The Naming of Church Stretton

In the summer of 1686, the Shropshire hills stood silent beneath the weight of history as a royal procession made its way toward Shrewsbury. King James II, with a monarch's duty and a poet's eye for beauty, journeyed through the tranquil villages nestled in the hills, each holding a quiet secret of its own. As the sun set in a blaze of gold, the king’s gaze fell upon a village crowned by a church that seemed to reach the heavens. His whimsy led him to bestow names on three neighbouring villages. Church Stretton, Little Stretton, and All Stretton, each imbued with the spirit of his passing. What began as a royal jest became a legacy etched in the very land itself, forever binding the Strettons to the memory of a king who saw beauty in every corner of his realm.