Coleham
Encyclopedia
Coleham is a district of the town of Shrewsbury
in Shropshire
, England
. It is located just south, over the River Severn
, from Shrewsbury town centre.
Coleham grew up as a village outside medieval Shrewsbury, with the nearest crossing over the Severn to the town being the Stone Bridge (now the English Bridge
). Shrewsbury Abbey
and its associated lands and buildings were nearby. The Rea Brook
separates Coleham from the other old suburb on this end of town - Abbey Foregate.
Coleham is centered on the Shrewsbury to Longden
road, which as it passes through Coleham itself is called "Longden Coleham". The Victorian suburb of Belle Vue
grew up south of Coleham and the wealthy suburb of Kingsland (which centres on Shrewsbury School
) grew up west of Coleham.
Today, Coleham is connected to the town centre by a pedestrian footbridge - the Greyfriars Bridge, though the nearest vehicular crossing remains the English Bridge. There are a number of shops and public house
s along Longden Coleham, as well as a primary school. The Coleham Pumping Station
is a visitor destination and is located on Longden Coleham.
Greyfriars Bridge in Coleham is the starting point for Regional Cycle Route 32/33 to Church Stretton
(and further on, Craven Arms
).
The area suffered badly from flooding in 2000, which entirely took hold of Longden Coleham and other low-lying streets in the area. Since then a number of measures have been taken to alleviate flooding problems in the Coleham and Abbey Foregate areas.
The Welsh Marches Line
(and Cambrian Line
) runs through the area, partially on a long brick viaduct which crosses over the Abbey Foregate road, between Severn Bridge Junction and Sutton Bridge Junction. There were once extensive engine sheds and other railway related activities in the area. There remains a permanent way
depot - Coleham Depot - and in 2008 a new inspection shed for the Class 97/3
locomotives was built.
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...
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
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 just south, over the River 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...
, from Shrewsbury town centre.
Coleham grew up as a village outside medieval Shrewsbury, with the nearest crossing over the Severn to the town being the Stone Bridge (now the English Bridge
English Bridge
The English Bridge is a masonry arch viaduct, crossing the River Severn in Shrewsbury, Shropshire. The present bridge is a 1926 rebuilding and widening of John Gwynn's design, completed in 1774. A bridge is known to have stood at this spot since at least Norman times. Historically, it was known as...
). Shrewsbury Abbey
Shrewsbury Abbey
The Abbey of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, commonly known as Shrewsbury Abbey, was a Benedictine monastery founded in 1083 by the Norman Earl of Shrewsbury, Roger de Montgomery, in Shrewsbury, the county town of Shropshire, England.-Background:...
and its associated lands and buildings were nearby. The Rea Brook
Rea Brook
The name Rea Brook can refer to either of two brooks in Shropshire, England.One of the brooks, which eventually becomes the River Rea, is in southern Shropshire. It is to the east of Brown Clee Hill....
separates Coleham from the other old suburb on this end of town - Abbey Foregate.
Coleham is centered on the Shrewsbury to Longden
Longden
Longden is a village and civil parish in Shropshire, England. It is located southwest of Shrewsbury. There is a public house and a post office/shop, along with a church, and a primary school. It also has a village hall with a recreational field, childrens play park and a private tennis club...
road, which as it passes through Coleham itself is called "Longden Coleham". The Victorian suburb of Belle Vue
Belle Vue, Shrewsbury
Belle Vue is a suburb of the town of Shrewsbury, Shropshire. It is located about a mile south of the town centre.Built up during the 19th and early 20th Centuries, it is now mainly residential. "Belle Vue Road" runs through the middle of the area, which has many public houses such as The Grove,...
grew up south of Coleham and the wealthy suburb of Kingsland (which centres on Shrewsbury School
Shrewsbury School
Shrewsbury School is a co-educational independent school for pupils aged 13 to 18, founded by Royal Charter in 1552. The present campus to which the school moved in 1882 is located on the banks of the River Severn in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England...
) grew up west of Coleham.
Today, Coleham is connected to the town centre by a pedestrian footbridge - the Greyfriars Bridge, though the nearest vehicular crossing remains the English Bridge. There are a number of shops and public house
Public 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 along Longden Coleham, as well as a primary school. The Coleham Pumping Station
Coleham Pumping Station
Coleham Pumping Station is a historical pumping station in Coleham, Shrewsbury, England.-History:The sewage pumping station was built at the end of the 19th century as part of a major upgrading of Shrewsbury's sewerage system...
is a visitor destination and is located on Longden Coleham.
Greyfriars Bridge in Coleham is the starting point for Regional Cycle Route 32/33 to 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...
(and further on, Craven Arms
Craven Arms
Craven Arms is a small town and civil parish in Shropshire, England, located on the A49 road and the Welsh Marches railway line, which connect it north and south to the larger towns of Shrewsbury and Ludlow respectively. The Heart of Wales railway line joins the Welsh Marches line at Craven Arms...
).
The area suffered badly from flooding in 2000, which entirely took hold of Longden Coleham and other low-lying streets in the area. Since then a number of measures have been taken to alleviate flooding problems in the Coleham and Abbey Foregate areas.
Railways
See also: Shrewsbury TMDWelsh 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...
(and Cambrian Line
Cambrian Line
The Cambrian Line is a railway from Shrewsbury to Welshpool, Aberystwyth and Pwllheli. The railway runs first through the central part of Wales and then along the coast of Cardigan Bay....
) runs through the area, partially on a long brick viaduct which crosses over the Abbey Foregate road, between Severn Bridge Junction and Sutton Bridge Junction. There were once extensive engine sheds and other railway related activities in the area. There remains a permanent way
Permanent way
The permanent way is the elements of railway lines: generally the pairs of rails typically laid on the sleepers embedded in ballast, intended to carry the ordinary trains of a railway...
depot - Coleham Depot - and in 2008 a new inspection shed for the Class 97/3
British Rail Class 97
British Rail reserved the TOPS Class 97 designation for departmental locomotives, which were used for special or engineering duties. They were therefore of several different classes, lumped together for numbering purposes. Some locomotives were converted from redundant engines, whilst others were...
locomotives was built.
See also
- CadfaelCadfaelBrother Cadfael is the fictional main character in a series of historical murder mysteries written between 1977 and 1994 by the linguist-scholar Edith Pargeter under the name "Ellis Peters". The character of Cadfael himself is a Welsh Benedictine monk living at Shrewsbury Abbey, in western England,...
- Railways of ShropshireRailways of ShropshireThe English county of Shropshire has a fairly large railway network, with 19 National Rail stations on various national lines, as well as a small number of heritage and freight lines, including the famous heritage Severn Valley Railway running along its eastern border with Worcestershire.The...