Atcham

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Many thanks to the The Mytton and Mermaid Hotel for facilitating this camera's location and to the Severn Rivers Trust for capitally funding its installation.  The original construction of the first bridge in Atcham, spanning the River Severn (England's longest river), took place between 1200 and 1222 under the supervision of the Abbot of Lilleshall. To generate revenue, the Abbot imposed a toll of one penny on each loaded cart passing over the bridge. This led to a legal dispute with the residents of Shrewsbury. In 1540, a gentleman named Leland crossed the Atcham bridge, describing it as a "fair stone bridge on the Severn" en route to the Roman remains of Wroxeter.
During the Civil War in 1642, Atcham boasted a fortified stone bridge consisting of 18 arches, which was strategically utilized by the Royalists. However, in 1768, the bridge was destroyed by ice. The magnificent disused bridge that still stands today was then constructed by John Gwynne, a renowned architect from Shrewsbury. Subsequently, in 1929, the present-day bridge at Atcham was erected.Atcham is home to the sole church in England dedicated to Saint Eata, the Bishop of Hexham. The reason behind this dedication remains unclear, as there is no written record of Eata having ventured so far south. Nevertheless, a crop photograph from the 1970s captured a field in Attingham Park, revealing the site of a Saxon palace resembling one excavated near Hexham. The name "Atcham" is a contraction of "Attingham," signifying "the home of Eata's people." The church building itself dates back to the 11th century.RAF Atcham, a local airfield, was utilized by an American training unit for a significant portion of World War II. It served as a training ground for fighter pilots from the United States, employing P-47 Thunderbolts initially and later P-38 Lightnings. Tragically, nearly 50 pilots were lost in accidents associated with operations from this airfield.Notable landmarks in Atcham include Attingham Park, formerly the seat of the Berwick barons until the title became extinct in 1953. The hall at Attingham Park now serves as the regional headquarters of the National Trust, while the Shropshire office of Natural England is also situated on the estate. Adjacent to Attingham Park lies Home Farm, Attingham, which operates as a separate entity from the hall and functions as a family-run organic farm and public tearoom.The older of the two bridges in Atcham, commonly known as Atcham Bridge, was constructed between 1769 and 1771 by John Gwynn. The newer bridge, opened in 1929, carries the old A5 (B4380) road across the River Severn. The village accommodates a public house named The Mytton & Mermaid, which was previously owned by Clough Williams-Ellis and served as a staging post to his iconic Italianate village of Portmeirion.Unfortunately, Atcham has witnessed the closure of its school, post office, and petrol station, with only a former garage remaining as a small car sales and repair business. The village hall, known as the Malthouse, is a timber-framed structure dating back to the 17th century. Initially intended as a malt house, it was later converted into a carpenter's shop for the Attingham estate in the 19th century. After undergoing restoration, it was inaugurated as the village hall in 1925, dedicated to the memory of the men from Atcham who lost their lives in the First World War. The hall features a sprung floor that was acquired from a dance hall in Shrewsbury.Located just outside the parish to the east is the village of Wroxeter, formerly a Roman town and currently home to one of Shropshire's commercial vineyards. Additionally, the Atcham Business Park/Industrial Estate occupies the site of the old airfield. Despite its name, the industrial estate falls within the neighboring civil parish of Wroxeter and Uppington, though after boundary changes by the Diocese of Lichfield, it is now within the ecclesiastical parish of Atcham.