The Stranger in Shrewsbury: or, an historical and descriptive view of Shrewsbury and its environsHowell, Thomas J.
History
The Stranger in Shrewsbury: or, an historical and descriptive view of Shrewsbury and its environs
Howell, Thomas J.
Shrewsbury (England) -- Description and travel
This river, justly esteemed the second in Britain, is of great
importance, being navigated by vessels of large burden, more than 160
miles from the sea, without the assistance of any lock. Upwards of
100,000 tons of coal are annually shipped from the collieries about
Madeley and Broseley, for the cities and towns situate on its banks, and
thence conveyed into the adjacent counties. Great quantities of grain,
pig and bar iron, iron manufactures, Coalport china and earthenware, as
well as wool, hops, cyder, and provisions, are likewise continually sent
to Bristol and other places, from whence various kinds of goods are
brought in return. In May, 1756, the number of Barges and Trows on the
river Severn navigating from Shrewsbury downwards to Bristol amounted to
376, and since that time, by the addition of the inland canals from the
Trent, the Mersey and the Thames, into the Stroud navigation, it may
fairly be calculated that not less than double that number are now
employed.
Shrewsbury Canal.
This canal commences on the north-east side of Shrewsbury, and winding
with the Severn passes Uffington, where it runs parallel with the river
Tern and passes Upton Forge, Withington, Roddington, where it crosses the
river Roden, also the river Tern, at Long Mill; passes Long, Eyton,
crosses Ketley Brook at Wrockwardine Wood, and there joins the Donnington
Wood and the Shropshire Canals. The total length is 17½ miles; with 147
feet rise in the five miles between Long and Wombridge; the rest is
level.—The principal use of this canal is the conveyance of coals for the
consumption of Shrewsbury and the intermediate places, from the numerous
coal works in the eastern part of Shropshire, which furnish that article
of an excellent quality. The best are delivered in Shrewsbury at about
15s. per ton.
_ENVIRONS OF THE TOWN_.
Sutton Spa.
QUITTING Shrewsbury by the suburb of Coleham, and proceeding for about a
mile along a narrow lane, we reach Sutton Spa. Few countries in Europe
can boast of more medicinal or mineral waters than England, the virtues
of which have been well established, not from vulgar experience only, but
from the repeated examinations of the most skilful physicians. The
uncommon frequency of the healing springs may rationally be attributed to
the lixivious quality of our rain water, to the variety of rich soils,
with the spoils of which, from their property of dissolving, they must be
fraught, and to the wonderful and inimitable chemistry of nature by which
they are so happily impregnated as to become the easiest and surest
remedies of the most grievous and otherwise incurable diseases.
For the following account of this Spa the author is indebted to a paper
drawn up by Dr. Evans, (now of Llwynygroes,) and inserted in the
Agricultural Survey of Shropshire by the Rev. Archdeacon Corbett:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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