Shropshire Routes to Roots

1. Introduction

The modern age

The years 1740 to 1860 had seen such an increase in manufacturing that the term 'Industrial Revolution' was coined to describe the period. The Victorian era during the next half century saw revolutions in transport, with the construction of roads, railways, canals and ocean-going ships. 1901 was the year of the death of Queen Victoria. It signified the end of the Victorian era, and the beginning of the modern age. During the twentieth century, technological and social developments also had a revolutionary effect on the environment in which we live.

This theme examines how the years between 1900 and the millennium affected two towns in Shropshire: Shrewsbury and Oswestry.

Shrewsbury before the Twentieth Century

From the air (and at times of flood!) it is obvious that Shrewsbury's predominant feature is the loop of the River Severn which encloses it. This traditionally served two purposes. Firstly, it provided Shrewsbury with a natural fortification, such that when the Normans were building defences for the town, the only major work required was a castle at the neck of land between the curves. Secondly, the river has been an economic artery. In the Tudor period, Shrewsbury was an important centre for the wool trade. The timber-framed Rowley's House is a visible reminder of this.

View of Shrewsbury, looking towards the old market and St. Mary's church [Shropshire Archive reference: PC/S/12/G/2/5]

In the Victorian era, too, Shrewsbury was an important town economically. Mills, factories and manufacturers turned the raw materials extracted from the mines of Shropshire into goods for market. It also had a pioneering building: the flax mill was the first iron-framed building in the world, a precursor to modern skyscrapers.

For more background to Shrewsbury's development during the Industrial Revolution, visit the Shropshire's industrial heritage theme.

Oswestry before the Twentieth Century

Like Shrewsbury, Oswestry was also a defensive market town. It sits on the 'marches' region between England and Wales, and has been captured and re-taken many times by the two countries. Two of Oswestry's street names, Welsh Walls and English Walls, encapsulate this tension which can still be heard today, albeit in a peaceful form, as Welsh names and dialects are spoken side by side with English voices and accents.

Oswestry from Ardmillan house [Shropshire Archive reference: PC/O/4/9/2]

During the Victorian era, Oswestry became an important industrial centre. The Cambrian Railway turned Oswestry into a hub for goods carried from the mines of Wales to factories all over England.

You can find out more about Oswestry's transport and industrial history in the Cambrian Railways and the Getting goods to market themes.

A tale of two towns

This, then, was how the two towns were shaped at the turn of the twentieth century: Shrewsbury, the capital town of Shropshire, and Oswestry, a quiet market town now become a gateway to Welsh industry.

They would both change significantly between 1900 and the Millenium. This theme will show just a snapshot of these changes.

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