Bird’s eye view of Shropshire

Forge Property Consultants is fortunate to be based in one of the most naturally beautiful areas of England. Our team of Chartered Surveyors and Valuers provide high-quality and strategic advice on a wide range of property and land matters from our offices in Shropshire and Staffordshire. Our experts work with all types of property, but specialise in agricultural, rural and village properties, and our clients range from private clients to companies and statutory undertakers throughout the UK.

Shropshire has a population of less than half a million

We are primarily a regional firm with our business focus in Shropshire, Staffordshire, Cheshire, the West Midlands, and north and mid-Wales. Our offices are headquartered in West Felton, near Oswestry in Shropshire. According to population, Shropshire is one of the least populous counties in the UK – ranking at 42 out of 48. It’s estimated that as of mid-2018, less than half a million people (493,200) live here. This area is largely rural and the economy for many years has been dominated by agriculture. This is changing however. In recent times the county and its population have come to rely more on a service-orientated economy.

The county town is Shrewsbury, which as a market town has much to offer in terms of leisure and tourism. More is being made of the town’s historical heritage and river frontage, while its geographical position in the road network is making it a key hub for distribution and warehousing. The town of Ludlow is dominated by its castle and Ironbridge, a key site in the development of the industrial revolution, is also popular with tourists. Telford and Shrewsbury are the county’s main retail centres. The county’s waterways, including the Shropshire Union Canal, are also magnets for people spending leisure time in the area.

A landlocked county

Shropshire is completely landlocked and at 3,487 square kilometres (1,346 square miles) is England's largest inland county. A big pull for the county is its outstanding natural landscape for which it is famed. The north of the county is the largely flat North Shropshire Plain, dotted with farms and farmland. The Shropshire Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is located in the south of the county. The region can be traversed on walking trails, including Offa’s Dyke. As in many rural areas, however, revenues from agriculture have fallen. Since 1995, regional gross added value has fallen in the agricultural sector, while industry and services have increased. Farms have seen a need diversify – away from traditional farming – towards leisure and tourism opportunities that are reflected in this revenue shift.

Forge Property Consultants are ideally placed in the county to evaluate this shift, and can advise and recommend suggestions to both buyers and sellers on where investment and business opportunities lie. Our unique combination of local expertise and industry experience makes Forge the first port of call for those requiring specialist knowledge in the rural property sector.