Landscape Detective

The river Severn has always been an important trading route through Shropshire, and was navigable throughout the county. Many of the industrial towns and settlements were sited along the river to facilitate raw material coming in and the product going out. The establishment of the canals and railway network effectively saw the end of the river for commercial traffic.

The stretch of river between Bewdley and Buildwas, which includes Bridgnorth, was one of the busiest stretches of the River Severn during the 18th century, as goods and trade were carried up and down river. When the railways arrived in the area during the 19th century the river became used more for pleasure than business, as this boat in the foreground suggests.

The Severn was not only a resource but also a barrier to movement. There were only 12 road bridges in the county, 4 of which were in Shrewsbury. These were important crossing points and resulted in towns growing up at strategic points. One of these is Bridgnorth. A bridge was present here from 896 AD. In the Middle Ages this was one of the two crossing points of the Severn between Shrewsbury and Worcester. As such it was also a major port which continued until the Severn Valley railway opened in 1862.