Church Stretton
Church Stretton is a market town in Shropshire, England, 13 miles (21 kilometres) south of Shrewsbury as well as 15 miles (24 km) north of Ludlow. The population in 2011 was 4,671. The community was nicknamed Little Switzerland in the late Victorian and also Edwardian period for its landscape, and also came to be a health spa. The regional geology includes a few of the oldest rocks in England and also a significant fault is named 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 (understood locally as the 'Pop Works'), has been operating since 1883; considering that 2004 it has actually offered Princes with mineral water. It is a noteworthy regional employer as is the polymer laboratories off Essex Road, currently possessed by Agilent Technologies (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 companies, a lot of which are in the motoring trade, including an independent petrol/diesel loading station. The town take advantage of tourism, which is a development sector in the area, along with bring in local profession. A current survey showed that the community has some 50 retail electrical outlets, 44 of which are individually owned, with a diverse variety of shop kinds. [48] These consist of 2 butchers, numerous exterior activities shops, a baker, a deli, several clothing and also shoe shops, three financial institutions, and also 2 supermarkets (Co-op as well as Spar). There is a huge vintages market, positioned in a previous malthouse on the edge of Sandford Avenue and also Easthope Road. There are four bars, an in addition to a variety of cafes and also tiny dining establishments. In June 2011 the community was formally declared to be a "Fairtrade Town" with 34 companies offering fair trade items. There is a tiny art gallery in the former hotel on the corner of Shrewsbury Road and also Sandford Avenue. The town also has a number of expert services, such as lawyers, accounting professionals and also estate agents, validating its standing as a local centre of company. The town continues to gain from its reputation as a health club town, and also a preferable place to live, specifically in retirement. Home prices are above the region average and have actually seen similar increases in current times to other health facility communities in the UK.
