Shrewsbury

Shrewsbury is a market town that sits in a loop of the River Severn, and boasts around 660 listed buildings. It was likely founded in the eighth century to guard the river crossing on the road from Hereford to Chester and the Normans built a castle here in 1078.

The abbey, just west of the centre, was built slightly later, in 1083, as a  Benedictine Monastery, and has found fame (relatively) recently as the setting for the "Brother Cadfael" novels and TV series. In 1138, the relics of St Winifred were purchased by the abbot and moved to the abbey - an event that features in one of the novels - and it became a centre of pilgrimage.


The round arches are the original Norman. The parts near the camera and also at the far end are newer.

The font was made from an inverted Roman pillar.

In 1800 it was decided a good road was needed between London and Holyhead to facilitate communications with Ireland, and Thomas Telford was appointed to build what we now know as the A5. This was the first major road-building project in Britain since the Romans and involved building the Menai Suspension Bridge. It also involved putting a road through the monastery in Shrewsbury, so while the abbey still stands, most of the rest does not. This photo shows the jagged wall where parts were torn down.


Across the road, a stone pulpit still stands where the refectory used to be.


The remains of Shrewsbury Abbey Station is adjacent. Built by the Potteries, Shrewsbury and North Wales Railway, the railway never reached either the Potteries (i.e., Staffordshire) or North Wales, and in 1880 the line was closed by the Board of Trade because it had been so badly maintained due to lack of income. It did re-open as a light railway in 1911, but closed again 22 years later. It was re-opened for military use in 1941, and closed again in 1960. The station building is well preserved.


North of the abbey is the original road to London, and here we get our first taste of Shrewsbury buildings.

Note the ornate chimneys on the "hospital of the Holy Cross".


Heading west takes us under the extant railway. This is looking back under it, with the abbey beyond it.

Shrewsbury is on a meander of the river, and there have been bridges to west and east for centuries - the Welsh Bridge and the English Bridge. We arrive now at the English Bridge.

Across the river is this Art Deco car park entrance; at one time this was Kennings Ltd, a petrol garage (image here).


From here the road goes steeply uphill.


On top of the hill is the castle. It is quite small, and it is mostly free.


The bit you do have to pay for is a museum about Soldiers of Shropshire.


The castle over looks the station. The line to the left, with the train on it, is to Birmingham, the one to the right to Cardiff. Shrewsbury is something of a railway nexus; north of the station, there are lines to Chester and Crewe, and a route splits off the Cardiff line, going to Aberystwyth.


Note the signal box, the largest surviving mechanical signal box in the world, with a frame accommodating 180 levers. It seems to have been the inspiration for the shopping centre?


The station building is rather fancy. It was built in 1848, and later extended downwards! What is now the ground story was added ca. 1900. I presume the car park area was dug out for the purpose.


It was built in a style to fit the town, and more specifically the nearby school, which is now a library. In front of it is a statue of Darwin, who was born in the town in 1809.


The adjacent "Blower's Repository", built 1901, is also part of the library. Seems to have been a furniture shop, "Blower" being the family name.

Here is the Welsh bridge.


Looking back across the river from the far bank is Quantum Leap, a monument to Darwin, who had absolutely nothing to do with quantum mechanics. Behind it is the Shrewsbury Hotel, a Wetherspoons.


Heading downriver (to the right of the above photo) there is a large park that was looking very parched when we visited.


Beyond the park, the half-timbered building is the park-keeper's lodge, and at one time home to TV personality Percy Thrower. Behind and to the right of that is St Chad's, one of only four circular churches in the UK.

Porthill Suspension Bridge gives pedestrian access to the other side of the river.


In the middle of the park is the Dingle. Originally a quarry, used to build the abbey, it is now a spectacular garden.


A view of the park from near St Chad's.


Following the road from the church east and one arrives at the remains of the city walls. This tower is available for holiday accommodation.


The market hall is not that attractive building, but its clock tower is visible from all round the town - see for example the photo of St Chad's from the park. It was built in 1965, replacing an older Victoria building.

There is also an old market hall - as opposed to the earlier market hall that was demolished. This was completed 1597.


To the north of the town is the Flaxmill Maltings. This was the first building to use iron, rather than wood, for supports, the reason being that the risk of fire would be much reduced. However this technology ultimately led to the construction of skyscrapers, so very much a pioneering building.



The building was served by a railway connection at the back, while at the front was the Shrewsbury Canal, which ran through where the grass now is on the right of the first photo.

Heading back towards the centre is Morris Lubricants. I find it amazing this company has been around over 150 years without changing its name or being bought out or just disappearing. It moved to this site in 1927.


The canal terminated at the back of here, before reaching the river.

To end with, random photos of half-timbered buildings!







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