Church Stretton is a market community in Shropshire, England, 13 miles (21 km) south of Shrewsbury and 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 duration for its landscape, and became a health resort. The neighborhood geology consists of a few of the oldest rocks in England and also a noteworthy 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 as well as bottling plant on Shrewsbury Road (known in your area as the 'Pop Works'), has been operating because 1883; considering that 2004 it has actually supplied Princes with mineral water. It is a remarkable local company as is the polymer research laboratories off Essex Roadway, currently possessed by Agilent Technologies (till 2009 by Varian). There is an assigned light industrial area between the A49 and also the train line, known as Crossways, with a variety of businesses, a lot of which remain in the car trade, including an independent petrol/diesel loading terminal. The town benefits from tourism, which is a growth market in the location, in addition to bring in neighborhood profession. A current study revealed that the community has some 50 retail electrical outlets, 44 of which are separately possessed, with a diverse series of store kinds. [48] These include 2 butchers, numerous outside tasks stores, a baker, a deli, a number of clothes as well as shoe stores, 3 financial institutions, and two grocery stores (Co-op and Spar). There is a huge antiques market, positioned in a previous malthouse on the edge of Sandford Avenue as well as Easthope Road. There are four bars, an in addition to a variety of coffee shops and little restaurants. In June 2011 the community was formally stated to be a "Fairtrade Town" with 34 companies selling fair trade items. There is a tiny art gallery in the former resort on the corner of Shrewsbury Road and also Sandford Avenue. The town also has a number of specialist services, such as solicitors, accounting professionals as well as estate agents, validating its status as a neighborhood centre of service. The town continues to gain from its track record as a health facility community, and a preferable location to live, specifically in retired life. Residence costs are above the county standard and also have actually seen similar increases in recent times to other health spa towns in the UK.