Church Stretton is a market community 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 as well as Edwardian duration for its landscape, as well as came to be a health resort. The local geology includes several of the oldest rocks in England as well as a remarkable fault is named after the town. Today, Church Stretton is an active market community in the Shropshire Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The mineral water extraction and bottling plant on Shrewsbury Road (understood in your area as the 'Pop Works'), has been operating given that 1883; given that 2004 it has actually offered Princes with mineral water. It is a remarkable neighborhood employer as is the polymer research laboratories off Essex Roadway, currently owned by Agilent Technologies (up until 2009 by Varian). There is a marked light industrial park in between the A49 and also the railway line, known as Crossways, with a number of organisations, much of which remain in the motoring trade, including an independent petrol/diesel filling station. The community gain from tourism, which is a growth industry in the location, as well as bring in regional profession. A recent study showed that the town has some 50 retail electrical outlets, 44 of which are independently possessed, with a varied series of store kinds. [48] These include two butchers, several outdoor tasks stores, a baker, a delicatessen, numerous garments and shoe shops, three banks, and also 2 grocery stores (Co-op as well as Spar). There is a big antiques market, positioned in a previous malthouse on the corner of Sandford Avenue and Easthope Road. There are 4 pubs, an as well as a variety of cafes as well as tiny restaurants. In June 2011 the community was officially stated to be a "Fairtrade Town" with 34 companies offering fair trade products. There is a small art gallery in the former hotel on the corner of Shrewsbury Road and also Sandford Avenue. The town also has a number of professional services, such as lawyers, accountants and also estate agents, verifying its condition as a regional centre of company. The community remains to gain from its online reputation as a health facility town, and also a preferable area to live, particularly in retired life. Home rates are above the county standard as well as have seen comparable boosts in recent times to various other day spa communities in the UK.