| Little Stretton | |
|---|---|
 The thatched All Saints' church in the village | |
  Little Stretton Location withinShropshire | |
| OS grid reference | SO443917 |
| • London | 158 miles (254 km) |
| Civil parish | |
| Unitary authority | |
| Ceremonial county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | CHURCH STRETTON |
| Postcode district | SY6 |
| Dialling code | 01694 |
| Police | West Mercia |
| Fire | Shropshire |
| Ambulance | West Midlands |
| UK Parliament | |
| |
Little Stretton is a village and formercivil parish, now in the parish ofChurch Stretton, in theShropshire district, in the ceremonial county ofShropshire, England. In 1961 the parish had a population of 80.[1] Little Stretton became a civil parish in 1899 being formed from Church Stretton, on 1 April 1966 the parish was abolished and merged with Church Stretton.[2]
It is located in theShropshire Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty between theLong Mynd and Ragleth Hill. Lying on the B5477 south of the market town ofChurch Stretton; similarly, the small village ofAll Stretton lies to the north of Church Stretton on the same road. Amilestone in the centre of the village on the B5477, which is called Ludlow Road at this point, indicates thatLudlow is 14 miles (23 km) away, to the south. The centre of Church Stretton is 1.3 miles (2.1 km) away via the B5477.
TheQuinny Brook runs from Ashes Hollow through the village and it is a popular place to begin walks up theLong Mynd. The village lies between 590 and 616 feetabove sea level. Ragleth Hill lies immediately to the east of the village, on the other side of theWelsh Marches Line andA49. Little Stretton once had its own railwayhalt:Little Stretton Halt railway station.
To the southwest are the hamlets ofMinton andHamperley, which are part of Church Stretton parish and are included within the parish ward of Little Stretton.[3] The modern-day parish of Church Stretton is sometimes referred to as "Church Stretton and Little Stretton".[4]
The village has a largeConservation Area.[5] There are manyListed buildings and structures in the village.[6]
There is a smallchurch in the village, built in 1903 - "All Saints". It is aChurch of England church and is one of three in theecclesiastical parish of Church Stretton, along with the churches in All Stretton and Church Stretton.[7] The parish is part of theDiocese of Hereford. It is a very unusual church (for England in the present era) for its construction is timber with athatched roof replacing the original corrugated iron roof.[8]
As of 2012, there are approximately 110 dwellings in the village. Little Stretton today has twopublic houses: theGreen Dragon and theRagleth Inn (historically the "Sun Inn"), both of which serve a wide range of localreal ales.[9]
Half a mile to the north are the earthwork remains of the 12th-centuryBrockhurst Castle. It is situated on private land with no public access.
Novelist and short story writerBeatrice Harraden (1864-1936) spent summer holidays lodging at the Green Dragon, inspiring her short storyAt the Green Dragon (published 1894).[10]
Oliver Sandys (1892-1964), widow ofCaradoc Evans and a novelist in her own right, lived at the Ancient House, across the road from the church, from the 1950s. A later novel,Quaint Place (1952) was set in this area.[11]
The poetPeter Reading (1946–2011) lived in the village.[12]
The horologist Charles Jendon was a well-known figure in the village for many years; his knowledge of long-case clocks was well known to many specialists in the field.[citation needed]
The music critic Ephriam Monk, who championed the early work of Lionel Crill, who himself was a pioneer in the use of thetheremin in classical music, lived in the village between 1952 and 1959.[citation needed]
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Media related toLittle Stretton, Shropshire at Wikimedia Commons