Church Stretton is a market town in Shropshire, England, 13 miles (21 kilometres) south of Shrewsbury and also 15 miles (24 km) north of Ludlow. The population in 2011 was 4,671. The community was nicknamed Little Switzerland in the late Victorian as well as Edwardian period for its landscape, and ended up being a health spa. The regional geology includes several of the earliest rocks in England and also a notable fault 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 and bottling plant on Shrewsbury Road (known in your area as the 'Pop Works'), has actually been operating given that 1883; considering that 2004 it has actually provided Princes with mineral water. It is a notable regional company as is the polymer laboratories off Essex Road, presently possessed by Agilent Technologies (till 2009 by Varian). There is an assigned light industrial park in between the A49 and also the railway line, known as Crossways, with a variety of companies, most of which are in the car profession, including an independent petrol/diesel filling station. The town benefits from tourism, which is a growth market in the location, in addition to bring in local trade. A current study revealed that the community has some 50 retail outlets, 44 of which are independently owned, with a diverse variety of shop kinds. [48] These include 2 butchers, numerous outside activities shops, a baker, a deli, several clothes and shoe shops, three financial institutions, and two grocery stores (Co-op and also Spar). There is a huge antiques market, situated in a former malthouse on the edge of Sandford Avenue and Easthope Road. There are 4 bars, an as well as a variety of coffee shops as well as little dining establishments. In June 2011 the town was formally stated to be a "Fairtrade Town" with 34 companies marketing fair trade items. There is a small art gallery in the former resort on the corner of Shrewsbury Road as well as Sandford Avenue. The community additionally has a variety of specialist solutions, such as solicitors, accountants and also estate representatives, confirming its condition as a regional centre of organisation. The town remains to take advantage of its track record as a spa community, and a desirable area to live, specifically in retired life. House prices are above the area standard and also have actually seen similar rises in current times to various other health club towns in the UK.