Diary of Rev Edward Stevens

Wingate drove me to Church Stretton – a very small country town at the foot of lofty hills. It has a great reputation for salubrity of climate and the walks over the hills in the neighbourhood are extremely pretty and interesting, whilst the views are perhaps as extensive, E. W. N. and S. as any that can be found in this part of the country. There is a good modern Hotel which I am bound to say, seemed to us, more interesting than all the rest put together, for it began to rain when we arrived and had not ceased when we left. But it ceased soon after we took the road back, and we had a very pleasant drive home.

Wingate drove me into Shrewsbury and we visited the chief places of interest, viz St Mary’s Church, St Chad’s Church, St Julian’s Church where we met with the Vicar, a very agreeable man who showed us in his church a palimpsest tombstone of the 12th century, and took us over the museum. Visited the old market, the new market, the Workman’s Hall and the Abbey Church. Observed the fine examples of Tudor Domestic Architecture of which the town possesses many good examples. Visited the old grammar school now being transformed into a public library and museum. The outside of the castle, an unimportant looking building, now used as a private residence. The Old Council house, and walked on the top of the old town wall. Afterwards drove out to Uffington.

Wingate drove me to Battlefield, where is a beautiful church lately restored, built on the site of the Battle of Shrewsbury, 1422(?).

Visited pretty ruins of Haughman Abbey, past Sundorne Castle, a noble and palatial residence of a Bachelor Clergyman of retiring disposition who has a rent role, I hear, of some £80,000 a year. Then we drove into Uffington for luncheon and afterwards to Wroxeter, the ancient Uriconium, a Roman city. About half an acre of it is uncovered – but the walls were 4 miles round. The rest was covered with waving crops of golden corn. The custodian, an old man with but one leg, shewed us some tiles, Roman – of large size showing the impression of human toes, dogs’ feet, and made whilst the clay was soft.

A yellow flower, new to me, which the man called Santonine was very abundant here.

Returned to Banbury. Bell, Frank and Webb met me at the station.

My hatcase and portmanteau were missing when I arrived at the station, though I had seen them labelled at Shrewsbury. I spoke to the station master about them and they turned up at Reading in the course of the afternoon and were sent out by carrier.