Albrighton, Bridgnorth

Albrighton is a large village (population 4,157 in the 2001 census),

(population increasing to 4,326 in the 2011 census) and civil parish in Albrighton
Shropshire, England. It is located 7.5 miles (12.1 km) northwest of
Wolverhampton and is best described as a dormitory village for the city. It
is 11.3 miles (18.2 km) from Bridgnorth and used to be within the now
defunct Bridgnorth district; it is now part of the Shropshire Council
unitary authority.

The village has a railway station, which is on the Shrewsbury to

Wolverhampton Line.[2] Very close by is RAF Cosford and the M54
motorway. The village is the most easterly settlement in Shropshire.
Immediately to the north is the hamlet and parish of Donington separated The Shrewsbury Arms
from Albrighton by Humphreston (Albrighton) Brook.[3]

Contents
History
Governance Albrighton
Trivia
Education
Amenities
See also
Notes
References Location within Shropshire
Bibliography
Population 4,326 (2011)[1]
External links
OS grid reference SJ812041
Civil parish Albrighton
History Donington

Mentioned in the Domesday Book as Albricston(e) or the home/farm of Unitary authority Shropshire
Albric/Aethelbeorht,[4] it received its charter in 1303, which was renewed Ceremonial county Shropshire
in 1662 for rather unusual reasons. The charter declared that "because Region West Midlands
Albrighton (then) adjoined Staffordshire on the east, south and west sides, Country England
felons and other malefactors fled Staffordshire to escape prosecution Sovereign state United Kingdom
because there was no resident justice of the peace in that part of Post town WOLVERHAMPTON
Shropshire". Postcode district WV7
Dialling code 01902
The parish church, dedicated to St Mary Magdalene was completed
around 1181,[5] and some rebuilding work was done in 1853. It is built of Police West Mercia
red sandstone in the Norman style. The church contains an alabaster Fire Shropshire
Ambulance West Midlands
monument to Sir Craig Wilson, as well as the Albrighton Mace donated to
 the village in 1663, by EU Parliament West Midlands
Lady Mary Talbot. The UK Parliament The Wrekin
east window of the
church dates from the 14th century. The church also contains the family tomb of
the Talbot Family, including the final resting place of Charles Talbot and Francis
Talbot, among others.

The church is separated from the extremely close parish church of St Cuthbert
(Donington) by Humphreston Brook. The story is that two sisters disagreed
The church of St Mary Magdalene, about the nature of the architecture of the church and so resolved to build their
Albrighton own churches right next to each other.[6]

Humphreston Brook[note 1][7] was dammed by a local miller in the 17th

century[8] and it now provides the boundary between the two parishes and feeds
into Donington Pool which is also part of the Donington and Albrighton Nature
Reserve.[9] Blakeway refers to the pond as being called Hall Pool as it was
adjacent to Hall Orchard, which was a burial ground for Roman Catholics by the
church of St Mary Magdalene.[10]

The High Street has not been altered too much over the years. The half timbered
inns, Georgian facades and lime trees still make the street picturesque. Some
sources say the lime trees were planted in the 19th century by a Dr Orson
Shops on Albrighton High St
Bidwell,[11] others say a former Earl of Shrewsbury was responsible. In all
probability both of them planted trees and so may many other people if a tree
was damaged or failed. The diary of John Howell, tenant farmer of Beamish and House Farm gives the year of planting as 1832.

For most of the 14th century and into the 15th the manor of Albrighton, together
with Ryton, was held by the Carles, Careles or Careless family.[12] The Carles
were connected by marriage to the Lestranges (Lords Strange of Blackmere) and
the Talbots. Albrighton left the control of this family with the marriage of an
heiress to a member of the Corbet family in the reign of Henry VI. The Earl of
Shrewsbury is the premier Earl of England and, until 1918, was the biggest land
owner in Albrighton. They were originally the Talbot family (later Chetwynd-
Talbot), many of whom are buried in Albrighton Church. George Talbot, 9th Earl
Albrighton fire station
of Shrewsbury was a Catholic priest and so never married. He died in 1630 aged
sixty-three and was buried in the family tomb at the parish church of Albrighton.

