Market Drayton - Sites of Interest

Sites of Interest

The great fire of Drayton destroyed almost 70% of the town in 1651. It was started at a bakery, and quickly spread through the timber buildings. The Buttercross in the centre of the town still has a bell at the top for people to ring if there was ever another fire.

Ancient local sites include: Audley's Cross, Blore Heath, and several Neolithic standing stones, "The Devil's Ring and Finger", just three miles (5 km) from the town.

Other notable landmarks in the area include: Pell Wall Hall, Adderley Hall, Buntingsdale Hall, Salisbury Hill, Tyrley Locks on the Shropshire Union Canal and the Thomas Telford designed aqueduct. Fordhall Farm, which consists of 140 acres (0.57 km2) of community-owned organic farmland located off of the A53 between the Müller and Tern Hill roundabouts. The farm trail is open to the public during farm shop opening hours, and included along the path is the site of Fordhall Castle, an ancient motte and bailey structure which overlooks the River Tern valley.

To the south-east near the A529 an eighteenth-century farmhouse stands on the site of Tyrley Castle, which was probably built soon after 1066 and later rebuilt in stone in the thirteenth century.

Many of the streets in the town are named after famous castles, such as Balmoral Drive, Caernavon Close, Windsor Drive, Warwick Close, and many others.

• Aqueduct

• St. Mary's Church

• St. Mary's Church

• Tyrley Locks

• Pell Wall Hall