The villages of Ash Magna and Ash Parva are situated in a beautiful part of North Shropshire. Just south of Whitchurch, on a glacial ridge from a height of only 130m, they command magnificent views across Shropshire, the plains of Cheshire to the north, east towards Staffordshire and west to the rolling Welsh Hills; all of which can be seen from our Jubilee Walk.
From the Ice Age to the Romans to present day rural village we have a rich history; the more recent 20th century social history is recorded though old photographs in our milliennium book Ash Roots. Three nature reserves in the area preserve our geological, environmental and farming history; Brown Moss Nature Reserve, a wetland site of international importance noted for its rare plantlife; Prees Heath Common Reserve, a heathland site with significant WW1 and WWII history now dedicated to butterfly conservation and where, for six weeks during the summer, you can see the rare Silver-studded Blue; and Melverley Farm Wildflower Meadows owned by Shropshire Wildlife Trust.
Like many rural villages there is a diminishing population of people who were born here and a growing population of people lucky enough to be able to choose to live here. A thriving village pub, The White Lion, is one of the strongest assets. The Bowling Club breeds that special kind of person prepared to battle through all weathers to achieve their goal and the many clubs and societies offer a choice of activities guaranteed to promote “community cohesion”. Add to that a Village Hall community dedicated to the same ends and you can understand why we think this is a very special place.
Residents blog – Find out how the Romans got here; read the history, stories & more ‘bits and pieces’ about us.
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