Copthorne, Shropshire
Encyclopedia
Copthorne is a suburb
in the county town
of Shrewsbury
, Shropshire
, England
.
Surrounding Copthorne Road, the suburb is mainly residential and runs from the junction where Copthorne Bank meets New Street, in the north east near Frankwell
Island, to the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital
(previously known as Copthorne Hospital) and the suburb of Shelton
to the west and south-west, on the outskirts of town.
From Frankwell, New Street runs south-west for a short way, ending by the Boat House public house and Frankwell footbridge (leading to The Quarry
). The road (the A488
) continues up Porthill as Porthill Road, along the edge of the Shrewsbury School
grounds, and ends at the former A5 road
, the Shrewsbury bypass.
On the north side of the suburb, Copthorne Road leads from Frankwell Island, to the west up Copthorne Bank, along past Copthorne Barracks (headquarters of the British Army
's 5th Infantry Division, Shrewsbury Air Training Corps
and the Shropshire Army Cadet Force
and also ends up joining the old bypass at Shelton Road.
In the suburb are many residential streets, the Sandringham Court apartment development, several small shops and public houses, a tennis club, and two schools (Woodfield Infants School and St Georges Junior School).
Furthermore, on Mytton Oak Road, near the Hospital, there is the Copthorne Shopping Centre. This small development consists of a Post Office, Co-op supermarket, pharmacy, Fish and Chip shop, hairdresser and Coral (Bookmakers). On Woodfield Road by the two schools there is also Mace Porthill Stores, formerly known as Everington's. As well as this there is Oakfield Shopping Centre, off Oakfield Road, with a Chinese Takeaway, fitness centre and Scout and Cub Hut.
Varying definitions
Porthill is often considered a separate suburb, consisting of the areas around Porthill Road and Woodfield Road, including St George's School. As Copthorne is seen as a relatively prestigious address within Shrewsbury, it is common for people to claim to live there, and for estate agents and businesses to describe addresses as Copthorne, when according to most local definitions they lie in other areas. In particular, Gains Park, a 1990s housing estate west of the hospital, is often passed off as Copthorne (or sometimes as Shelton
or Bicton Heath)- despite sharing the SY3 postcode it is completely separated from Copthorne and Shelton while Bicton Heath refers to an older settlement along the A458. The boundary with Radbrook Green
is similarly ill-defined, often drawn along Radbrook Road although this means that the Rad Brook barely touches the suburb named for it.
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
in 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...
of 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...
, 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...
.
Surrounding Copthorne Road, the suburb is mainly residential and runs from the junction where Copthorne Bank meets New Street, in the north east near Frankwell
Frankwell
Frankwell is a district of the town of Shrewsbury, in Shropshire, England. It lies adjacent to the River Severn, to the northwest of the town centre, and is one of Shrewsbury's oldest suburbs....
Island, to the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital
Royal Shrewsbury Hospital
The Royal Shrewsbury Hospital is a hospital in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England. It forms the Shrewsbury site for the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust....
(previously known as Copthorne Hospital) and the suburb of Shelton
Shelton, Shropshire
Shelton is a suburb of Shrewsbury in Shropshire, England.It was once a village of its own, but the town of Shrewsbury has grown steadily in the area since the 1950s...
to the west and south-west, on the outskirts of town.
From Frankwell, New Street runs south-west for a short way, ending by the Boat House public house and Frankwell footbridge (leading to The Quarry
The Quarry
The Quarry is the main recreational park in Shrewsbury, the county town of Shropshire, England. The park was created in 1719 and encompasses...
). The road (the A488
A488 road
The A488 is a route on the British highway network that runs from Penybont, near Llandrindod Wells, in Wales, to Shrewsbury, Shropshire, in England. Near Shrewsbury the A488 has a junction with the A5 trunk road...
) continues up Porthill as Porthill Road, along the edge of the 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...
grounds, and ends at the former A5 road
A5 road
The A5 is a major road in England and Wales. It is also the first Roman built road in England hence the name Roman Road. It runs for about from London, England to Holyhead, Wales, following in part a section of the Roman Iter II route which later took the Anglo-Saxon name Watling...
, the Shrewsbury bypass.
On the north side of the suburb, Copthorne Road leads from Frankwell Island, to the west up Copthorne Bank, along past Copthorne Barracks (headquarters of the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
's 5th Infantry Division, Shrewsbury Air Training Corps
Air Training Corps
The Air Training Corps , commonly known as the Air Cadets, is a cadet organisation based in the United Kingdom. It is a voluntary youth group which is part of the Air Cadet Organisation and the Royal Air Force . It is supported by the Ministry of Defence, with a regular RAF Officer, currently Air...
and the Shropshire Army Cadet Force
Army Cadet Force
The Army Cadet Force is a British youth organisation that offers progressive training in a multitude of the subjects from military training to adventurous training and first aid, at the same time as promoting achievement, discipline, and good citizenship, to boys and girls aged 12 to 18 and 9...
and also ends up joining the old bypass at Shelton Road.
In the suburb are many residential streets, the Sandringham Court apartment development, several small shops and public houses, a tennis club, and two schools (Woodfield Infants School and St Georges Junior School).
Furthermore, on Mytton Oak Road, near the Hospital, there is the Copthorne Shopping Centre. This small development consists of a Post Office, Co-op supermarket, pharmacy, Fish and Chip shop, hairdresser and Coral (Bookmakers). On Woodfield Road by the two schools there is also Mace Porthill Stores, formerly known as Everington's. As well as this there is Oakfield Shopping Centre, off Oakfield Road, with a Chinese Takeaway, fitness centre and Scout and Cub Hut.
Varying definitions
Porthill is often considered a separate suburb, consisting of the areas around Porthill Road and Woodfield Road, including St George's School. As Copthorne is seen as a relatively prestigious address within Shrewsbury, it is common for people to claim to live there, and for estate agents and businesses to describe addresses as Copthorne, when according to most local definitions they lie in other areas. In particular, Gains Park, a 1990s housing estate west of the hospital, is often passed off as Copthorne (or sometimes as Shelton
Shelton
Shelton may refer to:- Places :in the United Kingdom*Shelton, Bedfordshire *Shelton, Norfolk*Shelton, Nottinghamshire*Shelton, Shropshire*Shelton, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshirein the United States of America*Shelton, Connecticut...
or Bicton Heath)- despite sharing the SY3 postcode it is completely separated from Copthorne and Shelton while Bicton Heath refers to an older settlement along the A458. The boundary with Radbrook Green
Radbrook Green
Radbrook Green is the name of a small suburb of Shrewsbury, situated to the south-west of the town, approximately 1.5 miles from the town centre. Construction of the estate started in the late 1970s, with most of the estate completed by the early 1990s...
is similarly ill-defined, often drawn along Radbrook Road although this means that the Rad Brook barely touches the suburb named for it.