BRIDGNORTH

In a county of picturesque towns and villages few can compare to Bridgnorth. An inland cliff railway, a tower that leans more than Pisa, the Severn Valley Railway and a history as tumultuous as the town is beautiful, Bridgnorth has it all.

History

There has been a settlement around Bridgnorth since Saxon times and the town was founded in 1101. It's name derives from this being the most northerly of two bridges across the River Severn.

For such a peaceful place the town has had it's share of trouble being put under siege by Henry II in 1155 and being under attack by Cromwell during the Civil War. In fact during an attack in 1647 much of the town was destroyed by fire. However Charles II requested a collection from every parish in England to help restore the town leaving a legacy of the many fine buildings which can be seen in the town.

For more details about the history of Bridgnorth click:

http://pers-www.wlv.ac.uk/~in2021/bridgn...

This site gives historical details as well as an aerial view of the town. It also has links to some of the characters of the town including P G Woodhouse who lived close by.

Town Description

The town is built on two levels. The High Town sits atop a 100 foot high sandstone cliff which makes this part of the town visually stunning and marks it out as one of the very few hilltop towns in England.

It is in High Town that many of the old buildings are found including the very impressive Town Hall which was rebuilt in 1652 and restored in 1887. Among other fine buildings are Bishop Percy's House which survived the fire of 1647, St. Mary's Church designed by Thomas Telford in 1792 and the New Market Building built in 1855. Another consequence of the Civil War was the blowing up of the Castle leaving the castle's keep tower leaning at an alarming angle of some 16 degrees, almost three times the angle of the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

The Low Town is connected to the High Town by means of a number of stairways and of course the cliff railway. With the River Severn running through this part of the town and the many public houses and old coaching inns this part of Bridgnorth should not be overlooked.

Combining two of my passions, history and pubs the site at:

http://www.midlandspubs.co.uk/bridgnorth/

gives great historical details about the town and it's buildings and, more importantly if you plan a visit, loving descriptions of some of the fine pubs in the town. I have given this site 5 stars in my Towns listing.

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