Visit Shrewsbury

SHREWSBURY IS FULL OF HIGGLEDY-PIGGLEDY STREETS
WITH NAMES YOUR WANT TO SAY OUT LOUD
A RIVER THAT SCOOPS UP THE TOWN IN A LOOP
A MIX OF THE VERY OLD AND THE VERY NEW
THE QUIRKY AND THE ONE-OFF
YOU CAN'T COPY SHREWSBURY...

There can't be many towns with 660 listed buildings, a museum in an old music hall and carved characters peering down at you from a c.1500’s building. And have you heard about Shrewsbury’s 921 years of wine buffs and Darwin’s school days?

Shrewsbury is a one-off and you spot it as soon as you step out of the train station. established by the Saxons, Shrewsbury’s criss-crossing Medieval streets are lined with wonky buildings containing quirky shops and street names that truly tell a story - look out for Butcher Row, Fish Street and Grope Lane.



The River Severn forms an almost perfect loop around the town. One of the best ways to get the lay of the land is to walk from the Welsh Bridge to the English Bridge. Explore the Quarry Park on your way or hitch a ride on the riverboat Sabrina.

If you’re exploring on foot then don’t miss the statue of Charles Darwin outside the library and follow a Darwin Trail around town. Darwin was born in the town and went to Shrewsbury School which was then housed in the library buildings.

Look out for the Quantum Leap sculpture on the riverbank opposite Theatre Severn, which was created to mark Darwin’s 200th birthday.



Hunt down some history at Shrewsbury Castle and Shrewsbury Abbey- the town’s two oldest landmarks, which were both built by Roger de Montgomery, William the Conqueror's right hand man. Visit the four church spires that give Shrewsbury its famous skyline: St. Mary's, St. Alkmund's, St. Chad’s and Shrewsbury Cathedral. St. Mary's has one of the tallest spires in the country and St. Chad's has the largest circular nave and an amazing collection of continental stained glass imported during the Napoleonic period. St Alkmund's was built in Gothic Revival style and its impressive painted east window by Francis Eginton (1795) certainly makes a visit worthwhile.

The very, very old sits alongside the brand new in Shrewsbury Museum and Art Gallery, which reopened in 2014 following a £10.5 million restoration. Look out for temporary exhibitions by contemporary artists alongside artefacts dating back from the Roman times.

The town bustles with events all summer. Catch cartoonists in the square at the Cartoon Festival, the Quarry Park packed with three million blooms for the Flower Show, or the eclectic activities at the Folk Festival.



Head to the Old Market Hall cinema for a cosy night of mainstream, art house, foreign, British and classic films. The cinema sits in the upper floor of the town’s Tudor Market Hall which was once used by cloth dealers to sell Welsh wool. Book early for one of their legendary comfy double seats complete with a glass of wine. 

See the action live on stage at Theatre Severn, which rises high above the river. Better still, take in the views of the town from the balcony with a pre-performance glass of wine. 

Find more information and plan your visit to Shrewsbury at originalshrewsbury.co.uk