Albrighton, Bridgnorth
Encyclopedia
Albrighton is a large village (population 4,157 in the 2001 census) and civil parish in Shropshire
, England
. It is located to the northwest of Wolverhampton
and is best described as a dormitory village for the city. It is 11.3 miles from Bridgnorth
and used to be within the now defunct Bridgnorth district
; it is now part of the Shropshire Council
unitary authority
.
The village has a railway station
, which is on the Shrewsbury to Wolverhampton Line. Very close by is RAF Cosford
and the M54 motorway
. The village is the most easterly settlement in Shropshire. Immediately to the north is the hamlet and parish of Donington
.
in 1303, which was renewed in 1662 for rather unusual reasons. The charter declared that "because Albrighton (then) adjoined Staffordshire
on the east, south and west sides, felons and other malefactors fled Staffordshire to escape prosecution because there was no resident justice of the peace in that part of Shropshire".
The parish church, dedicated to Mary Magdalene
was completed in around 1181, and some rebuilding work was done in 1853. It is built of red sandstone
in the Norman
style. The church contains an Alabaster monument to Sir Craig Wilson, as well as the Albrighton Mace
donated to the village in 1663, by Lady Mary Talbot. The east window of the church dates from the 14th century.
The High Street, which is its most attractive part, has not been altered too much over the years. The half timbered inns, Georgian facades and lime trees still make the street picturesque. Bad planning in the 1960s did however replace Ashfield House and Wolverley House with unattractive dwellings that today would not even be allowed in areas away from the village centre. Some sources say the lime trees were planted in the 10th century by a Dr Bidwell, others say a former Earl of Shrewsbury was responsible. In all probability both of them planted trees and so may many other people if a tree was damaged or failed. The diary of John Howell, tenant farmer of Beamish and House Farm gives the year of planting as 1832.
For most of the 14th century and into the 15th the manor of Albrighton, together with Ryton
, was held by the Carles, Careles or Careless family. The Carles were connected by marriage to the Lestranges (Lords Strange of Blackmere) and the Talbots. Albrighton left the control of this family with the marriage of an heiress to a member of the Corbet family in the reign of Henry VI.
The Earl of Shrewsbury is the premier Earl of England and until 1918, the biggest land owner in Albrighton. They were originally the Talbot family, many of whom are buried in Albrighton Church.
Early in the 17th century, Albrighton was noted for making buttons and then in the 18th century clock making flourished. By 1880 it was bricks, but by and large, agriculture was the main industry before the building of the railways.
Albrighton was granted Borough status in 1303 on account of its remoteness from Shrewsbury. That was renewed in 1662 but it seemed to lapse again by the 19th century. A Mace confirming its borough status was discovered for auction at Sotheby’s and this was purchased for £359 in 1948. The money was raised by local subscription under the guidance and perseverance of the Rev E E Wright. The Borough status meant that there was a Justice of the Peace who could order the arrest of criminals. A small jail and stocks stood somewhere near to the Crown, whilst a room above it was used for various village meetings and transactions. There was also a Toll House nearby. The Rev Wright thought it more likely to be on the area of the village green but none of the early tithe maps show these buildings.
The village green was much more important in the first half of this century. At the time of the First World War there were swings on it, political meetings were held there, an evangelist lady spent three days a year in a caravan giving out leaflets and talking to people, also the band gave concerts there.
The population of Albrighton in 1800 was 900. In 1900 it was 1200 and was still on 1230 by 1931. Today it is over 4000.
Gas came to Albrighton in 1868 and the Gasometer was at the side of the railway goods yard. The Cosford Waterworks were established in 1857 and water was first supplied to the village in 1895. Electricity came in 1919 initially on overhead poles and later, during the 1950s, the cables were put underground.
