Bridgnorth is actually two towns in one. The river Severn runs close
to a sheer sandstone cliff upon which High Town perches. Low Town
sits far below on the river banks in almost another world. The two
towns are connected by a river bridge, the ancient Cartway, once the
only link between the two levels, and a Victorian cliff railway, said
to be the steepest in Britain. Close to the cliff edge the keep of
the Norman Castle leans at an angle of 17 degrees, twice that of the
leaning tower of Pisa - the result of undermining by Parliamentarians
during the English Civil War. |
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so many towns in the area Bridgnorth grew up around its
Norman Castle and later became a Severn river port. In this
aerial view it's difficult to visualise the differnce in
height between the two town levels. Over the years up to
seven sets of steps and winding alleys, clinging to the
cliff sides were built to connect the two and these are
fun to explore, taking the Victorian cliff railway for the
return journey. When the steam railway came to town, a special
high level pedestrian bridge had to be constructed to provide
easy access to High Town from the station. This bridge was,
rather foolishly, demolished with the demise of the railway,
but has now been rebuilt, due to success of the Severn Valley
Railway. |
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