Culture: Hidden history of hills; The forgotten industrial history of Shropshire's Clee Hills is the subject of a new book and exhibition Terry Grimley reports.(Features) From: The Birmingham Post (England) | Date: April 5, 2005 | COPYRIGHT 2005 Birmingham Post & Mail Ltd. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan.  All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group.Copyright information

Byline: Terry Grimley

Driving from Birmingham to Ludlow, you spend about five minutes passing through the incongruously wild terrain of the Clee Hills.

With its panoramic view across the Shropshire landscape and the meandering sheep which make it inadvisable to take your eyes off the road, it may seem the epitome of primeval rural Britain. Yet a century ago this was a scene of intensive industrial activity.

Coal, limestone and basalt were mined and ...