| Although they do not compare in size to that other lake district further north, they do add yet another natural attraction to the county, and I have yet to drive past the Mere during the daytime, no matter what weather or time of year, and not see cars at the roadside with their occupants either feeding the large variety of birds the mere attracts or simply admiring the view. The history of Ellesmere goes back to Saxon times when its manor belonged to the earls of Mercia. After the Norman Conquest it was initially the property of the Norman earl of Shrewsbury. The meres were formed by retreating glaciers, or at least that is what experts want us to believe. As most Salopians know, the truth is that there was once an old woman who locked her well to prevent her neighbour from using it. The well eventually overflowed, drowned the mean old woman and formed the mere. The town itself is a pleasant place, predominantly of red brick buildings. In its small centre is the Town Hall built in 1933 with, originally, an open ground floor. From the town centre the various streets lead off, each with sufficient examples of timber-framed or Georgian red brick buildings to make a stroll around this small North Shropshire town an enjoyable experience. The church of St. Mary stands above the street leading down to the Mere. It is an impressive building., mainly rebuilt in the mid 19th century but with sufficient older parts to make a visit interesting. To the west and north-west are Duddleston, Duddleston Heath, and many more similar hamlets with a warren of country lanes to make the area a pleasure to drive. | |