Early in the 17th century, Albrighton was noted for making buttons and then in the 18th century clock making flourished. By
1880 it was bricks, but by and large, agriculture was the main industry before the building of the railways.[5]

Albrighton was granted Borough status in 1303 on account of its remoteness from Shrewsbury, Shropshire's county town. That
was renewed in 1662 but it seemed to lapse again by the 19th century. A Mace confirming its borough status was discovered for
auction at Sotheby's and this was purchased for £359 in 1948. The money was raised by local subscription under the guidance and
perseverance of the Rev E E Wright. The Borough status meant that there was a Justice of the Peace who could order the arrest of
criminals. A small jail and stocks stood somewhere near to the Crown, whilst a room above it was used for various village
meetings and transactions. There was also a Toll House nearby. A press article in 1884 discussing the history of the village's
regular fairs stated that they were 'held on a wide open space called the Cross, where the cross roads are in the middle of the
[village]. The Market Hall stood in the midst of the space, with the lock-up under it, and the stocks and pinfold close by. Rev.
Blakeway's drafts of his History of Albrighton (c.1810-1814) mentions that the Market House 'stands in the middle of the
 [village] and has two arches'. It is not known when the Toll Shop/House and
Market Hall/House were demolished. The Rev Wright thought the buildings
were more likely to be on the area of the village green but none of the early tithe
maps show these buildings.

The village green was much

more important in the first half
of 20th century. At the time of
the First World War there were
T A Rhodes the chemist in Albrighton swings on it, political meetings
were held there, an evangelist
lady spent three days a year in a
caravan giving out leaflets and talking to people, also a band gave concerts there.

The population of Albrighton in 1800 was 900. In 1900 it was 1200 and was still Lloyds-TSB Bank in Albrighton
only 1230 by 1931. Today it is over 4000.

Gas came to Albrighton in 1868 and the Gasometer was at the side of the railway goods yard. The Cosford Waterworks were
established in 1857 and water was first supplied to the village in 1895. Electricity came in 1919 initially on overhead poles and
later, during the 1950s, the cables were put underground.

In 1967, the A41 road through the village was bypassed and it now curves
around the northern part of the village.[13]

In 1969, David Austin opened up the David Austin Plant Centre on the western
edge of the village bordering the A464 road. David Austin Roses are renowned
the world over for their roses and the site is open to the public providing a large
tourist attraction in the village.[14][15]

Austin Rose Garden Green Man
parade down the High Street.[16]
In 1998, the village granted the Officers and Men of RAF Cosford the right to
exercise through the village. Traditionally, this is known as having the Freedom
of a village, town or city, but because Albrighton is not a borough, true freedom
status could not be granted. However, every two years, staff from RAF Cosford

Governance
An electoral ward in the name of Albrighton exists. This ward includes the parish of Boningale and at the 2011 census had a total
population of 4,628.[17]

Trivia
Whilst writing the book 'The Old Curiosity Shop', Charles Dickens wrote about Tong Church whilst staying at the Public House
now known as The Harp.[18]

In July 1992 Anneka Rice and the Challenge Anneka series came to Albrighton and created a fishing pool for disabled people,
known as the Albrighton Moat Project.[19] She returned in July 2017 to celebrate 25 years of the project.[20]

In the summer of 2006, Albrighton hit the headlines when a storm broke out and parts of the village were flooded badly.[21]
Education
Albrighton has five educational establishments; Albrighton and Donington Nursery, St Mary's Church of England Primary
School, Albrighton Primary School (Formally Albrighton Infant and Junior School), Birchfield School and St Mary's Nursery
Group.

Amenities
The village has four pubs:

The Crown, Albrighton

The Old Bush, Albrighton
The Shrewsbury Arms, Albrighton (originally named as the Talbot Inn)[10]
The Harp
Social clubs include:

Albrighton Sports and Social Club

Albrighton and District Rotary Club
Albrighton Cricket Club
Albrighton Tennis Club
Royal British Legion
Albrighton Bowling Club
Albrighton Football Club

See also
Listed buildings in Albrighton, Bridgnorth

Notes
1. Whilst historically, the references point to this watercourse being called Humphreston Brook, more modern
references label it as Albrighton Brook. The BBC refers to Albrighton Brook in its flooding in Albrighton report of
2006 and Severn Trent Water refer to the confluence of the brook at Cosford Bridge into the River Worfe as
Albrighton Brook. It also lists the brook as starting at grid ref SJ803 047, which is just after the brook passes
under Newport Road by the Fire Station

