IF we leave Shrewsbury by its long eastern suburb, known, from the important monastic house which formerly stood at its commencement, as the Abbey Foregate, passing the more modern monument erected at its extremity, Lord Hill’s Column, our way lies for about two miles along the London road, bounded on each side by rich and fertile fields. At the distance just mentioned, this road approaches close to the river Severn, and continues to run along its banks, to the great improvement of the scenery, until we arrive at the prettily-situated village of Atcham, with Atcham Church in face of us, and the river winding under its stone bridge in the foreground. Atcham is three miles from Shrewsbury. Crossing the bridge, we leave the river, which here takes a long sweep to the southward, and follow the road, which skirts for more than half a mile the extensive park of Attingham. We here approach another river, the Tern, which at this point spreads into a fair expanse of water, and forms, with the mansion of Attingham to the left, and the copses which skirt it, a scene of striking beauty, while to the right it divides into two branches which empty themselves into the Severn, a little lower down. Crossing Tern Bridge, and proceeding a short distance, still skirting the park, we reach a point where, opposite the entrance to Attingham Park, a branch road turns off to the right from the old London road. We must take this branch road, which will lead us to the village of Wroxeter. We soon cross a small stream, which is known by the name of the Bell Brook, and after we have passed this brook, the visitor will hardly fail to remark, wherever his eye rests upon ploughed ground, the extraordinary blackness of the soil in comparison with that of the land over which he has previously passed.