the Long Mountain was the principal route between Shrewsbury and Newtown, and was still used as an alternative route to Welshpool up to the 1820s. In 1870–72, Westbury was described by John Marius Wilson's Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales like this: "WESTBURY, a township and a parish in Atcham district, Salop. The township lies on the Shrewsbury and Welshpool railway, 11½ miles W by S of Shrewsbury; contains a village of its own name; and has a post-office under Shrewsbury, and a r[ailway]. station. Real property, £6,174; of which £200 are in mines. Pop[ulation]. in 1851, 1,497; in 1861, 1,655. Houses, 298. The property is not much divided. The parish includes Minsterley chapelry, and forms a sub-district. Acres, 11,274. Rated property in 1869, £16,158. Pop., 2,545. Houses, 476. The living is a rectory in the diocese of Hereford. Value, £766. Patron, R. Cholmondeley, Esq. The church is good. The p[erpetual]. curacy of Minsterley is a separate benefice. There are dissenting chapels, an endowed school with £30 a year, and charities £44." In 1831 the dominating occupation was working in agriculture and farming. There were no manufacturing jobs in 1831. In 2001 there were 80, which decreased to 52 in 2011. Several coal and lead mines were being worked near Shrewsbury and Westbury at the former time. Many collieries were closed by 1921, with the last closing in 1941. Railways Previously served by Westbury station on the Cambrian Line. The station closed in 1960. Notable people Henry Stafford, 1st Baron Stafford (1501-1563), died at Caus Castle in the parish. Sir Thomas Higgons (c1624-1691), politician and diplomat, was son of a Rector of Westbury. Elhanan Bicknell (1788-1861), London art collector, lived at Caus in the parish for a year to learn farming. William Cureton (1808-1864), Orientalist, was born at Westbury. John Edmund Severne (1826-1899), Conservative politician, lived at Wallop Hall in Westbury parish, buried in Westbury Churchyard. John Doogan (1853-1940), Victoria Cross recipient, was living at Cause Mountain in Westbury parish in 1911. Sir Smith Child, 2nd Baronet (1880-1958), Conservative politician and former army officer, lived at Whitton Hall in the parish and is buried in Westbury Churchyard. See also Listed buildings in Westbury, Shropshire References External links Shropshire Council webpage Civil parishes in Shropshire Villages in Shropshire Shrewsbury and Atcham