IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
School Road, SHREWSBURY, SY4 1JZ

At the road junction.

Annulus finial - 3 arms; Shropshire CC modern halo by the UC road, in parish of Baschurch (North Shropshire District), Ruyton-XI-Towns. Surveyed Milestone Society National ID: SA_SJ3922

Information on Image

The unusual name "Ruyton XI Towns" [pronounced Ruyton Eleven Towns] refers to this being the 'main manor' for a group of lesser settlements. Although the name contains Roman numerals, there is no Roman connection.

This village's odd name dates back to the 12th century when it was the major manor of 11 townships. The Talbot is an old coaching inn on Church Street.

A parish council notice board with leaflets promoting yoga, food banks, hearing loss support groups, grumpy wives action committees, community events and the like. I also paused to admire the bird's nest, sited high above, but denuded now by the winter climes but still an eloquent tribute to the annual optimism and field-craft of a pair of devoted parents who focus not on the odds stacked against them so massively but on the day-to-day actions, cooperation, devotion and hard-wired drives inherited from their many antecedents that will see them through and their brood fledge. I am always humbled by thinking of them, and of comparing my whiney, complaint wracked existence with every advantage at my disposal....This time of year is great for spotting many such nests and being encouraged.

A 1990s era housing estate I guestimate...very nice indeed too. (Give or take 10 years I suppose..). I am on Aldersley Way if memory serves me right. Nice houses. Friendly residents (a chat about a three-wheeler car with one, a wave from another). No dog poo. No cars on blocks/washing machines outside by the front door/no litter/no drilling/car revving etc. In fact all indicators point to saints living here (decent people in an indecent world). You know the folk; no speeding points, no tattoos, no chips on their shoulders, no junk food, no CCJs, no criminal records, no extreme views. I like it.

A free public car park in this lovely little town. My first visit to this bizarrely named place. Oh! How many times have I seen a road sign for it, and bemusedly mulled its name over in my head, wondering what it could be (is it really eleven towns? Is it therefore a massive conurbation that I have neglected to be aware of? Is it bigger than Telford, a new town? Why eleven? Why Roman numerals? Why does no-one ever mention it? Why does nobody go there and return buzzing with high praise? Why do I not know a person who lives there? Does it really exist? Why does everyone I ask seem to know even less than me? And so on ...) I have lived in Shropshire since March 2004. In nearly 20 years I have never had cause to come here. I have , as I say, driven past many, many times. I have been to Baschurch several times, to Bomere Heath also a few times. I even have friends in both places. I have sung in a choir at the church at Leaton. I have been almost everywhere in the large county, but this area seems to have had a force-field around it - until now! I have even put visiting Ruyton-XI-Towns on a list, a kind of bucket list, of places I must go in Shropshire. Maybe today my knowledge, love for, awareness of and appreciation of the county will be nearing completion? Though I must admit, I have yet to visit Albrighton and Shifnal! I intend to rectify that too. They are on the same list. Watch this space!

In flood, in winter, the river is still lovely but flows along at quite a lick and lets you know that it is no simple summer stream but a proper muscular river and worthy of respect. This resident's jetty or mooring is likely to be swamped soon I fear. I hope his boat is secured. I strongly feel that I must get to know this river better. I have crossed it and walked beside it at least once before and it speaks to me. I want to kayak it, or even coracle it....