Cressage

Cressage is a village and civil parish in Shropshire, England. It lies on the junction of the A458 and B4380 roads and the River Severn flows around its northern boundary. The Royal Mail postcode begins SY5.[2] The parish council is combined with the neighbouring parish of Sheinton. The number of people on Census Day, 21 March 2021: 730.

Cressage
The "Lady Oak" at Cressage
Cressage is located in Shropshire
Cressage
Cressage
Location within Shropshire
Population707 (2011)[1]
OS grid referenceSJ590041
Civil parish
  • Cressage
Unitary authority
Ceremonial county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townShrewsbury
Postcode districtSY5
Dialling code01952
PoliceWest Mercia
FireShropshire
AmbulanceWest Midlands
UK Parliament

History

The village is mentioned in the Domesday Book under the name Christesache. The meaning is "Christ's Oak", and this over time has been corrupted to form the word "Cressage".[3] The oak tree was part of a forest (which no longer exists), and a cutting from it was planted near the village in 1616. This was later relocated due to railway construction.[4]

In 584, Saint Augustine reputedly preached under the Cressage Oak.[4]

On 30 June 2012, the Olympic torch passed through the village on its way to London.

Geography

The Severn Valley Railway once ran through the village calling at Cressage railway station, before the section between Shrewsbury and Bridgnorth was dismantled.[5] The village lies on the intersection of the A458 and the B4380, near to the River Severn. Cressage is 4 miles to the northwest of the nearest town Much Wenlock and is 8 miles southeast of Shrewsbury.

Cressage Bridge lies several hundred metres north of the village and carries the B4380 road over the River Severn. Designed by L.G. Mouchel and built in 1913, it has a hollow construction of reinforced concrete and a span of 170 feet (52 metres).[6] There are two hexagonal brick pill boxes, one on each side of the river, constructed during the Second World War to defend the bridge in the event of enemy invasion.

The parish's war memorial, in the form of a granite 'wheel' or Celtic cross, stands at the village's main road junction on the A458.[7]

Amenities

Cressage had a public house, "The Eagles" which was shut down early 2008, but reopened December 2009. It was once again shut down in early 2015 and sold at auction. It currently remains closed.

The ancient church in Cressage was a chapelry of Cound and was dedicated to St Sampson. Its position close to the river made it liable to flooding and so in 1841 it was replaced by the present building sited somewhat farther from the water. The exact whereabouts of the original church are lost. Anglican church, "Christ Church" is on Harley Road, A458. It holds infrequent services, is normally locked, and is currently in the process of closure. However, burials continue in the graveyard.

There is a primary school, village hall, village shop, social club, and a medical practice.

Notable people

Among the village's well-known inhabitants was Admiral Sir Herbert Annesley Packer, who was born in the village on 9 October 1894.[8]

See also

References
  1. "Civil Parish population 2011".
  2. "Information on Cressage". postcode-info.co.uk. Retrieved 4 May 2008.
  3. Gelling, Margaret (1990). The place-names of Shropshire. English Place-Name Society. p. 103. ISBN 978-0-904889-14-7.
  4. Raven, Michael (2005). A Guide to Shropshire. p. 64. ISBN 0-906114-34-9.
  5. "History". Severn Valley Railway. Archived from the original on 29 April 2008. Retrieved 4 May 2008.
  6. "Shropshire Bridge".
  7. Francis, Peter (2013). Shropshire War Memorials, Sites of Remembrance. YouCaxton. p. 129. ISBN 978-1-909644-11-3.
  8. "Herbert Packer". Cricket Archive. Retrieved 4 May 2008.

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