Whilst writing the book 'The Old Curiosity Shop', it is rumoured that Charles Dickens wrote about Tong Church whilst staying at the Public House now known as The Harp
In October 1992 Anneka Rice and the Challenge Anneka series came to Albrighton and created a fishing pool for disabled people.
s, including:
and various social clubs including
Shropshire
Shropshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. It borders Wales to the west...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It is located to the northwest of Wolverhampton
Wolverhampton
Wolverhampton is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands, England. For Eurostat purposes Walsall and Wolverhampton is a NUTS 3 region and is one of five boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "West Midlands" NUTS 2 region...
and is best described as a dormitory village for the city. It is 11.3 miles from Bridgnorth
Bridgnorth
Bridgnorth is a town in Shropshire, England, along the Severn Valley. It is split into Low Town and High Town, named on account of their elevations relative to the River Severn, which separates the upper town on the right bank from the lower on the left...
and used to be within the now defunct Bridgnorth district
Bridgnorth (district)
Bridgnorth District was, between 1974 and 2009, a local government district in Shropshire, England. Its main town was Bridgnorth and other towns in its area were Much Wenlock, Shifnal and Broseley. The villages of Albrighton and Sheriffhales as well as RAF Cosford were also in the district.The...
; it is now part of the Shropshire Council
Shropshire Council
Shropshire Council is a unitary authority in Shropshire, United Kingdom.It replaced the former two-tier local government structure in the non-metropolitan county of Shropshire on 1 April 2009, which involved its immediate predecessor, Shropshire County Council, and five non-metropolitan districts -...
unitary authority
Unitary authority
A unitary authority is a type of local authority that has a single tier and is responsible for all local government functions within its area or performs additional functions which elsewhere in the relevant country are usually performed by national government or a higher level of sub-national...
.
The village has a railway station
Albrighton railway station
Albrighton railway station, on the Wolverhampton to Shrewsbury Line, serves the large village of Albrighton in Shropshire, England. The former up goods yard is now occupied by a small estate of low rise offices.-History:...
, which is on the Shrewsbury to Wolverhampton Line. Very close by is RAF Cosford
RAF Cosford
RAF Cosford is a Royal Air Force station in Cosford, Shropshire, just to the northwest of Wolverhampton and next to Albrighton.-History:...
and the M54 motorway
M54 motorway
The M54 is a 23 mile east-west motorway in the English counties of Shropshire and Staffordshire. It is also referred to as the Telford Motorway, after the road's primary westbound destination, the new town of Telford...
. The village is the most easterly settlement in Shropshire. Immediately to the north is the hamlet and parish of Donington
Donington, Shropshire
Donington is a hamlet and civil parish in Shropshire, England.The hamlet is situated on the northern outskirts of the large village of Albrighton....
.
History
Mentioned in the Domesday book as Albricston or the home/farm of Albric, it received its charterCharter
A charter is the grant of authority or rights, stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified...
in 1303, which was renewed in 1662 for rather unusual reasons. The charter declared that "because Albrighton (then) adjoined Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
on the east, south and west sides, felons and other malefactors fled Staffordshire to escape prosecution because there was no resident justice of the peace in that part of Shropshire".
The parish church, dedicated to Mary Magdalene
Mary Magdalene
Mary Magdalene was one of Jesus' most celebrated disciples, and the most important woman disciple in the movement of Jesus. Jesus cleansed her of "seven demons", conventionally interpreted as referring to complex illnesses...
was completed in around 1181, and some rebuilding work was done in 1853. It is built of red sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
in the Norman
Norman architecture
About|Romanesque architecture, primarily English|other buildings in Normandy|Architecture of Normandy.File:Durham Cathedral. Nave by James Valentine c.1890.jpg|thumb|200px|The nave of Durham Cathedral demonstrates the characteristic round arched style, though use of shallow pointed arches above the...
style. The church contains an Alabaster monument to Sir Craig Wilson, as well as the Albrighton Mace
Ceremonial mace
The ceremonial mace is a highly ornamented staff of metal or wood, carried before a sovereign or other high official in civic ceremonies by a mace-bearer, intended to represent the official's authority. The mace, as used today, derives from the original mace used as a weapon...
donated to the village in 1663, by Lady Mary Talbot. The east window of the church dates from the 14th century.
