Fords and Ford Place-Names in Shropshire
Main Page | Major Names | Minor Names | Modern Fords | Non-Topographic Names |
Welcome to my web-page devoted to fords, ferries
and ford place-names in Shropshire. It contains information about
past and present fords - the past ones have been replaced by bridges
and the ford is remembered in the place name. The present ones are
still there. Unlike the neighbouring counties of Hereford and Stafford,
the county town of Shropshire is a "burgh" (Shrewsbury) not a ford. This
means that the most important ford names in the county are those of hundreds.
Hundred Meeting Places. Both these fords have long since been replaced
by bridges.
1. FORD The meeting place of Ford Hundred was at
the "Welshman's Ford" where the road from Shrewsbury to Welshpool crossed the
Cardeston brook. Ford Hundred replaced the Domesday hundred of Ruesset which had
met near Alberbury. In the later 16th century, the meeting place varied but it
was frequently held at Westbury.
2. BRADFORD The meeting place of Bradford Hundred
until the early 17th century, was the "broad-ford" at the crossing of the river Roden
by the Shrewsbury to High Ercall road. Bradford hundred was created from the Domesday
hundreds of Hodnet and Wrockwardine. It was divided into North Bradford and South
Bradford around 1600 and shortly afterwards the meeting place was moved from Bradford
Bridge to Wellington.
The remaining sections are work-in-progress and more information will be added
to this site as and when it becomes available.
Major Place-names - those of parishes
and Domesday Manors. In most cases these fords have been replaced by bridges.
Minor Place-names - those of hamlets,
farms and bridges. These fords have been replaced by bridges. Others similar
sites which are still fords appear in the next section.
Present-day fords
This gives a list of the fords to be found in Shropshire today.
Non-topographic Ford Place-names
Some of the ford place-names are not topographic and so never indicated
the presence of a ford. The most notable of these is "Telford" - the new
town named after the engineer Thomas Telford - but there are many others.