The Geology of the Area

The map below shows the reason why the Industrial Revolution happened in north Shropshire, and the relevance of the position of Oakengates in that time. The rocks to the left of the map are older than those to the right, and rose from the earth's surface first. The red colours indicate volcanic activity, and some can be seen west of The Long Mynd, around the Stiperstones area. The Long Mynd itself is made of PreCambrian rock, i.e. the oldest rock known, and it was in Shropshire around this area that much geology was researched. You can imagine Oakengates on the primaeval coastline, with tropical seas to the East and North. The gray colour represents workable coal, which is close to the surface, whilst the brown is less productive coal measures. Wenlock Edge consists of limestone (blue), as does Lilleshall, just to the north of Oakengates.   

Oakengates town itself stands on a band of boulder clay and sand and gravel overlying the Middle Coal Measures. The coal measures outcrop either side of the band - to the southwest between Hartshill, Ketley Bank and Hollinswood, and to the northeast between Newfield Farm and Snedshill. The Greyhound and Lightmoor faults cross the Coal Measures from southwest to northeast - southeast of the faults, on the eastern side of the dividing band of clay and gravel, the workable coal seams are overlain by the carboniferous sandstones, marl, and mudstones of the Hadley and Coalport formations

The first letters of the place names fall over the site in question

The combination of accessible coal, limestone, iron ore and water power gave the impetus to the industries that built up here, and coupled with ease of shipment down the Severn to Bristol and the sea, it made for a highly powerful combination. As you can see from the map, there were larger coal fields, but they did not have the other advantages. On the map the black line running South west from The Long Mynd is a fault line, which still gives rise to tremors on occasion.