All Stretton
Encyclopedia
All Stretton is a village
and civil parish in Shropshire
, England.
of Church Stretton, on the old Shrewsbury
Road (the B5477) - the county town
is 12 miles to the north. Similarly, the small village of Little Stretton
lies to the south of Church Stretton on the same road. The village lies between 177 and 183 metres above sea level at the northern end of the Stretton Gap. The source of the Cound Brook
, that runs 25 miles across the southern Shropshire-Severn
plains, is located to the south of All Stretton and the stream runs through the village, where the stream from The Batch valley flows into it. To the west of All Stretton is the Long Mynd
, and to the east is Caer Caradoc.
The village does not lie in the parish of All Stretton, which is to its north, but in the civil parish of Church Stretton
, which has a town council, of which All Stretton forms a parish ward. This has come about as at some point in the 20th century the southern part of the original parish, including the village, was transferred to the Church Stretton parish. The remaining parish of All Stretton is geographically small and has no well-defined settlements, only dispersed farms and houses, including Womerton and High Park. Prior to the creation of a unitary
Shropshire Council
in 2009, the village and the parish lay in different districts (South Shropshire
and Shrewsbury and Atcham
). Even under the new arrangements the village is in the electoral division
of Church Stretton and Craven Arms, whilst the parish is in the division of Burnell. The village lies in the constituency of Ludlow
, whilst the parish lies in Shrewsbury and Atcham
.
To the east is the Welsh Marches Line
railway and the major A49 road
. Regional Cycle Route 32/33 passes through the village, on its way from Longnor
to Church Stretton.
. The former Stretton Hall Hotel, located in the centre of the village opposite the Yew Tree Inn, underwent redevelopment into a nursing home
in 2008/9; before this it had held a pub licence since 1976. There was once another pub in the village - the "White Horse" - but this is now a house (though a small pub sign still hangs). The village hall
is used for a wide variety of local events including amateur theatre
productions by the All Stretton Amateur Dramatics Society and cinema sittings with ‘Flicks in the Sticks’. It also hosts the Women's Institutes meetings.
There is a small church in the village, built in 1902 - "St Michael and All Angels". The church is located at the very northern end of the village.
The village has an entrance to The Batch valley, which leads on to the Long Mynd and adjoins the head of Carding Mill Valley. A YHA
bunkhouse
, which provides accommodation for up to 12 people, is located in The Batch valley. From The Batch valley the Church Stretton Golf Club's golf course
, which is situated at around 350m (1,148 ft), can be accessed by foot.
The village also boasts a traditional red telephone box
, which sits at the bottom of Castle Hill and is still functioning. The village for a long time had a post office
but this closed in 2008. As of 2010, there are approximately 150 dwellings in the village.
. He was shown both Church Stretton and Little Stretton and declared "They're All Strettons around here!" . A history group in All Stretton published a history of the village in 2006.
All Stretton once had its own railway halt: All Stretton Halt railway station
.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
and civil parish in Shropshire
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.
Geography
All Stretton lies about a mile to the north of the market townMarket town
Market town or market right is a legal term, originating in the medieval period, for a European settlement that has the right to host markets, distinguishing it from a village and city...
of Church Stretton, on the old Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury is the county town of Shropshire, in the West Midlands region of England. Lying on the River Severn, it is a civil parish home to some 70,000 inhabitants, and is the primary settlement and headquarters of Shropshire Council...
Road (the B5477) - the county town
County town
A county town is a county's administrative centre in the United Kingdom or Ireland. County towns are usually the location of administrative or judicial functions, or established over time as the de facto main town of a county. The concept of a county town eventually became detached from its...
is 12 miles to the north. Similarly, the small village of Little Stretton
Little Stretton, Shropshire
Little Stretton is a village in Shropshire, England.It lies on the B5477 to the south of the town of Church Stretton ; similarly, the small village of All Stretton lies to the north of Church Stretton on the same road...
lies to the south of Church Stretton on the same road. The village lies between 177 and 183 metres above sea level at the northern end of the Stretton Gap. The source of the Cound Brook
Cound Brook
Cound Brook is a tributary of the River Severn in Shropshire, England, running to south of the county town Shrewsbury. The Cound Brook rises in the Stretton Hills and discharges into the River Severn at Eyton on Severn after winding its way for across the southern Shropshire-Severn plains.The flow...
, that runs 25 miles across the southern Shropshire-Severn
River Severn
The River Severn is the longest river in Great Britain, at about , but the second longest on the British Isles, behind the River Shannon. It rises at an altitude of on Plynlimon, Ceredigion near Llanidloes, Powys, in the Cambrian Mountains of mid Wales...
plains, is located to the south of All Stretton and the stream runs through the village, where the stream from The Batch valley flows into it. To the west of All Stretton is the Long Mynd
Long Mynd
The Long Mynd in Shropshire, England, is a part of the Shropshire Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It is south of the county town Shrewsbury, and has an area of over 22 square kilometres , most of which takes the form of a heathland plateau. Most of the land on the Long Mynd is owned by...
, and to the east is Caer Caradoc.
The village does not lie in the parish of All Stretton, which is to its north, but in the civil parish of Church Stretton
Church Stretton
Church Stretton is a small town and civil parish in Shropshire, England. The population of the town was recorded as 2,789 in 2001, whilst the population of the wider parish was recorded as 4,186...
, which has a town council, of which All Stretton forms a parish ward. This has come about as at some point in the 20th century the southern part of the original parish, including the village, was transferred to the Church Stretton parish. The remaining parish of All Stretton is geographically small and has no well-defined settlements, only dispersed farms and houses, including Womerton and High Park. Prior to the creation of a unitary
Unitary authorities of England
Unitary authorities of England are areas where a single local authority is responsible for a variety of services for a district that elsewhere are administered separately by two councils...
