Frankwell
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Frankwell, nicknamed the Little Borough by locals, is a district of the town of Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England. The phrase "the little borough" comes from the fact that it is next door to the bigger borough, Shrewsbury, although Frankwell is now truly part of the town.
The district lies to the northwest of the town centre of Shrewsbury and is very old. Like Coleham, Abbey Foregate and Castle Foregate, it is one of Shrewsbury's earliest suburbs which grew up just beyond the town walls.
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[edit] Early origins
Frankwell's origins are connected with the crossing of the River Severn from the meander core which forms the centre of Shrewsbury. Water Lane, which still exists today, led to a ford over the river that was probably a crossing point in the early middle ages. St George's bridge, a fortified and partly inhabited structure, was built in the mid 12th century. This bridge, which also became known as Welsh Bridge in the 13th century, crossed the river from the end of Mardol on the town side to a position close to the former Methodist chapel on the Frankwell side. Although this bridge was demolished in te 1790s, remnants of the foundations and land arches remain.
A number of buildings in Frankwell show evidence of Frankwell's medieval development. 92 Frankwell is the surviving half of a two-bay cruck-framed hall house, and 111-12 Frankwell are a pair of early 15th century semi-detached houses. Boundaries in the oldest part of Frankwell have been strongly influenced by medieval burgage plots approached from the main street through passages.
[edit] Early modern period
Frankwell was highly prosperous in the 16th to 18th centuries. 4-7 Frankwell is an imposing building with ground-floor shops and first- and second- floor workshops above, built in about 1590. 113-14 Frankwell, built around 1620, remains a splendid and imposing half-timbered building. Late 17th and early 18th century buildings, including the 'Anchor' public house, line the corner to the approach to the old Welsh bridge.
[edit] Frankwell today
The new Guildhall of Shrewsbury and Atcham Borough Council is located in Frankwell, on Frankwell Quay.
Frankwell Forge was a small industrial area by the side of the Welsh Bridge, founded in 1878 and closed only recently, in 2004. It closed to make way for the new theatre complex planned for the area. The name of the company which operated the site when it closed was "H and E Davies".
Also in Frankwell is St George's Church and Frankwell Quay (with its small marina and the town's only major permanent flood defences). Two bridges connect the district with the town centre - the historic Welsh Bridge and the modern Frankwell Footbridge. There was once a medieval bridge linking the two, called St George's Bridge, but this was replaced by the Welsh Bridge in the 1790s. The older bridge was about 80 yards upstream of the current Welsh Bridge.
Frankwell recently gained notoriety for the 2006 Brothel Slayings in which 2 women were brutally murdered on the afternoon that England were knocked out of the world cup. The brothel, now closed down, was situated next to the Wheatsheaf pub.
[edit] External links
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