Church Stretton is a market town in Shropshire, England, 13 miles (21 kilometres) south of Shrewsbury as well as 15 miles (24 kilometres) north of Ludlow. The population in 2011 was 4,671. The town was nicknamed Little Switzerland in the late Victorian as well as Edwardian duration for its landscape, and came to be a health spa. The local geology includes a few of the oldest rocks in England as well as a remarkable mistake is named after the community. Today, Church Stretton is a busy market community in the Shropshire Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The mineral water removal as well as bottling plant on Shrewsbury Road (known in your area as the 'Pop Works'), has actually been running considering that 1883; given that 2004 it has offered Princes with mineral water. It is a significant neighborhood company as is the polymer research laboratories off Essex Road, currently owned by Agilent Technologies (up until 2009 by Varian). There is a marked light industrial park between the A49 and also the train line, called Crossways, with a number of companies, much of which remain in the motoring profession, including an independent petrol/diesel loading station. The community take advantage of tourism, which is a growth sector in the location, as well as drawing in regional trade. A recent survey showed that the community has some 50 retail outlets, 44 of which are independently owned, with a varied variety of shop kinds. [48] These consist of 2 butchers, a number of exterior activities stores, a baker, a delicatessen, several clothes as well as shoe stores, 3 banks, and also 2 grocery stores (Co-op and Spar). There is a huge antiques market, positioned in a previous malthouse on the edge of Sandford Avenue and Easthope Road. There are four pubs, an along with a variety of coffee shops and small dining establishments. In June 2011 the town was officially proclaimed to be a "Fairtrade Town" with 34 businesses marketing fair trade products. There is a little art gallery in the previous resort on the edge of Shrewsbury Road and Sandford Avenue. The town also has a variety of specialist services, such as solicitors, accountants and also estate representatives, validating its condition as a regional centre of business. The community continues to take advantage of its online reputation as a health facility community, and also a preferable place to live, especially in retirement. Home rates are above the region standard and also have actually seen comparable increases in recent times to various other medspa towns in the UK.