Glimpses of Cross Houses

The sun was shining brightly this morning, so I decided to take my camera with me on my walk to give you a brief tour of Cross Houses, the village we moved two just two weeks ago.

The local petrol station/post office and county store.

After a quick stop at the post office, I walked through the fields along a public footpath towards the village of Berrington, which is even smaller than Cross Houses.
One thing I find truly unique to the UK is the existence of public footpaths, legal rights of way through private property. They are marked either by this kind of post or by little arrow signs near gates.The old Berrington railway station, built in 1880 as a part of the Severn Valley line, which closed in 1963. The station and building are now a cattery (kennel for cats).

A "kissing gate" along the footpath allowing people to go through but not livestock. This one separates the old train station from the field.

Public footpath to the village of Berrington.
View of The Wrekin (hill) in the distance on the left and Ironbridge, the "Birthplace of the Industrial Revolution", in the distance on the right (you can just make out a smoke stack). Jeff and I visited Ironbridge in January (blog).
Blackberry bushes can be found along almost any path. I helped myself to a container full yesterday.

Back in Cross Houses...

On the same street as our house, is the old maternity hospital, which was originally built as the Atcham Union Workhouse in 1793. A workhouse, also known as a poorhouse, is where poor people would live and work...think Oliver Twist. In 1916 the workhouse became the Berrington War Hospital, then later became a geriatric, maternity and general hospital. Today the buildings have been renovated into offices and flats.

The park and view of the old hospital on the right and old chapel, now the community center, behind the large oak tree.
The three-story town home we're renting.