Shropshire Routes to Roots - Shropshire places - Wem
by Samuel Garbet
The Air is pure, serene, and healthful; for this several reasons may be assigned, as 1st. because it is remote from the sea the parent of unwholesome vapours, which render all the maritime parts of England aguish sand sickly. 2nd. because it has few standing pools, marshes, and boggy grounds, which by their watery mists and fogs, breed or occasion catarrhs, coughs, aches, rheumatisms and other disorders. 3rd. because it is not incumbered with many or large woods, which keep time particles of the air too close, and cause them to stagnate; upon which account our American Co1onies have been more healthful since their woods were felled. 4th. because here are no lead, iron, or copper mines, which generally emit noxious exhalations. But the clearest proof of the wholesomeness of the air is the health and longevity of the Inhabitants, many of which, live 80 or 90 and some above 100 years.
Water, for common use, is very plentiful and very good. Besides living springs, which are almost every where to be met with, there are many brooks and rivulets, which for the most part are nameless; and two rivers, Tern, and Rodon.
TERN has its rise and name from a large pool at Meer in Staffordshire; Camden says, such large pools were called Tearns. It runs two miles by the name of Tern Black Brook. At Willow Bridge it takes the name of Tern, and from this place to Drayton, divides the counties of Salop and Stafford; it turns Winnington forge, Bearston corn-mill, Norton forge, Oakley corn-mills, Davison's mill, near Betton; another at Turnstal, below Shepherd's Bridge, which is of stone, for the passage of horses; it drives Hinsley mill, where being joined by a rivulet called Colebrook, it runs by the side of Drayton, and has there a wooden cart bridge over it, and a little horse bridge of stone, at a place called the Walk-mill, because there formerly was one. Next it turns a paper-mill newly erected, then a corn-mill at Buntingsdale, having first passed under a cart bridge. A little below Ternhill, it crosses the road from Whitchurch to London, where there is a stone bridge for horses over it, called Tern Bridge. A quarter of a mile lower it turns Tern new mill, and having received a rivulet, called Passage Water, drives a mill a Wollerton, another at Stoke, where it runs under a wooden bridge for carts; after this it turns a corn-mill at Peplow, a forge at Eaton, and then being joined by the river Tees, it enters South Bradford. The upper part of this river is famous for trout, and the lower for pike, and roach; it does also afford perch, carp, eels, dace, gudgeons, &c.
RODON or Rodan is formed by the confluence of three brooks, which in very dry summers loose their currents. The first of these rises from Whixall Moss, and passes under a stone bridge at Newtown, and another at Wolverley. The second comes from Bettisfield Heath, in Flintshire; and runs under a wooden bridge at Black Water Ford. The third proceeds from the White Meer in the township of Lee, near Ellesmere, turns the little mill in the township of Crowsmere, and another mill at Lineal. All the three rivulets meet in Wolverley meadows, and running thence pass under Penceford wooden bridge near Loppington, receives Sleap brook near Tilley, and passing under the stone bridge turn the corn-mills at Wem. Here they become a river, and take the name of Rodon, which at Aston has a long wooden foot-bridge over it. In 1740 the ford here was dry from the beginning of June to the 26th of July. Below Aston, being augmented with Soulton brook, it passes under a stone bridge for carts, consisting of two arches at Thistle ford, and another of three arches at Lee Brockhurst, next it visits the paper-mills now in ruins, near Besford drives a corn-mill at Harcot, another at Stanton, a forge at Sowbatch, and a corn-mill at Shawbury, where there is a long wooden bridge for horses over it; then it enters South Bradford, and at Walcot runs into Tern. little river is most remarkable for its excellent pikes; but it yields several other sorts of fish, as perch, dace, eels, graylings, bottlelings, chubs, gudgeons, and at, and below the paper-mill, roach.
The most remarkable pools are those of Moston, Osmere, and Blackmere.
There is a salt spring at Smithmore, in the lordship of Longford, but no wiches in this part of the hundred, which is supplied with salt from Cheshire.
At Moreton Sea is a mineral water which proveth purgative to those who drink it, and at Lee Brockhurst a cold bath neatly cut in a rock.
What the bowels of the earth may contain is not fully known; but as yet no mines of gold, silver, tin, or lead have been discovered. Iron-stone is found, but not in such quantity, or not in that perfection as to encourage any iron-work. H. Tenison, Esq. got copper ore in his estate about Red Castle, but it lay so deep that it turned to little account. The Rev. Mr. Snelson expected to find this hidden treasure at Weston, but had his labour for his pains, and his expenee for his trouble.
North Bradford yields no mill-stones, no lime stone for mortar, and fertilizing land, no marble for building; but there are quarries of free-stone at Hattonhind Heath, Moston Heath, Little Drayton Heath, and Ireland's Cross, near Gravenhunger.
Little search has been made for pit-coal, till of late when Mr. Camberbach in vain sought for it in the township of Ightfield.
The most profitable subterranean earths are clay for making bricks, marle for the improving of lands, and peat or turf for tiring.
The most remarkable hills are those of Lee Brockhurst Weston, Red Castle, and High Hawkestone. Lee and Weston hills, separated only by a deep and narrow road called Hallow-way are about a mile in length.
The pastures and meadows generally produce good grass and hay, and thereby maintain great dairies, which supply the markets with plenty of butter, and the factors with vast quantities of cheeses in goodness not much inferior to those of Cheshire.
Nor is the arable land less fruitful and productive of grain, such as wheat, rye, barley, peas, beans, and oats. Its roots, turnips, carrots, &c. are equal to what grow in other parts, but its potatoes the best in England; they afford a strong and whole some nourishment, and in times of dearth supply the want of bread, the poor making them their principal food.
Wood is no where very scarce, but in some place. plentiful, being chiefly used for fuel in country houses during the summer season.
Timber for building is not yet wanting, but it grows dearer, and in some ages will fetch double the present rates since the trees planted bear no proportion with those that are felled. In the parish of Wem there were formerly several large woods, of which little now remains but their names. Shawbury signifies a wood town, or a town surrounded with woods, the greatest part of which are felled for timber, and to supply the neighbouring forges with charcoal. Near Weston there are several coppices. Morden's map represents the allotment of Cheswardine as overgrown with trees, but time has cleared it, and left only some relicks of Cheswardine Wood.
The horses in this division are fit for the saddle, the plough, arid other country business, but are not large enough for the coach.
The horn cattle are of a middle size somewhat less than the Lancashire, but much larger than the welch breed. The finest in this part of the hundred are bred about Shawbury.
The parish of Stoke is most remarkable for sheep, whether we consider their number, or the fineness of their fleeces,
Shropshire hogs are reckoned the best in England, and those of North Bradford as good as any in the county; they are large, broad set, and weighty, which may be owing to their being fed with peas.
Page created 7 September 2003 and last updated 22 June 2007
