The ancient Parish of Stowe consists of the hamlet of Stowe, the Northern edge of Knighton, large woodlands of great antiquity, and a huge tract of upland agricultural land given over mainly to beef and sheep farms, all within the Shropshire Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Stowe is located halfway down the Welsh Border, on the English side.
The adjacent town of Knighton, with a population of about 2,000, is the principal local settlement. In this locality, the border runs along the river Teme, or at least where the Teme used to run. In the nineteenth century, the river was diverted to allow the construction of the railway line and station. Some believe that the border runs through the station with one platform on each side; this is a very romantic notion, but not true. The border actually runs across the station car park, so the whole of the station itself is within the English parish of Stowe. Kinsley Road, on the Northern edge of the town is also in Stowe, as is a single house on the other side of the river, in Mill Green, near the former Teme Mill which is set back a little from its neighbours!
The border is a little fluid in other ways. The old Welsh county of Radnorshire (now part of Powys) in which Knighton Lies, was never thought as being Welsh by most of its inhabitants. English has always been spoken as the principal language in this old shire.
The parish, although geographically large, contains too few residents to warrant a full parish council. Instead, the parish is represented by an elected voluntary Chairman supported by a part-time Clerk. The current Chairman is Connor Birch, and the current Clerk is Peter Lambert.
The parish operates a small charity called the Poor’s Land Trust, established in 1974. It has three trustees.
Those who know something relevant, please submit more information for inclusion in this site, thanks a bundle. Connor, Parish Chairman.
Connor
