Shropshire Routes to Roots

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Hedgerows and houses

3.The location of the settlements

Why did people settle and build villages?

Introduction

The villages of Church Preen, Hughley and Kenley are to be located in Apedale at the base of Wenlock Edge. This is an area of rolling country. The three villages have formed for very varying reasons. Three essential ingredients would have been required:

a good water supply
fertile soil suitable for agriculture
and wood as a raw material for fuel and building.

A photograph of a Spring [Opens in new window: image size 61kb]

The Spring
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[Original photograph - Routes to Roots]

Hughley is a nucleated settlement and is clustered around the Church and Mill. It lies along the Hughley brook which drains from the north east from Longville in the Dale to the Severn at Sheinton. There is also a small spring in the village which is visible close to the telephone box.

Many smaller settlements follow the spring line at the base of Wenlock Edge. This is where the limestone meets the boulder clay of the valley. The result is a line of farms and settlements at the base of the escarpment. Settlements at Luscott, Easthopewood, Lower and Upper Hill farms and Blakeway. Today the village of Hughley is served by springs and a reservoir built at Upper Hill farm in the 1970's .

The village of Kenley lies on a slope of grit stone. Running up to it is a belt of boulder clay left during the last Ice Age. The village is linear and lies along an ancient ridgeway running from Harley to Church Preen.

Photograph of the road to Kenley [Opens in new window: image size 35kb]

Road to Kenley
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[Original photograph - Routes to Roots]

Church Preen started as a hilltop village lying on the southern slope of the Kenley Ridge. The village is bordered to the north and south by tributaries to the Hughley Brook.

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Page created 2003 and last updated 30 July 2007

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