The High Street, which is its most attractive part, has not been altered too much over the years. The half timbered inns, Georgian facades and lime trees still make the street picturesque. Bad planning in the 1960s did however replace Ashfield House and Wolverley House with unattractive dwellings that today would not even be allowed in areas away from the village centre. Some sources say the lime trees were planted in the 10th century by a Dr Bidwell, others say a former Earl of Shrewsbury was responsible. In all probability both of them planted trees and so may many other people if a tree was damaged or failed. The diary of John Howell, tenant farmer of Beamish and House Farm gives the year of planting as 1832.
For most of the 14th century and into the 15th the manor of Albrighton, together with Ryton
Ryton, Shropshire
Ryton is a village and civil parish in Shropshire, England. It lies about one mile north north west of Beckbury.In 1643 John Craven was created Baron Craven of Ryton, named after this village, but the title died out with his death in 1648....
, was held by the Carles, Careles or Careless family. The Carles were connected by marriage to the Lestranges (Lords Strange of Blackmere) and the Talbots. Albrighton left the control of this family with the marriage of an heiress to a member of the Corbet family in the reign of Henry VI.
The Earl of Shrewsbury is the premier Earl of England and until 1918, the biggest land owner in Albrighton. They were originally the Talbot family, many of whom are buried in Albrighton Church.
Early in the 17th century, Albrighton was noted for making buttons and then in the 18th century clock making flourished. By 1880 it was bricks, but by and large, agriculture was the main industry before the building of the railways.
Albrighton was granted Borough status in 1303 on account of its remoteness from Shrewsbury. That was renewed in 1662 but it seemed to lapse again by the 19th century. A Mace confirming its borough status was discovered for auction at Sotheby’s and this was purchased for £359 in 1948. The money was raised by local subscription under the guidance and perseverance of the Rev E E Wright. The Borough status meant that there was a Justice of the Peace who could order the arrest of criminals. A small jail and stocks stood somewhere near to the Crown, whilst a room above it was used for various village meetings and transactions. There was also a Toll House nearby. The Rev Wright thought it more likely to be on the area of the village green but none of the early tithe maps show these buildings.
The village green was much more important in the first half of this century. At the time of the First World War there were swings on it, political meetings were held there, an evangelist lady spent three days a year in a caravan giving out leaflets and talking to people, also the band gave concerts there.
The population of Albrighton in 1800 was 900. In 1900 it was 1200 and was still on 1230 by 1931. Today it is over 4000.
Gas came to Albrighton in 1868 and the Gasometer was at the side of the railway goods yard. The Cosford Waterworks were established in 1857 and water was first supplied to the village in 1895. Electricity came in 1919 initially on overhead poles and later, during the 1950s, the cables were put underground.
Trivia
In the summer of 2006, Albrighton hit the headlines when a storm broke out and parts of the village was flooded badly.Whilst writing the book 'The Old Curiosity Shop', it is rumoured that Charles Dickens wrote about Tong Church whilst staying at the Public House now known as The Harp
In October 1992 Anneka Rice and the Challenge Anneka series came to Albrighton and created a fishing pool for disabled people.
Education
- Albrighton and Donington Nursery,
- St Mary's Church of England Primary School, (Web site:) http://www.st-mary-albrighton.shropshire.sch.uk
- Albrighton Primary School (Formally Albrighton Infant and Junior School)
- Birchfield School
- St Mary's Nursery Group, (Web site:) http://www.stmarysnurserygroup.co.uk
Amenities
The village also has several pubPublic house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
s, including:
- The Crown, Albrighton *The Old Bush, Albrighton
- The Shrewsbury Arms (Undergoing extensive modernisation to provide pub and dining facilities). Full planning permission for refurbishment to pub and restaurant has been obtained (April 2010). Current estimated re-opening date is Spring 2011*The Crown
- The Harp (this pub provides free live jazz music on Tuesday evenings and Sunday lunchtimes, and the famous gig night for budding rock musicians on Monday evenings. The musical standards are second to none, current musicians have played in Liverpools Cavern Club.
and various social clubs including
- Albrighton Sports and Social Club
- Albrighton Royal British Legion