From Shirehall to Thomas Telford - the Shropshire faces and places which could feature on new UK banknotes

The chosen theme, or themes, will feature across all of the next denominations issued by the bank.

But where, or who, in Shropshire could potentially become the face of a fiver, or see their title on a tenner? 

The bank is remaining tight-lipped on which specific people and places could be included, but Charles Darwin of Shrewsbury, arguably Shropshire's most famous son, has already featured on the £10 note.

Darwin lost his spot on the note when his face was swapped for that of Jane Austen in 2018, after the bank moved over to newer polymer banknotes.

While not technically a son of Shropshire, Thomas Telford is synonymous with the county, having lent his name to its largest town after establishing his early career with a number of major engineering works as Shropshire's county surveyor.

He was due to be immortalised as the face of Scotland's new £10 after topping a public poll in 2016, only to have the accolade swiped away at the last minute by the Royal Bank of Scotland, who suspected voting fraud in the poll, and instead controversially awarded it to Mary Somerville.

And should the bank decide on either nature or architecture and landmarks as its chosen theme, Shropshire would have no shortage of possible contenders to appear on the notes.

Most famously, the county boasts a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Ironbridge Gorge, and is revered for its famous natural landmarks such as the Wrekin and the Shropshire Hills, alongside its array of castles and historic buildings.

Although it might prove controversial, lovers of modernist architecture might suggest Shrewsbury's "iconic" Shirehall building for preservation on a bank note, especially as the building itself is now considered at risk of being slated for demolition.

For contributions to sport and culture, novelist and poet Mary Webb would surely represent the UK in style as the face of the country's currency. Born in Leighton in 1881, she gained local prominence as a teenager when her early poetic work was printed on the pages of the Shrewsbury Chronicle. Two of her most notable pieces of work, Precious Bane and Gone to Earth, were both set in Shropshire.

The county would likely be considered a sporting backwater by some, but the town of Much Wenlock is widely considered home to the modern Olympics, with town surgeon William Penney Brookes credited with founding the Wenlock Olympian Games in 1850, considered a precursor to today's competitions. 

Telford's Captain Matthew Webb could also be considered in with a fair chance of appearing on a note on sporting grounds, having been the first person to successfully swim the English Channel unaided when he accomplished the feat in 1848. A later attempt to swim the rapids at Niagara Falls is less likely to be immortalised however - the effort cost the Dawley man his life in 1883.

Telford United boss Kevin Wilkin might even throw his hat in the ring to become the face of the fiver, having guided the Bucks to a historic promotion from the Southern Premier League last season.

The face of Coalbrookdale-born British ironmaster Abraham Darby might literally fit the bill in the "innovation" category. Darby made his name in his home county, famously building the largest cast-iron structure of his era and the first cast-iron bridge ever built, spanning the River Severn and around which the village of Ironbridge developed.

The Bank of England says the closing dates for suggestions is July 31. Learn more on the bank's website.