Shropshire

Shropshire (abbreviated Salop or Shrops) is a traditional, ceremonial and administrative county in the West Midlands region of England. The ceremonial county borders Cheshire, Staffordshire, Worcestershire, Herefordshire, and the Welsh ceremonial counties of Powys and Clwyd.

Related Topics:
Traditional - West Midlands - England - Cheshire - Staffordshire - Worcestershire - Herefordshire - Welsh ceremonial counties - Powys - Clwyd

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Shropshire is one of England's most rural counties. The county town is Shrewsbury, although the new town of Telford is the largest town. Also in this rural county is Coalbrookdale, where the Industrial Revolution started, Ironbridge, where the world's first iron bridge was constructed and Ditherington, where the world's first iron framed building was built. (See the "cradle of industry" section below).

Related Topics:
County town - Shrewsbury - New town - Telford - Coalbrookdale - Industrial Revolution - Ironbridge - Ditherington

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A 2005 estimate of the population of the administrative county of Shropshire was put at 286,700 - making the county the smallest two-tier administrative county in England. For this reason it has been suggested by some that the county become a unitary authority, similar to that of the Isle of Wight, where the district councils were abolished leaving only the county council. However the size and diversity of the county so far rules this possibility out. The government's plans of regional assemblies in England, which would have meant a unitary system of local government, has also been put on hold.

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The county was called Salop in legal documents for some centuries, a name deriving from 'Salopesbiry', an older name for the county town, Shrewsbury. When a council for the county was set up in 1888, it was called 'Salop County Council'. The name was never popular, and the council renamed itself 'Shropshire County Council' in 1980. However, the term "Salopian", derived from "Salop", is still used to mean "from Shropshire". The latin motto of "Floreat Salopia" (may Shropshire/Shrewsbury flourish) is also used for Shropshire and Shrewsbury on crests and emblems.

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