Wikipedia

Edgton

Edgton
Half-timbered houses in Edgton
Edgton is located in Shropshire
Edgton
Edgton
Location within Shropshire
OS grid referenceSO386857
Civil parish
  • Edgton
Unitary authority
Ceremonial county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townCRAVEN ARMS
Postcode districtSY7
Dialling code01588
PoliceWest Mercia
FireShropshire
AmbulanceWest Midlands
UK Parliament
List of places
UK
England
Shropshire
52°27′58″N 2°54′11″W / 52.466°N 2.903°W / 52.466; -2.903

Edgton is a small village and civil parish in Shropshire, England.[1] It is also an ecclesiastical parish and a chapelry.[1] It lies in a rather remote and very rural area, south of the River Onny.[2] The nearest market towns are Bishop's Castle, Craven Arms, Clun and Church Stretton, while the larger village of Lydbury North lies a few miles to the west.[1] It is located 4 miles west of Craven Arms and is positioned on the former stagecoach route from London to Bishop's Castle.[2]

The village

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The village of Edgton contains 3 farms and approximately 20 dwellings.[3] It has very few services as the school (built in 1872), the shop and the village public house were all closed down.[3] The school is currently used as a pottery.[3] The village is fairly compact as it is centred on the 3 farms and the church.[3]

Edgton is home to St Michael's church which was established in the early 13th century.[4] It was rebuilt in 1895-6 and is now a grade II listed building.[4] Before the church was renovated it had fallen into a state of disrepair. Reverend Jones spent £250 of his own money on the repairs and £50 was contributed from the Ecclesiastical Commission.[3] It is a small and intimate church, containing traditional carved box pews and a recently renovated chamber organ.[5]

Instead of a parish council it has a parish meeting;[6][7] this is due to the very small population of the parish.

Edgton is believed to mean a "settlement on a hill with an edge or brow".[3]

St Michael's Church and the Pottery in Edgton

Conservation area

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On 16 December 1993, the central part of Edgton was designated a conservation area.[3] Edgton is located within the Shropshire Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.[3] The area is made up of a large amount of woodland and arable and pasture land.[3] The natural features of the village such as the mature trees, hedges, stone walls and historic boundaries are very important and need to be preserved.[3]

The following buildings and landmarks are regarded as monuments in the Edgton Conservation Area:[3]

  • The Church of St Michael
  • The Sundial 2m south west of Church of St Michael
  • The pedestal tomb 6m south west of Church of St Michael
  • Manor Farmhouse
  • Church Farmhouse (former malt house)
  • The Barn 5m south east of church Farmhouse
  • The Cowhouse 10m south west of Church Farmhouse
  • The House on the Green (a 1-storey cottage)
  • Edgton Farmhouse
  • Villa Farmhouse
  • Lower House Farmhouse and attached cowhouse

Almost all of these places are Grade II listed to help to protect them.[3]

History

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Historical population
YearPop.±%
1801 188—    
1811 210+11.7%
1821 220+4.8%
1831 232+5.5%
1841 214−7.8%
1851 191−10.7%
1881 223+16.8%
1891 185−17.0%
1901 134−27.6%
1911 166+23.9%
1921 132−20.5%
1931 134+1.5%
1951 90−32.8%
1961 86−4.4%
Source: [8]

Edgton was part of Clun registration district, Clun and Bishops Castle registration district, Lydbury registration sub-district and the Purslow hundred.[1] Edgton used to belong to the ancient monastery of Wenlock Priory.[3] The Reverend Humphrey Sandford bought Edgton in 1812 for £235, so this is when it became a state parish.[3] At the edge of the village there is the Anglo-Saxon church, which in the past allowed travellers to rest at night without disturbing the residents.[3] There is a road which runs nearby the village at Edgton Cross, which has a 19th-century milestone showing that London is 154 miles away and that Bishop's Castle is 5 miles away.[3] There are many milestones along this road, which suggests that it was an important access route in the past.[3]

Occupations in Edgton in 1831, males aged 20 and over:[9]
  1. Farmers employing labourers (11.3%)
  2. Farmers not employing labourers (3.23%)
  3. Agricultural labourers (53.2%)
  4. Manufacturing (1.61%)
  5. Retail & Handicrafts (24.2%)
  6. Labourers (non-agricultural) (6.45%)

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Unit History". Vision of Britain. Archived from the original on 24 December 2012.
  2. ^ a b "Edgton Village". Archived from the original on 7 February 2011. Retrieved 1 March 2012.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q "Edgton Conservation Area" (PDF). South Shropshire District Council. Retrieved 1 March 2012.[permanent dead link]
  4. ^ a b "Church of St Michael". British Listed Buildings. Retrieved 1 March 2012.
  5. ^ "St Michael's Church of England". The Church of England. Retrieved 1 March 2012.
  6. ^ Shropshire Council[permanent dead link] Map of Local Joint Committee 19
  7. ^ CPALC Archived 4 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine Edgton Parish Meeting – details
  8. ^ "Historical Statistics – Population". Vision of Britain. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 17 March 2012.
  9. ^ "Historical Statistics – Industry". Vision of Britain. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 14 March 2012.
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Media related to Edgton at Wikimedia Commons