Along the Moors - Eyton upon the Weald Moors

The Magnificent Eytons

Eyton Hall Around 1900 (courtesy of Shropshire Archives)

Despite its secluded location, the village of Eyton has played a pivotal role in the history of the Weald Moors for many centuries. The tiny settlement, which lies tucked away at the end of a short minor road on the western edge of the moorlands, was the ancestral home of the Eyton family who, as lords of the manor, wielded considerable power and were among the first members of the local gentry to attempt a programme of agricultural improvements in the area. By 1231, their tenants had begun to clear scrub on moorland belonging to the township, which was eventually separated from the huge expanse of the Rough Moor between 1579 and 1580, when Thomas Eyton constructed the Black Dyke. The ancient waterway now forms the boundary between Eyton and Preston parishes but is not the only remnant of the family’s all-pervasive influence, which can be seen in several locations around the village.