SHROPSHIRE, or SALOP, one of the midland coun ties of England, is bounded on the south by the coun ties of Worcester and Hereford, on the east by that of Stafford, on the north by Cheshire, a detached part of Flintshire and Derbyshire, and on the west by Derby shire, Radnorshire, and Montgomeryshire. Its shape approaches to that of an oval, and it is about 44 miles long from north to south, 28 broad from east to west, and 134 in circumference. It contains 1341 square miles, or 854,240 statute acres, and about 140 inhabit ants to each square mile. This county is divided into fifteen hundreds, which are again subdivided into 229 parishes. It contains 262 churches, of which there are 114 in the diocese of Lichfield and Coventry, 127 in that of Hereford, 12 in that of St. Asaph, 3 in that of Worcester, and 6 in the peculiar jurisdiction of Bridgenorth. Shropshire contains 16 market towns, and sends 12 members to Parliament.
This county presents a very diversified aspect; on the eastern side the surface is partly undulating and tolerably well wooded, exhibiting in many places fer tile and well cultivated districts, enclosed with good hedges. On the western side it exhibits the bold and lofty character of Welsh scenery.
The principal mountain elevations are the Brown Clee Hill, 1805 feet high, and the Titterston Clee Hill in the southern part of the county, both of which are surrounded with much picturesque scenery. The Wrekin is a singular insulated mountain of a sugar loaf form, rising from a plain to the height of 1324 feet. From it there proceeds northward, across the Severn, a range of trap mountains, consisting of the hills of Acton, Burnes, Frodesley, the Lawley, Caer Caradoc, and llope Bowdler hill. These mountains are separ ated by a valley from a singular mass of hills, called the Llonmynd. 1674 feet high. A high rocky track rises between the road from Shrewsbury to Bishop's Castle and the vale or Montgomery, and in the most elevated peak of it, called the Stiperstones, are situated the lead mines.
The principal rher in Shropshire is the Severn, runs through the county from north-west to south-east, and nearly divides it into two parts. It
enters the county front Montgomeryshire at its conflu ence with the N'y rn wy, and running eastward to Shrews bury it bends towards the south, and passing by Wrox eter, 'Aladely, and Bridgenorth, it leaves the county near Bewdley on the borders of Staffordshire and Wor cestershire. It flows about 70 miles within the county, in every part of which it is navigable at all seasons ex cept the height of summer, for barges,trams,wherries, and boats. In this navigation men are employed in stead of horses to draw the barges against the stream. Salmon, pike, flounders, grayling, and eels, are found in the Severn while it flows through Shropshire. The principal streams tributary to the Severn are the Cam let, the Vyrnwy, the Pery, the Meole brook or Rea, the Tern, the Cund brook, the Warr, the Mor brook, the Bore brook, and Dowles brook. The other rivers in the county are the Terne, the Shell-brook, the Elf brook, the Weaver, the Clun, the Morles, the Ony, and the Corve.
The lakes in Shropshire, though numerous, are not of great extent. The largest is that of Ellesmere,which contains about 116 acres; that of Marton Pool con tains 45 acres; and at Shrawardine is a fine lake of 40 acres. The other lakes are Fennymere, Lyncly's-pool, and Ancot. There are many canals and several iron bridges in this county, but we have already given a full account of them in our articles BRIDGE, and NAVI GATION INLAND.
The climate of Shropshire varies with the elevation. On the eastern side, where the land is warm and flat, harvest often begins a fortnight earlier than in the middle of the county, and hay and grain are both gathered earlier there than in the western side. The easterly winds prevail in spring, and the westerly ones in autumn. The former are the most regular, while the latter blow for five or six months strong and fre quent, the other for nearly the same length of time with less violence. The cold of winter is felt very in tensely on the hills in the western part of the county.