References
1. "Civil Parish population 2011" (http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadKeyFigures.do?a=
7&b=11119870&c=Albrighton&d=16&e=62&g=6460180&i=1001x1003x1032x1004&m=0&r=1&s=144803015407
0&enc=1). Retrieved 20 November 2015.
2. "Albrighton, Shropshire" (http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/place/2046). Vision of Britain. Retrieved 12 July 2016.
3. Brew, Alec (1996). Albrighton & Shifnal. Stroud: Chalford. p. 28. ISBN 0 7524 0384 2.
4. Mills, A D (2003). A dictionary of British place names. Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 7. ISBN 978-0-19-
852758-9.
5. "Albrighton Neighbourhood Plan 'Light' " (https://shropshire.gov.uk/committee-services/Data/Council/20130926/A
genda/15%20Albrighton%20Neighbourhood%20Plan%20Light.pdf) (PDF). Shropshire.gov. Albrighton, Donington
with Boscobel and Boningale Parish Councils. June 2013. p. 3. Retrieved 12 July 2016.
6. Kreft, Marie (2016). Slow Travel Shropshire. Chalfont St Peter: Bradt. pp. 107–108. ISBN 978 1 78477 006 8.
 7. "Severn Trent NRA 6" (http://www.environmentdata.org/archive/ealit:3048/OBJ/20001286.pdf) (PDF).
Environment Data.org. NRA. 1992. p. 16. Retrieved 12 July 2016.
8. "A short history" (http://www.dalnr.org/history.html). Donington and Albrighton Local Nature Reserve. Retrieved
12 July 2016.
9. "Donington and Albrighton Local Nature Reserve" (http://www.shropshiresgreatoutdoors.co.uk/site/donington-and
-albrighton-local-nature-reserve/). Shropshire's Great Outdoors. Retrieved 12 July 2016.
10. Blakeway & Priestley 1899, p. 31.
11. Blakeway & Priestley 1899, p. 153.
12. Antiquities of Shropshire, Vol II, (1855) London, pp. 157–159
13. Howells, F (2000). "100 Years in Albrighton". Chat Histories: 23.
14. August, Ian (2006). The making of the Alnwick Garden. London: Pavilion. p. 178. ISBN 1-86205-715-X.
15. Kreft, Marie (2016). Slow Travel Shropshire. Chalfont St Peter: Bradt. pp. 108–109. ISBN 178477006X.
16. "Crowds watch troops on Albrighton parade" (https://www.expressandstar.com/news/2013/09/09/crowds-watch-tr
oops-on-albrighton-parade/). Express and Star. 9 September 2013. Retrieved 9 August 2017.
17. "Ward population 2011" (http://www.ukcensusdata.com/albrighton-e05008137#sthash.1AgWW4Vm.dpbs).
Retrieved 20 November 2015.
18. Blakeway & Priestley 1899, p. 150.
19. "Challenge Anneka - Albrighton Angling Centre" (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4129580/). IMDB. Retrieved 12 July
2016.
20. Loat, Heather (July 2017). "Anneka's back on the case". Wolverhampton Magazine. Wolverhampton: Midland
News Association. pp. 9–15. ISSN 2046-2883 (https://www.worldcat.org/issn/2046-2883).
21. "Rainstorms leave 70 homes flooded" (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/shropshire/5149134.stm). BBC News.
5 July 2006. Retrieved 12 July 2016.

Bibliography
Blakeway, John Brickdale; Priestley, Thomas. History of Albrighton. UK: 1899. OCLC 19048571 (https://www.worl
dcat.org/oclc/19048571).

External links
Albrighton Community Portal & Albrighton Email Service (https://web.archive.org/web/20080822005710/http://ww
w.albrighton.org.uk/)
Albrighton (https://opendomesday.org/place/SJ8104/albrighton/) in the Domesday Book
St Mary's Church of England Primary School (https://web.archive.org/web/20050323105012/http://www.st-mary-a
lbrighton.shropshire.sch.uk/)
Birchfield School (http://www.birchfieldschool.co.uk)
St Mary's Nursery Group (http://www.stmarysnurserygroup.co.uk)

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