Great Bolas
| Great Bolas | |
|---|---|
 Great Bolas bridge over the River Meese, near the hamlet of Meeson |
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 Great Bolas
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| Great Bolas shown within Shropshire | |
| Population | 320 (2001) |
| OS grid reference | SJ648214 |
| Civil parish | |
| Unitary authority | |
| Ceremonial county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | TELFORD |
| Postcode district | TF6 |
| Dialling code | 01952 |
| Police | West Mercia |
| Fire | Shropshire |
| Ambulance | West Midlands |
| EU Parliament | West Midlands |
| UK Parliament | |
Great Bolas, or Bolas Magna, is a small village in rural Shropshire, England. It is situated north-west of the town of Newport, and about eight miles north of Telford. It is part of the civil parish of Waters Upton. It is situated at the confluence of the Tern and the small River Meese. There is a hamlet called Little Bolas a short distance to the west. Another hamlet called Meeson, south of the River Meese, was formerly a separate township of Great Bolas parish.
The placename is attested in medieval documents since c.1200 as Boulewas, Bouldwas, Boulwas and similar forms. It is believed to derive from a compound whose second element was the Old English word wæsse (Middle English was), possibly meaning 'a riverside place that is prone to quick flooding'; this element is thought to appear also in the names Alrewas, Broadwas, Buildwas, Hopwas, Rotherwas and Sugwas. The first element has been identified as either a form of Old English *bogel 'little bend', or of Old English bold 'house'.
The Domesday Book does not mention Great Bolas, as at that time it was part of the manor of Isombridge, held by Ralph de Mortimer of Earl Roger de Montgomery. It was either him, or his son Earl Hugh who founded the Forestership of Shropshire. The chief forester of Shropshire lived in Great Bolas, and the Foresters of Shropshire were known as the "Foresters of Bolas". Great Bolas was once part of an Ecclesiastical Parish, and later became part of the civil Parish of Waters Upton.
In 1284, Great Bolas was owned by one of the foresters who looked after the Royal Forest of Wrekin, a twice yearly court and gallows were set up making the village important in the surrounding area. In 1881 the village had a rectory, a school, grave yard, a corn mill named Bolas Mill, post office, a pump and two wells along with St John’s Church. By 1901, Manor Farm was built as well as an extra pump. By 1926 a Parish room was added and Bolas House was extended. Bolas Mill is now disused but the building remains standing. In 1971, Manor Farm changed its name to Bolas Manor and the River Meese’s course was also straightened.
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