Church Stretton is a market town in Shropshire, England, 13 miles (21 kilometres) south of Shrewsbury and also 15 miles (24 kilometres) north of Ludlow. The population in 2011 was 4,671. The community was nicknamed Little Switzerland in the late Victorian and Edwardian period for its landscape, as well as ended up being a health spa. The local geology consists of some of the oldest rocks in England as well as a remarkable mistake is called after the community. Today, Church Stretton is a hectic market town in the Shropshire Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The mineral water removal and bottling plant on Shrewsbury Road (known locally as the 'Pop Works'), has actually been running given that 1883; given that 2004 it has actually supplied Princes with mineral water. It is a noteworthy neighborhood employer as is the polymer research laboratories off Essex Roadway, currently had by Agilent Technologies (up until 2009 by Varian). There is a marked light industrial area between the A49 as well as the train line, known as Crossways, with a number of services, a number of which remain in the motoring profession, including an independent petrol/diesel filling station. The community gain from tourism, which is a growth industry in the location, along with bring in neighborhood trade. A current study showed that the community has some 50 retail electrical outlets, 44 of which are independently owned, with a varied variety of store types. [48] These include two butchers, several outside tasks stores, a baker, a delicatessen, numerous garments and footwear stores, 3 banks, as well as two grocery stores (Co-op and Spar). There is a big vintages market, positioned in a former malthouse on the corner of Sandford Avenue and also Easthope Road. There are four clubs, an in addition to a variety of coffee shops and tiny restaurants. In June 2011 the community was formally proclaimed to be a "Fairtrade Town" with 34 businesses selling fair trade items. There is a small art gallery in the previous hotel on the edge of Shrewsbury Road and Sandford Avenue. The community likewise has a variety of professional services, such as lawyers, accountants and estate representatives, verifying its standing as a regional centre of business. The community remains to gain from its reputation as a health spa community, as well as a desirable location to live, especially in retired life. Home costs are above the region standard and have seen comparable boosts in current times to various other day spa communities in the UK.