Church Stretton is a market town in Shropshire, England, 13 miles (21 km) 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 ended up being a health resort. The regional geology includes several of the earliest rocks in England as well as a significant mistake is called after the town. Today, Church Stretton is a hectic market town in the Shropshire Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The mineral water extraction and also bottling plant on Shrewsbury Road (understood locally as the 'Pop Works'), has actually been operating since 1883; given that 2004 it has actually supplied Princes with mineral water. It is a noteworthy local employer as is the polymer labs off Essex Road, currently owned by Agilent Technologies (till 2009 by Varian). There is a designated light industrial area in between the A49 as well as the train line, known as Crossways, with a number of companies, a lot of which remain in the motoring trade, including an independent petrol/diesel loading station. The town benefits from tourism, which is a development industry in the location, as well as attracting regional trade. A current study showed that the town has some 50 retail electrical outlets, 44 of which are independently had, with a varied variety of shop types. [48] These consist of two butchers, several exterior tasks stores, a baker, a delicatessen, numerous clothes and also shoe shops, three financial institutions, and two supermarkets (Co-op and also Spar). There is a huge vintages market, located in a previous malthouse on the edge of Sandford Avenue and also Easthope Road. There are 4 bars, an as well as a number of cafes and little restaurants. In June 2011 the town was officially proclaimed to be a "Fairtrade Town" with 34 services selling fair trade items. There is a tiny art gallery in the previous hotel on the edge of Shrewsbury Road and also Sandford Avenue. The town likewise has a number of professional solutions, such as solicitors, accounting professionals as well as estate representatives, confirming its status as a local centre of service. The community remains to take advantage of its credibility as a day spa community, as well as a preferable place to live, specifically in retirement. House costs are above the region average and have seen comparable rises in current times to other health spa towns in the UK.