History
Shrewsbury is a town that is full of history. It’s a market town, and the River Severn passes straight through the middle of it. Due to its rich history, the town contains a number of heritage sites, listed buildings and beautiful churches. A number of these date back to the anglo-Saxons, but with over 600 listed buildings in Shrewsbury, there is plenty to see and do. The most famous of these are the Castle and the Abbey, both of which are fantastic places to visit.
Things to do:
Shrewsbury Castle (https://www.shropshiremuseums.org.uk/shrewsbury-castle/) was originally an Anglo-Saxon build, but the current standing castle originated from Norman times, with extra sections added during the reign of Edward I. Inside the castle, the Shropshire Regimental Museum contains weapons, artefacts and uniforms from wars across the last 300 years, making the castle an enjoyable and incredibly culturally rich place to visit whilst in Shrewsbury.
Shrewsbury Prison (https://www.shrewsburyprison.com) is a Victorian Jail that was only decommissioned in 2013. As well as a guided tour, where a prison officer explains the history of the prison and the lives of the prisoners, the prison also holds an escape room. In this, a prison officer locks participants in a cell, which they then have to escape from. There are also a variety of other options available, such as axe throwing, a self guided tour and different escape room options, such as having to escape the whole prison.
Shrewsbury Abbey (https://www.shrewsburyabbey.com) was founded in 1083 in the place where a Saxon church had originally been. After Henry VIII dissolved the monasteries, the Abbey became a Parish Church, which it still is today. The Abbey hosts a variety of events, and is open to everyone and free to enter.
The town walls walk (https://northamptonshirewalks.co.uk/walks-outside-northamptonshire/walk-117-shrewsbury-town-centre-660-listed-buildings-to-discover/) is a popular walk around the town of Shrewsbury. It’s about two miles long, and takes about an hour without stopping. It allows tourists to see many of the most popular sights, such as the abbey, as well as many of the listed buildings in the town centre.
Another popular thing to do in Shrewsbury is to take a boat down the river Severn. This could be by taking a daily boat trip, run by the Sabrina boat company (https://sabrinaboat.co.uk). It’s possible to book this online, but it may also be possible to book in person, depending on how busy the trip is. This trip takes in many of the famous sights of Shrewsbury, including the Market Hall, the Statue of Hercules, and many well known bridges. Another way to enjoy the river is by hiring a canoe (https://www.shrewsburycanoehire.co.uk). As this needs to be pre-booked, remember to book online before trying to hire the canoe. There are also more canoes, paddleboards and kayaks available to hire from the Quarry Park (https://hireacanoe.com).
Another activity that may interest you in Shrewsbury is the Theatre Severn (https://www.theatresevern.co.uk). It has a variety of interesting shows that change regularly, but examples of what you could watch are Legally Blonde the musical, Oliver, as well as bigger events such as the Shrewsbury International Comedy Festival. Before staying in the chapel, it may be a good idea to check what is on and if there are any tickets left, to make sure you don’t miss anything.
Shrewsbury Market Hall (https://www.shrewsburymarkethall.co.uk) is a marvellous place to go for delicious food and drink, and some amazing hand crafted and unique goods. The hall contains cafes and bars serving everything from bagels to pasta to dumplings to Thai street food. There are also a variety of vegan and gluten free options, so there should be something for everyone. The market hall also runs an array of events, including Late Night events, Winter Warmers and Concerts. To buy in the market, there are plenty of vintage clothes shops, numerous art shops and even florists, so there’s plenty to look around and enjoy.
In Shrewsbury itself, there are hundreds of places to go to find incredible food and drink. From Italians, to vegan restaurants, Shrewsbury has options for everyone, with organic wine bars, historic pubs and even pubs that are believed to be haunted. To find a particular place to eat, it may be a good idea to have a look before you visit, as there are far too many to choose between.
Shrewsbury is an incredible town full of unique shops. The Darwin Centre is a shopping centre in the middle of town, which has a mix of fashion shops, popular shops and cafes, but there are also many independent shops in Shrewsbury, with bookshops, clothes shops, souvenir shops and many more. Be sure to check out some of them whilst you are there!
Suggested Itinerary:
If you are planning on visiting Shrewsbury for a day, then it is best to plan your day before you go, as there is too much to do in just one day! When you get to Shrewsbury, it may be best to start with the town walls walk, as it takes in many of the key sites and museums. On the walk, visit the abbey and castle, and see some of Shrewsbury’s listed buildings. At lunch time, visit one of Shrewsbury’s independent cafes. Then, why not pass some time looking around the shops and markets in the centre of Shrewsbury. If staying for the evening as well, visit another independent restaurant and take a trip to the theatre. If you wish to visit Shrewsbury prison, it may be best to plan your day around this visit, but be sure to still check out some of the heritage sites and history in the centre of Shrewsbury.
Travel
From the chapel, driving to Shrewsbury takes approximately 50 minutes, so it would be best to visit for a day trip, or during your journey to or from the chapel at the beginning or end of your holiday. Ludlow is a 45 minute drive to Shrewsbury, but a train from Ludlow station to Shrewsbury only takes half an hour, so this could be another option for travelling there.