one street to another – shuts – derived from shoots as in “shoots through”. In Ludlow there are a few of these as well as several cobbled lanes and hidden courtyards which date from the medieval period.

The Vineyard off Lower Broad Street

Quality Shut

Vineyard Shut

Harp Lane

This post is a contribution to Fandango’s Flashback Friday. Have you got a post you wrote in the past on this particular day? The world might be glad to see it – either for the first time – or again if they’re long-time loyal readers.