Did You Know?

The county town of Shropshire is truly ancient – it’s full of wobbly-looking Tudor buildings and tiny dark passages.

It is home to the British Hedgehog Preservation Society. Founded in 1982 the Society offers help and advice to those with sick, injured or orphaned hedgehogs. 

The County is also no stranger to nationally recognised awards, Ludlow has once again been confirmed as Shropshire's gastronomic capital with its inclusion in the Michelin Guide 2006. For the 12th year running Mr Underhill's has its Michelin star. Not forgetting the UK's Caravan Park of the Year which is also in Shropshire and can be found at Oxon Hall Touring Park in Shrewsbury.

Standing tall outside Shropshire County Council's HQ at Shire Hall in Shrewsbury, Lord Hill's column is the tallest Doric-style column in the world, standing at 133ft tall.

The world's first theme park also belongs to Shropshire with Hawkstone Park & Follies taking the title. Opened in 1748, it's a magical landscape of caves, cliffs, grottoes and ravines. The original Chronicles of Narnia were filmed here. And if that's not enough the Holy Grail was found here too!

Shropshire, the county town, some may know that it is the birthplace of that evolutionary thinker Charles Darwin but may be less aware that it has the world's tallest town crier standing a mere 7 feet 2 inches in his socks.

It is home to the world’s first skyscraper. Ditherington Flax Mill, on the outskirts of Shropshire, was the first multi-storey iron-framed building – and therefore the forerunner of every skyscraper and tower block in the world.

If you’ve been brought up in Shropshire, you’ll have an opinion on how to pronounce Shrewsbury – and other people will keep telling you you’re wrong. Is it ‘Shrews-brie’ or ‘Shrowz-bury’?

The modern Olympic Games have their roots in the Shropshire town of Much Wenlock. In 1850 local self improvement guru William Penny Brookes launched the first annual games in the village as a distraction for a local population whose previous favourite pastimes were drinking heavily and fighting.

Shropshire, particularly the south of the county, is something of a magnet for geologists. There are more rocks of different ages here than any area of similar size in the world (dating from 700 to 200 million years ago). Places like Ludlow and Wenlock Edge have even given their names to geological periods.

Situated outside the Council offices, standing at 133 ft 6 in (40.7 m), it commemorates Rowland Hill, 1st Viscount Hill, with a 17 ft (5.2 m) tall statue standing on the top of the column. Built between 1814 and 1816, the column’s  diameter is 2 ft (0.6 m) wider than Nelson’s Column, and, not including the pedestal, is 15 ft (4.6 m) higher.

 The heart of Henry VIII’s older brother Arthur is buried in St Laurence Church in historic Ludlow beneath the chancel.  The rest of his body was interred at Worcester Cathedral.

Müller Dairy, which is based in Market Drayton in the north-east of the county – and 90% of the milk used in production comes from within 30 miles of the dairy. Their TV adverts regularly showcase our beautiful countryside and the first was shown in September 2008.