Minsterley
Encyclopedia
Minsterley is a village and civil parish in Shropshire
, England
. It is home to a large dairy
operated by Uniq foods.
The dairy currently employs nearly 500 people. Village amenities includes, a primary school, two public houses ('The Crown and Sceptre'- one of the oldest buildings in the village, and the 'Bridge Hotel'), a petrol station/supermarket, post office, florist, and fish and chip shop. The Parish Hall is one of the largest village halls in Shropshire and is the venue for the annual Eisteddfod which held its 40th anniversary in 2002. The area adjacent to the 'Crown and Sceptre' public house was where the annual Hiring Fair was held in the late 19th Century. Young people, of work age, would be hired by local landowners for the year in return for an agreed sum of money to be paid at the following year's fair.
East from Minsterley along the A488, is the larger village of Pontesbury
and the hill range, the Stiperstones
. The Rea Brook
flows nearby and the smaller Minsterley Brook
flows through the centre of the village.
The parish church of Holy Trinity was built at the end of the 17th Century, by the Thynne family of Longleat
and houses an internationally famous collection of Maiden's Garlands. The exterior of the west end of the Church is notable for the stonework memento mori
, which include skull and crossbones and hourglasses.
The Minsterley branch line
which was built as a joint GWR
/LNWR line, opened on 14 February 1862. This railway line ran nine and a half miles from Shrewsbury
via Cruckmeole Junction near Hanwood
to the stations at Plealey Road, Pontesbury
and finally the terminus at Minsterley.
The creation of the line enabled milk to be transported by rail from the large creamery at Minsterley and lead ore to be transported from the nearby mines at Snailbeach
. At one time the terminus in Minsterley boasted a milk wharf, goods shed, cattle and horse docks and numerous sidings.
The line closed in May 1967.
Little Minsterley is a hamlet on the northeastern edge of the village, which was founded in 1901.
Overall Minsterley is a quaint typical rural village, surrounded by picturesque hillside.
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 home to a large dairy
Dairy
A dairy is a business enterprise established for the harvesting of animal milk—mostly from cows or goats, but also from buffalo, sheep, horses or camels —for human consumption. A dairy is typically located on a dedicated dairy farm or section of a multi-purpose farm that is concerned...
operated by Uniq foods.
The dairy currently employs nearly 500 people. Village amenities includes, a primary school, two public houses ('The Crown and Sceptre'- one of the oldest buildings in the village, and the 'Bridge Hotel'), a petrol station/supermarket, post office, florist, and fish and chip shop. The Parish Hall is one of the largest village halls in Shropshire and is the venue for the annual Eisteddfod which held its 40th anniversary in 2002. The area adjacent to the 'Crown and Sceptre' public house was where the annual Hiring Fair was held in the late 19th Century. Young people, of work age, would be hired by local landowners for the year in return for an agreed sum of money to be paid at the following year's fair.
East from Minsterley along the A488, is the larger village of Pontesbury
Pontesbury
Pontesbury is a large village and civil parish in Shropshire and is approximately eight miles southwest of the county town of Shrewsbury. The village of Minsterley is just over a mile further southwest. The A488 road runs through the village, on its way from Shrewsbury to Bishop's Castle...
and the hill range, the Stiperstones
Stiperstones
The Stiperstones is a very distinctive hill in the county of Shropshire, England. It is a quartzite ridge formed some 480 Million years ago. During the last Ice Age the summit stood out above the glaciers and was subject to constant freezing and thawing which shattered the quartzite into a mass of...
. 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....
flows nearby and the smaller Minsterley Brook
Minsterley Brook
Minsterley Brook is a small stream in Shropshire, England. The source of this stream is at the northeast part of Stapeley Hill . It is later on joined by other smaller streams flowing into it. It is a steep rocky brook, fast flowing with occasional small water falls...
flows through the centre of the village.
The parish church of Holy Trinity was built at the end of the 17th Century, by the Thynne family of Longleat
Longleat
Longleat is an English stately home, currently the seat of the Marquesses of Bath, adjacent to the village of Horningsham and near the towns of Warminster in Wiltshire and Frome in Somerset. It is noted for its Elizabethan country house, maze, landscaped parkland and safari park. The house is set...
and houses an internationally famous collection of Maiden's Garlands. The exterior of the west end of the Church is notable for the stonework memento mori
Memento mori
Memento mori is a Latin phrase translated as "Remember your mortality", "Remember you must die" or "Remember you will die". It names a genre of artistic work which varies widely, but which all share the same purpose: to remind people of their own mortality...
, which include skull and crossbones and hourglasses.
The Minsterley branch line
Minsterley branch line
The Minsterley branch line was a standard gauge railway line that ran from Cruckmeole Junction, where the Shrewsbury to Welshpool line runs, near Hanwood, to the villages of Pontesbury and then Minsterley...
which was built as a joint GWR
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
/LNWR line, opened on 14 February 1862. This railway line ran nine and a half miles from 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...
via Cruckmeole Junction near Hanwood
Hanwood
Hanwood is a large village in Shropshire, England.It is located SW of Shrewsbury town centre, on the A488 road. The A5 is only a mile away. The Cambrian Line runs through the village but there is no longer a station here...
to the stations at Plealey Road, Pontesbury
Pontesbury
Pontesbury is a large village and civil parish in Shropshire and is approximately eight miles southwest of the county town of Shrewsbury. The village of Minsterley is just over a mile further southwest. The A488 road runs through the village, on its way from Shrewsbury to Bishop's Castle...
and finally the terminus at Minsterley.
The creation of the line enabled milk to be transported by rail from the large creamery at Minsterley and lead ore to be transported from the nearby mines at Snailbeach
Snailbeach
Snailbeach is a village in Shropshire, England, located near Shrewsbury at . The village was formerly home to a large lead mine.-Early history:A village was built for workers at the local lead mine - Snailbeach Mine, which reputedly dates back to Roman times...
. At one time the terminus in Minsterley boasted a milk wharf, goods shed, cattle and horse docks and numerous sidings.
The line closed in May 1967.
Little Minsterley is a hamlet on the northeastern edge of the village, which was founded in 1901.
External links
Overall Minsterley is a quaint typical rural village, surrounded by picturesque hillside.