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 -...
in 2009, the village and the parish lay in different districts (South Shropshire
South Shropshire
South Shropshire was, between 1974 and 2009, a local government district in south west Shropshire, England.South Shropshire was the most rural district of one of the UK's most rural counties, the population of the district was 40,410 in 2001 spread out over 1,027 km² of forest, mountains,...
and Shrewsbury and Atcham
Shrewsbury and Atcham
Shrewsbury and Atcham was, between 1974 and 2009, a local government district with borough status in Shropshire, England.Shrewsbury was the only town in the borough; Atcham, although itself only a village, was included in the name as a reflection of the incorporation into the borough of the former...
). Even under the new arrangements the village is in the electoral division
Wards of the United Kingdom
A ward in the United Kingdom is an electoral district at sub-national level represented by one or more councillors. It is the primary unit of British administrative and electoral geography .-England:...
of Church Stretton and Craven Arms, whilst the parish is in the division of Burnell. The village lies in the constituency of Ludlow
Ludlow (UK Parliament constituency)
Ludlow is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....
, whilst the parish lies in Shrewsbury and Atcham
Shrewsbury and Atcham (UK Parliament constituency)
Shrewsbury and Atcham is a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....
.
To the east is the Welsh Marches Line
Welsh Marches Line
The Welsh Marches Line , known historically as the North and West Route, is the railway line running from Newport in south-east Wales to Shrewsbury in the West Midlands region of England by way of Abergavenny, Hereford and Craven Arms, and thence to Crewe via Whitchurch...
railway and the major A49 road
A49 road
The A49 is a major road in western England, which traverses the Welsh Marches region. It runs north from Ross-on-Wye in Herefordshire via Hereford, Leominster, Ludlow, Shrewsbury and Whitchurch, then continues through central Cheshire to Warrington and Wigan before terminating at its junction with...
. Regional Cycle Route 32/33 passes through the village, on its way from Longnor
Longnor, Shropshire
Longnor is a village and civil parish in the English county of Shropshire.It is located just off the A49 south of Dorrington and north of Leebotwood...
to Church Stretton.
Facilities
All Stretton is the home to the Yew Tree Inn public housePublic 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...
. The former Stretton Hall Hotel, located in the centre of the village opposite the Yew Tree Inn, underwent redevelopment into a nursing home
Nursing home
A nursing home, convalescent home, skilled nursing unit , care home, rest home, or old people's home provides a type of care of residents: it is a place of residence for people who require constant nursing care and have significant deficiencies with activities of daily living...
in 2008/9; before this it had held a pub licence since 1976. There was once another pub in the village - the "White Horse" - but this is now a house (though a small pub sign still hangs). The village hall
Village hall
In the United States, a village hall is the seat of government for villages. It functions much as a city hall does within cities.In the United Kingdom, a village hall is usually a building within a village which contains at least one large room, usually owned by and run for the benefit of the local...
is used for a wide variety of local events including amateur theatre
Amateur theatre
Amateur theatre is theatre performed by amateur actors. These actors are not typically members of Actors' Equity groups or Actors' Unions as these organizations exist to protect the professional industry and therefore discourage their members from appearing with companies which are not a signatory...
productions by the All Stretton Amateur Dramatics Society and cinema sittings with ‘Flicks in the Sticks’. It also hosts the Women's Institutes meetings.
There is a small church in the village, built in 1902 - "St Michael and All Angels". The church is located at the very northern end of the village.
The village has an entrance to The Batch valley, which leads on to the Long Mynd and adjoins the head of Carding Mill Valley. A YHA
Youth Hostels Association (England & Wales)
The Youth Hostels Association is a charitable organisation, registered with the Charity Commission, providing youth hostel accommodation in England and Wales...
bunkhouse
Bunkhouse
A bunkhouse is a hostel or barracks-like building that historically was used to house working cowboys on ranches in North America. As most cowboys were young single men, the standard bunkhouse was a large open room with narrow beds or cots for each individual and little privacy...
, which provides accommodation for up to 12 people, is located in The Batch valley. From The Batch valley the Church Stretton Golf Club's golf course
Golf course
A golf course comprises a series of holes, each consisting of a teeing ground, fairway, rough and other hazards, and a green with a flagstick and cup, all designed for the game of golf. A standard round of golf consists of playing 18 holes, thus most golf courses have this number of holes...
, which is situated at around 350m (1,148 ft), can be accessed by foot.
The village also boasts a traditional red telephone box
Red telephone box
The red telephone box, a public telephone kiosk designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, is a familiar sight on the streets of the United Kingdom, Malta, Bermuda and Gibraltar, and despite a reduction in their numbers in recent years, red boxes can still be seen in many places and in current or former...
, which sits at the bottom of Castle Hill and is still functioning. The village for a long time had a post office
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
but this closed in 2008. As of 2010, there are approximately 150 dwellings in the village.
History
All Stretton supposedly takes its name from a comment made by King James I of EnglandJames I of England
James VI and I was King of Scots as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the English and Scottish crowns on 24 March 1603...
. He was shown both Church Stretton and Little Stretton and declared "They're All Strettons around here!" . A history group in All Stretton published a history of the village in 2006.
All Stretton once had its own railway halt: All Stretton Halt railway station
All Stretton Halt railway station
All Stretton Halt was a minor railway station on the Welsh Marches Line between Shrewsbury and Church Stretton in the English county of Shropshire.-History:...
.
External links
- All Stretton History Group http://www.allstrettonhistory.org.uk
- All Stretton YHA Bunkhouse http://www.yha.org.uk/find-accommodation/heart-of-england/hostels/all-stretton/local_info.aspx
- Church Stretton Area Website http://www.churchstretton.co.uk
- Photos of All Stretton and surrounding area on geograph