Shropshire Postcodes — England (ENG)

Shropshire

Located in England's West Midlands, the medieval county of Shropshire is completely landlocked. To the west is Wales, while to the north, east, southeast, and south are the English counties of Cheshire, Staffordshire, Worcestershire, and Herefordshire, respectively. In 2009, the old county council and five district councils were merged into a single unitary authority called Shropshire Council. Since 1998, Telford and Wrekin have been governed as a single unitary authority, however they are still considered to be part of the ceremonial county.

Central to the county's population and economy are the five towns of Shrewsbury (the county town), Telford (the most populous), Oswestry (to the northwest), Bridgnorth (to the south), and Ludlow (to the south). There are eighteen market towns in Shropshire, the most prominent being the northernmost, Whitchurch, the central Newport, and the northeasternmost Market Drayton.

Ironbridge, Coalbrookdale, and a chunk of Madeley make up the Ironbridge Gorge, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Shropshire Union Canal and the towns of Shrewsbury, Broseley, Snailbeach, and Highley are just a few of the historic industrial sites in the county. 

About a fourth of the county, primarily in the south, is designated as the Shropshire Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

At 136 inhabitants per square kilometer (350 per square mile), Shropshire ranks among the least populous counties in England. Even though the Clee Hills, the Stiperstones, and the Long Mynd are taller, the Wrekin is still one of the most well-known landmarks in the county. An further notable geological and geographical landmark is Wenlock Edge. Fenn's, Whixall, and Bettisfield Mosses National Nature Reserve is one of the most significant and best maintained bogs in Britain, and it is located in the low-lying northwest of the county, where it overlaps the boundary with Wales. Through the Severn Valley, the county is connected to Worcestershire by the River Severn, the longest river in Britain.

Economy of Shropshire

Farming has long been the backbone of Shropshire's economy.

More recently, the economy shifted to focus on service industries. Some of the most popular tourist destinations in Shropshire include the county town of Shrewsbury, the historic castle-dominated town of Ludlow, the rumored birthplace of the International Olympic Movement in Much Wenlock, and the industrial birthplace of Ironbridge Gorge. The county is also known for its restored canal-network, which offers narrowboat holidays on the Shropshire Union Canal and other canals. People travel from all around to experience the county's breathtaking scenery.

Small industrial parks have sprung up in most of the market towns and on disused airfields in rural regions, although most manufacturing is concentrated around Telford, Oswestry, Whitchurch, Market Drayton, and Shrewsbury. Small, locally owned shops selling unique wares and antiques dominate the main drag in places like Whitchurch. Businesses in Shropshire tend to be run by the same family for generations; for example, the antiques shop Raven Yard Antiques on Watergate Street in Whitchurch is a family business. Because of its strategic position at a crossroads of major highways serving the region, Shrewsbury is rapidly developing into a major logistics hub. 

In 2009, Telford and Wrekin Council opened a rail freight facility in Donnington with the intention of eventually extending the line to Stafford.

The county's two major shopping hubs are Telford and Shrewsbury, the former with its ancient streets and the latter with its expansive modern mall, Telford Shopping Centre.

Shrewsbury is home to three distinct malls, including two fully enclosed options (Pride Hill and Darwin) and a smaller, partly covered option (Riverside Mall). Shrewsbury is the largest town in a wide area of mid-Wales, thus it naturally attracts a big number of consumers, especially on Saturdays.

Market Drayton is home to the well-known business Müller Dairy (UK) Ltd.

Priorslee, Telford is home to the PDSA's headquarters, and the nearby communities of RAF Cosford and RAF Shawbury are home to Royal Air Force bases.