Criggion – Landscape, Church and Radio History

Criggion lies on the northern side of the Breiddon Hills. To the north, the floodplain of the River Severn stretches out, while the landscape around Breidden Hill and Breidden Forest is shaped by paths, nature and an unusually diverse local history. Anyone looking for a holiday let in Criggion can therefore regard the village as a base for different travel interests: landscape experiences, historic architecture and the history of technology are all closely connected as themes, without this implying a single circular route or specific distances.

Landscape, Nature and Public Rights of Way

Breidden Forest and Breidden Hill have an extensive network of public rights of way that connect with the surrounding landscape. This provides a practical reference point for planning your days if you do not want to focus your stay exclusively on visiting places in the village. There is also a public car park in Breidden Forest and Breidden Hill. This allows you to choose between a landscape-focused day and one centred on cultural or technological history when planning your visit.

A particular natural feature is Criggion Quarry. The quarry lies within the Breidden Hills Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). This area was designated primarily because of its rare flora and unusual acid grassland habitats. The designation makes clear that the quarry’s geological history is not the only point of interest here; the special habitats of the Breidden Hills are also significant. For nature enthusiasts, this is an independent consideration when choosing accommodation and putting together excursions.

Church and Local History

One of Criggion’s notable historic features is the Church of St Michael and All Angels. The listed building is classified as Grade II*. The church dates from 1770 and has a chancel extension from the mid-19th century. It also has a west gallery dating from 1840. These individual architectural features give the church a clearly recognisable historical development and provide culturally interested visitors with a specific point of reference in Criggion. If you are travelling with several generations, this architectural and historical aspect can serve well as a quieter counterpoint to an itinerary involving landscape and paths, without committing the entire stay to a single activity.

Criggion and the History of Radio Technology

Criggion’s history also extends into radio technology. Criggion Radio was established in 1940 in response to the fact that the VLF transmitter at Rugby had no reserve facility. Criggion Radio provided worldwide radio coverage in the very-low-frequency range for ships and submarines. Alongside its church and surrounding landscape, the village therefore has a topic rooted in the history of technology that clearly differs from traditional interests in nature or architecture. A trip to Criggion can thus bring together different interests within a family: while some travellers seek landscapes and public rights of way, others may find an unusual reason to engage with the village in its communications history.

The history of the railway also adds to this picture. The Shropshire and Montgomeryshire Light Railway had a branch line to Criggion. The branch line to Criggion Quarry reopened for mineral traffic on 21 February 1912 and for passenger traffic on 27 July 1912. These two complete dates belong to a historical chapter in the link between the railway and the quarry and help place Criggion not only as a landscape destination but also as a location with an industrial past.

Choosing Criggion as a Base

When looking for a holiday let or other accommodation, you should first decide which of these themes will shape your trip. Someone who wants to focus on paths, Breidden Hill and the landscape along the River Severn will plan differently from someone primarily interested in learning more about the Church of St Michael and All Angels, railway history or Criggion Radio. Accommodation in Criggion may fit particularly well into your plans if you choose the village itself as the focus of your trip and want to view its different facets not as a simple list of attractions, but as a connected local history.

For further travel ideas, you can also visit the pages for Craven Arms, Llanyblodwel, Alveley, Bishops Castle, Easthope, Highley, Albrighton and Baschurch.

For the overarching travel overview: Shropshire.