| The Castle Hill affords fine views, and in 1642 Charles I said that the Castle Walk was 'the finest view in his domain'. My favourite part of High Town, however, is around the Cartway, which was the original road between High and Low Town. So steep is it that extra horses were needed to help the stagecoaches up into High Town. Near the bottom stands a fine timbered house built in 1580. It is commonly referred to as Bishop Percy's House, which leads me to think that one way of being remembered is to be born in an attractive house. Of course he is remembered by poetry lovers as the author of "The Relics of Ancient English Poetry" but to many he remains unknown, or at best a vaguely remembered name. Another method of getting from High to Low Town is down the Stoneway steps which lead from Bank Street at the top to Underhill Street at the bottom. But the most novel method of transiting from High to Low, or more importantly from Low to High, is by the Cliff Railway. The gradient is a breathtaking one in one and a half, but the descent is sedate and, for me at least, the journey is always over too soon. At the far end of the High Street stands Northgate, an 18th century building shown left. Low Town tends to live in the shadow of its lofty neighbour in more than a physical sense. In reality Low Town could be a small town in itself. It has a feel of its own and Mill Street even has the look of a small town centre. It is not just the hill that the High Town stands on which makes Bridgnorth the spectacular town it is. Some credit must go to the River Severn, perhaps at its most magnificent as it passes through Low Town. | |
