The River Severn is a wild and elusive mistress that plays by her own rules. The United Kingdom is home to some positively wily bodies of water but the Severn is one that is nearly impossible to tame. It simply runs its course wherever it pleases even cutting through wide swathes of land that make up major towns. There are several towns in England that are split up in much the same way as Venice but Bridgnorth, located in the county of Shropshire, is in the running for the most bold and brazen display of nature's raw power. There is both an Upper Town and Lower Town in Bridgnorth because of the interrupting flow of the River Severn and the description of upper and lower don't simply apply to north and south. Rather, the Upper Town is at a higher elevation than the Lower Town and some of this discrepancy is due to the raw power of erosion on behalf of the Severn.

Most historians agree that Bridgnorth as we know it probably originated as two different, distinct towns on either side of the river. This makes sense because the town is seemingly named after the original bridge that was erected to connect the two landmasses. Either way, the towns must have gotten along fairly "swimmingly" because they didn't go to war and instead seemed to have amalgamated into one happy family. This happy family didn't have particularly happy days at first, though, because wars erupted throughout the land during this time as Normans, Danes, and Welsh people fought endlessly over control of this young and burgeoning continent. A visitor to Bridgnorth today can still see some remnants from these frightful days including churches built under the control of William the Conqueror and castles constructed for Henry II. By the time the Henrys and the Charleses came into play Bridgnorth was a relatively safe and stable place to raise a family.

The reason that Bridgnorth was desired so much by so many different people has much to do with its great strategic location. Its centralized placement in the country helps to make it a hub of sorts and its waterway accesses make it a great destination and shipping point for goods of any manner. The longing to control Bridgnorth has been strong in the hearts of countless nations and even Adolf Hitler expressed hope at winning this prize. Documents have been discovered that detailed certain parts of the town as locations for future sites of German intelligence. A read through these papers make it evident that Hitler wished to make Bridgnorth a headquarters for Germany within Britain. It is certainly a good thing that he was ultimately vanquished or the quaint, peaceful demeanor of today's Bridgnorth would certainly have a much more ominous air! All the same, Bridgnorth is a town that seems to call upon the hearts of us all. Many folks who have strolled across town have become permanent residents and the risk of this should be made clear to anyone preparing a visit to the town.

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