The unspoiled county of Shropshire is among the most appealing in England for lovers of architecture. The countys many historic towns of which Shrewsbury & Ludlow are the largest are especially plentiful in Georgian & timber-framed buildings. Shropshires villages intriguingly varied in plan & building materials reflect the diverse landscape of plains hills & moorland & the rich & complex underlying geology. The Cistercian abbey of Buildwas is the finest of several notable monastic ruins & outstanding medieval parish churches & castles are also numerous. Many of the country houses have a central place in the story of English architecture: the fortified mansions at Acton Burnell & Stokesay thirteenth-century design at its most sophisticated; the vigorous Baroque houses of John Prince & Francis Smith; John Nashs Italianate villa at Cronkhill looking like something in a Claude painting; Norman Shaws splendid Late Victorian mansion at Adcote. Shropshire is also unrivalled for its early industrial remains including the spectacular bridge at Coalbrookdale the first in the world to be built of iron. More ancient cultures are represented by the numerous prehistoric hill-forts & the celebrated Roman town at Wroxeter. Each city town or village is treated in a detailed gazetteer. A general introduction provides a historical & artistic overview. Numerous maps & plans over a hundred new colour photographs full indexes & an illustrated glossary help to make this book invaluable as both reference work & guide.