The ancient market town of Bridgnorth straddles the River Severn. It comprises Low Town, and on the top of 100 foot sandstone cliffs, High Town. The two are linked by 7 sets of historic steps, the famous Cliff Railway and by Cartway, a meandering historical street.

Historic Dates

912 The Saxons built a fort on the Castle Hill settled by Ethelfleda.
1101 Norman Castle built by Robert de Belesme from Quatt.
1157 The borough incorporated by Royal Charter of Henry II.
1642 King Charles I at Bridgnorth Castle for 3 days - he said the view from the Castle Walk was the finest in his dominion.
1646 Civil War - Final siege and capture of the castle by the Parliamentary forces. Castle blown up by gunpowder.
1792 St Mary's Church built by Thomas Telford.
1862 Arrival of railway at Bridgnorth
1892 Castle Hill cliff railway built
1965 Railway closes and Railway Preservation Society formed.

I went to Bridgnorth in April.  This is the Town Hall. It is one of the many timber framed buildings built just after the Civil War. It was completed in 1652. The sandstone arched base has since been faced in brick. The building was altered a lot in 1887.

Here I am in front of the North Gate, which is the only one of five original fortifications that remains today and most of it has been rebuilt.

I had a rest on a seat near St. Leonard's church, then I went to have a look at the church. It is built on the highest part of the town. The original church dated from 1250 but the present red sandstone building is almost entirely Victorian. There is repair work going on at the moment, which is very noisy, and when we went in to look round the guide put some music on to drown out the noise.