Shrewsbury (England)



Shrewsbury (Welsh: Amwythig) is the county town of Shropshire in England. It is a very traditional market town, with a lot of mediaeval architecture and feel to the town. Historically, Shrewsbury was a vital town in the wool trade with Wales. Due to its extremely good strategic geography, it was used as a garrison town and was part of the "Ring of Iron" of Edward Longshanks. It was the birthplace of naturalist Charles Darwin.

Understand
Shrewsbury is the county town of Shropshire, which is a large and rural county in what is known as the Welsh Marches. The border with Wales is only 9 miles away and there is considerable Welsh influence in the county. As Shrewsbury is the largest town anywhere near most parts of Mid Wales, you may hear Welsh spoken in the streets by some shoppers and daytrippers from over the border. The town even has a Welsh name, and many other towns in Shropshire have Welsh names as well as their English ones.

The correct pronunciation of the town's English name is subject to considerable debate, with some advocating "Shrooze-bury", and others preferring "Shroze-bury". A Latin name for the town, "Salopia", is also often used to refer to either Shrewsbury itself or Shropshire.

The population of the town is 77,000 (2021). It is not the largest town in Shropshire, that is Telford.


 * Visit Shrewsbury tourist information

By train
There are frequent trains from London Euston to Birmingham where there are connections to Shrewsbury.

Shrewsbury acts as an interchange for many rail lines, including the beautiful Heart of Wales line and Cambrian Coastal line and Shrewsbury is easily reached by rail from most of England and Wales. There are frequent services to Manchester, Wolverhampton, Birmingham and Crewe, and other services to Chester, Wrexham, Aberystwyth, Swansea, Pwllheli and Cardiff.

The famous Heart of Wales Line runs between Shrewsbury and the seaside city of Swansea, passing through some of Wales' most spectacular scenery and picturesque towns during its 3 hr 40 min journey.

By car
Access via the M54 from the West Midlands conurbation, then the A5 from Telford. On-street parking is available in the town centre, but it is extremely limited and expensive, therefore Park & Ride schemes operate, which enable the visitor to park outside the town in a large car park, and take a bus costing £2 return per person (children under 16 are free; students of the local college £1, holders of the English concessionary bus pass £1 after 9:30AM), into the town centre. The park & ride bus goes all round the town centre, and has stops outside most attractions, shops, etc. Park & Ride car parks are located at Meole Brace (to the south of the town), Harlescott (to the north), and Oxon (Shelton, to the west). The park and ride service does not operate on a Sunday or bank holidays. There are several cheaper carparks run by the council near the town centre; there is a map and guide to charges available. There is also an NCP car park on Wyle Cop, although this is more expensive than the council car parks.

By bus
Shrewsbury is served by the London - Aberystwyth (route 409) and the London - Shrewsbury (routes 410 and 420) coach services (operated by National Express).

There are various local bus services, mainly linking Shrewsbury with the suburbs and other towns and villages in Shropshire and the surrounding area. No local buses run on Sundays or bank holidays.

Get around
There are Park and Ride services from Oxon, Harlescott and Meole Brace to the town centre and back (see above). Other bus services go from the in the town centre to places in town and further out in the county.

Cabs are available at the train station on Castle Gates. There are numerous local taxi companies.

Roads inside the town centre are busy. There are many car parks a short distance away from the town centre available, e.g. St Julian's Friars, Abbey Foregate and Frankwell (see above).

Further out

 * is a village in a landscape convulsed by 19th century lead mines.
 * is a village in a landscape convulsed by 19th century lead mines.
 * is a village in a landscape convulsed by 19th century lead mines.

Learn
Shrewsbury is home to Shrewsbury School, a public school, where Sir Philip Sydney, Charles Darwin, Michael Palin, John Peel, Nick Hancock and Michael Heseltine were educated. It is on a large commanding site ("Kingsland") just south of the town centre overlooking the loop of the Severn. The school was once located in the town centre, in the buildings that are now the main county library on Castle Street. Opposite it on the other side of the river is Shrewsbury High School, a private mixed (formerly girls) day school. However the vast majority of the town's resident children attend one of the town's seven comprehensive schools.

For further education, Shrewsbury Colleges Group occupies two sites in the town center - named Welsh Bridge Campus and English Bridge Campus, after the bridges they are located next to. Both of these campuses take on the sites of older secondary schools, both in fact containing nationally protected buildings. The college attracts students from many surrounding towns, including Oswestry and Telford. College students can be seen all around the town center on college days, or in the town's train station.

The University Centre Shrewsbury offers a small range of undergraduate and postgraduate degree courses, accredited by the University of Chester. International students are welcomed from around the world. Shrewsbury Colleges Group also provides various Higher Education courses, in the form of HNC and HND courses.

Drink
As a historic town Shrewsbury is well-endowed with traditional pubs serving various beers including real ales, many of which are Shropshire-brewed.
 * Hencote Vineyard 2 miles north of town also has a restaurant and glamping lodges.
 * Hencote Vineyard 2 miles north of town also has a restaurant and glamping lodges.
 * Hencote Vineyard 2 miles north of town also has a restaurant and glamping lodges.
 * Hencote Vineyard 2 miles north of town also has a restaurant and glamping lodges.
 * Hencote Vineyard 2 miles north of town also has a restaurant and glamping lodges.
 * Hencote Vineyard 2 miles north of town also has a restaurant and glamping lodges.
 * Hencote Vineyard 2 miles north of town also has a restaurant and glamping lodges.
 * Hencote Vineyard 2 miles north of town also has a restaurant and glamping lodges.
 * Hencote Vineyard 2 miles north of town also has a restaurant and glamping lodges.
 * Hencote Vineyard 2 miles north of town also has a restaurant and glamping lodges.

Stay safe
Shrewsbury is comparatively safe relative to towns of a similar size; there is rarely a noticeable police presence in the town. Friday/Saturday evenings in the town centre are typical of any modern British town; night life activity is focused in the Claremont St/Bridge St and Raven Meadows area. Visitors should exercise caution when visiting The Quarry area at night.

Go next
Map of places with Wikivoyage articles nearby


 * Telford
 * Oswestry
 * Wem
 * Welshpool