History of the Hotel
The village of Atcham is situated on the old A5 Roman Road approximately 3 miles to the East of Shrewsbury. The Manor of Atcham was held in pre-conquest times by the church of St Almond in Shrewsbury. Subsequently the Abbot of Lilleshall assumed ownership before the Abbey was dissolved in 1539. The Atcham Estate passed through the ownership of several purchasers before it was acquired by one Richard Hill in the 18th Century.
The Hotel is a grade II listed Building, built in 1735 standing on the banks of the River Severn, whose crypt is reputed to lead to a secret tunnel linking the building with the St Eata's church. The Inn, whose origins lie in the days of the mail coach, is steeped in history. From the early 18th century the Inn was known as the Talbot Arms - name derived from the Earls of Shrewsbury.
The property was rebuilt during the mail coach era and became a stopping point on route to Holyhead and Ireland. In the 1830's the name of the Inn was changed to that of the Berwick Arms when it came within the same ownership as Attingham Park, an estate which was secured and developed by Lord Berwick. In the 1860's the development of the railways lead to the decline of coaching Inns and the property reverted to the name of Atcham House and private ownership.
In the 1930's the house was purchased by Sir Clough Williams Ellis, the architect whose name is linked with Portmerion in North Wales. The building was converted to a hotel and assumed the name of The Mytton and Mermaid. The name Mytton derived from that of the local squire who squandered his fortune, whilst the Mermaid is the crest of the Portmerion hotel.
The hotel enjoys spectacular views over England's longest river. The entrance to Attingham Park and the imposing 18th Century stone bridge which ceased to take traffic when the present road bridge was constructed in the 1920's. The hotel bedrooms are en-suite and have been tastefully decorated whilst maintaining their own individual charm and character.
Atcham Bridge
The first bridge built at Atcham over the River Severn (England's Longest River) was constructed between 1200 and 1222 by the Abbot of Lilleshall. The Abbot demanded a Toll of One Penny for every laden cart which passed over the bridge. This led to a legal dispute with the Townspeople of Shrewsbury.
A gentleman by the name of Leland passed over a bridge at Atcham in 1540 which he described as ‘a fayre stone bridge on the Severne to pass towards the Roman remains of Wroxeter’. During the Civil War in 1642 there was a stone bridge at Atcham comprising of 18 arches. This bridge was fortified by the Royalists.
In 1768 the bridge was destroyed by ice and the magnificent disused bridge, which is still standing, was constructed by John Gwynne, a famous Shrewsbury Architect. John Gwynne is reputed to have befriended the famous Doctor Samuel Johnson. The present bridge at Atcham was constructed in 1929. All the A5 traffic to Shrewsbury passed over this bridge before the motorway link was constructed in the early 1990`s.