The Main Mill at Shrewsbury Flaxmill Maltings is the first iron-framed building in the world. The pioneering frame is what makes this an internationally important industrial heritage site. Known as the grandparent of skyscrapers, the Main Mill opened in 1797 as a purpose-built flax mill.
Birthplace of Charles Darwin, Shrewsbury is set amidst the glorious Shropshire countryside near to the Welsh Borders and is one of England's finest medieval market towns. The town has over 600 listed buildings including the Castle and the Abbey (home of the fictional Brother Cadfael).
Shrewsbury is often regarded as having reached its height in the late Middle Ages, in terms of its national and economic significance. This was largely down to its position as a centre of the woollen trade, being a centre for the finishing of Welsh cloth.
Salop = Shrewsbury or Shropshire (the county of Shrewsbury/Salop) Floreat Salopia = the motto of both the county and the town ("may Shrewsbury/Shropshire flourish") Salopian = somebody from either Shrewsbury or Shropshire.
Shropshire rapidly became the greatest iron-producing area in England. The world's first cast-iron bridge was erected at Ironbridge in 1779, the first iron-built boat floated on the Severn in 1787, and one of the first experimental railway engines was built by the Coalbrookdale Company for Richard Trevithick in 1801.
Shrewsbury houses the tallest doric column in England
Situated outside the Shropshire Council offices, standing at 133 ft 6 in (40.7 m), it commemorates Rowland Hill, 1st Viscount Hill, with a 17 ft (5.2 m) tall statue standing on the top of the column.
Charles Darwin is Shrewsbury's most famous son and recently voted as one of the greatest Britons. Born in Shrewsbury, Shropshire on the 12th February 1809 at Mount House, he was the son of Robert, a well respected doctor, and Susannah a member of the Wedgwood family.
Herefordshire and parts of Worcestershire and Shropshire have a rhotic accent, somewhat like the West Country, and in some parts of these counties, the local accent mixes features with the Welsh accent, particularly in places closer to the English–Welsh border.
Salop is an old name for Shropshire, historically used as an abbreviated form for post or telegrams; it is thought to derive from the Anglo-French "Salopesberia". It is normally replaced by the more contemporary "Shrops", although Shropshire residents are still referred to as "Salopians".
As a whole Shrewsbury is a very wealthy town, benefiting from being the trading capital of the county given its place on the river, and during the Industrial Revolution, its proximity to the 'birthplace of industry' in Coalbrookdale and its position as the 'gateway to Wales' via the railway network.
Her Majesty made three visits to the region in the 1950s – to Stafford in 1955, and on a tour of the Dudley area in 1957. But her first visit was to Shrewsbury in October, 1952, just months after becoming Queen.
In Old English the town was known as Scrobbesburh; meaning either "Scrobb's fort" or "the fortified place in the bushes". Its later Welsh name Amwythig means "fortified place". The town is defended by the loop of the River Severn as well as being positioned on a hill.
According to the survey, Shrewsbury is Shropshire's happiest town. The county town is also the sixth happiest place in the West Midlands, with only Stourbridge, Leamington Spa, Worcester, Hereford and Stratford-upon-Avon ahead of it on the list. Shrewsbury was also named as the 67th happiest town in the UK to live.
As part of its Best Places to Live series, online lifestyle magazine Muddy Stilettos declared Shrewsbury was one of the top places to set up home. Citing its rich history and period architecture, Muddy Stilettos noted the range of indie shops and high street names as well as the great choice of schools.
The term "Salopian", derived from "Salop", is still used to mean "from Shropshire". Salop can also mean the county town, Shrewsbury, and in historical records Shropshire is described as "the county of Salop" and Shrewsbury as "the town of Salop".
96.9% people are white, 1.3% people are asian, 1.1% people are mixed. 52.7% are Christian, 39.1% have no religion, 6.4% provided no answer. 40.2% households have 1 car, 31.5% households have 2 cars, 14.2% households have 3+ cars.
Time. One of the largest productions to be filmed at Shrewsbury Prison was the BBC's multi-BAFTA award-winning series Time. Starring Sean bean and Stephen Graham, the production ran for 8 weeks in the prison.
This name gradually evolved in three directions, into Sciropscire, which became Shropshire; into Sloppesberie, which became Salop / Salopia (an alternative name for both town and county), and into Schrosberie, which eventually became the town's name, Shrewsbury.
Connecting Pride Hill, the High Street, Wyle Cop and St Mary's, the Bear Steps area encompasses many of Shrewsbury's most historic streets, including Butcher Row, Fish Street and Grope Lane. The area is home to many of Shrewsbury's independent eateries and shops.
What is the one place the Queen Cannot visit in the UK?
The chamber of the House of Commons. The one and only place the reigning monarch cannot visit is the house of commons. By convention - it's her own choice - she does not visit men's sports teams in their dressing rooms.
The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon. The King and The Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow. BBC One continuously covered the Queen's condition from 12:40, after the first official statement; special reports were also run on ITV, Channel 4, and Channel 5.
Her Majesty The Queen is the only British monarch ever to have travelled on the Tube. In March 1969, The Queen officially opened the Victoria Line of the London Underground, and following the ceremony she took the new line from Oxford Circus to Victoria.
