Walks and Ruins

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Stone endures longer than the ambitions that shaped it. Today moved through layers of history—Roman Wroxeter fading into fields, abbeys destroyed during the Dissolution, church headstones from the 1600s. Between them, Cantlop Bridge: the first iron bridge designed for iron's properties rather than mimicking wood. Standing among these remnants makes quests for power seem pointless. Major urban centers vanish completely. Affluence simply disappears. A reminder of impermanence.

Stone and Time

August 29, 2025

Not much Industrial Revolution in today's outings, but interesting nonetheless.

Started with another walk around Much Wenlock. Small farmer's market in the Guild Hall that was worth browsing.

Drove to Berrington to see an old church. Couldn't get inside, but the churchyard headstones were compelling—oldest from the late 1600s.

From there to Cantlop Bridge, which turned out to be significant. Ironbridge was built like a wooden bridge using wooden techniques. Cantlop was the first iron bridge designed to take advantage of iron's actual characteristics—not nearly so overbuilt, using the material strategically and economically.

Next stop: Wroxeter, an ancient Roman city that was once the regional capital. Now it's ruins and a reconstructed villa that gives you some sense of how they lived. Standing there, you realize how completely a major urban center can just fade away.

Lunch at Mytton & Mermaid along the river. Beautiful location, good food, interesting bridges nearby.

Working our way back home, we stopped at the edge of a valley for coffee. Pretty idyllic spot.

Then Buildwas Abbey—more interesting ruins. Back in Much Wenlock, I walked to Wenlock Priory, a much larger abbey practically next door to where we're staying.

Finished the day photographing inside the nearby Anglican church.

Today was a reminder of impermanence. Examples of affluence and wealth that are simply gone—sometimes fading away like the Roman city at Wroxeter, sometimes abruptly destroyed like the abbeys during the Dissolution.

Quests for extraordinary power seem silly and pointless when you're standing in what's left of them. Probably should be embarrassing. The stone endures longer than the ambitions that shaped it.

Images can be found here ... https://beloretrato0.picflow.com/d43bka91mw/swe896p6w5

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