Kinnerley (
Welsh: ''Chen-ar-dinlle'') is a small village in
Shropshire
Shropshire (; alternatively Salop; abbreviated in print only as Shrops; demonym Salopian ) is a landlocked historic county in the West Midlands region of England. It is bordered by Wales to the west and the English counties of Cheshire to ...
, England. It lies between the neighbouring villages of
Dovaston and
Pentre
Pentre is a village, Community (Wales), community and electoral ward near Treorchy in the Rhondda valley, falling within the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales. The village's name is taken from the Welsh word Pentref, which translates as ...
and the nearest town is
Oswestry. To the north is the village of
Knockin
Knockin ( cy, Cnwcin) is a village and civil parish in north-west Shropshire, England. It is located on the B4396 road, around south-east of the town of Oswestry, and from the county town of Shrewsbury.
History
The former name of Knockin w ...
.
History
A mile to the south is the
motte and bailey castle known as Belan Bank. The medieval castle was destroyed by Llewelyn, Prince of Wales, during the reign of
Henry III.
John Bridgeman,
Bishop of Chester
The Bishop of Chester is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Chester in the Province of York.
The diocese extends across most of the historic county boundaries of Cheshire, including the Wirral Peninsula and has its see in the ...
, who died in 1652, is buried in St Mary's parish church,
and
Alfred Payne, a first-class cricketer who died in 1927, is buried in the churchyard.
To the north of the village is the site of Lady Ida's Well close to the Weir Brook. It takes its name from
Lady Ida Lumley, wife of
the 4th Earl of Bradford, who discovered a natural water spring in 1895 and championed its health benefits.
Wartime role
In the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...
the area around the village became a top-secret bomb storage depot. Kinnerley was chosen because of its central location within the UK and because it had a railway link. The line was operated by the military (until it was closed in 1960).
The huge site, which had extensive sidings and covered buildings, was created by the
Royal Engineers:
More than 200 huge storage sheds, camouflaged and decked out with turfed roofs, were built around the village of Kinnerley. Each was served by a railway siding which entered each building, allowing the highly dangerous cargo to be unloaded inside.
BBC
The area was heavily guarded and was not declassified until the mid-1950s.
Transport
The village was formerly served by rail with stops at
Kinnerley Junction and
Edgerley Halt, on the now defunct
Shropshire and Montgomeryshire Railway
The Shropshire and Montgomeryshire Light Railway was a railway running from Shrewsbury, England to Llanymynech, Wales, with a branch to Criggion. It was promoted by Holman Fred Stephens, better known as Colonel Stephens, proprietor of several ...
, that ran from 1866 to 1960.
Kinnerley is currently served by the 576 Shrewsbury to Oswestry bus route.
Amenities
The village today has a primary school, a church, a cemetery, a Village Hall, a park, and a shop. Its pub (the ''Cross Keys'') closed in 2014 following a fire.
On 1 October 2015 the pub was purchased as a community asset to be refurbished and re-opened in 2019. It is home to the acting society known as 'The Kinnerley Players' and also has its own football team.
See also
*
Listed buildings in Kinnerley
References
External links
Villages in Shropshire
Civil parishes in Shropshire
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