Shrewsbury
From Freepedia
- For other places with the same name, see Shrewsbury (disambiguation).
Shrewsbury (pronounced either /ˈʃɹuːzbɹiː/ or /ˈʃɹəʊzbɹiː/) is a town of 72,000 in Shropshire, England. It is the county town of Shropshire and the seat of the borough of Shrewsbury and Atcham. It lies on the River Severn and is 9 miles east of the Welsh border - the town has a Welsh name too, Amwythig.
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History
See main article History of Shrewsbury.
Shrewsbury is popularly known as a medieval town, having been founded c.800 and it was during the "late middle ages" (14th/15th Centuries) in which the town was at its height in terms of national importance and wealth. This was mainly due to the wool trade, a major industry at the time, with the rest of Britain and Europe, especially with the River Severn as a trading route.
The town was little affected by the industrial revolution, despite the proximity to Coalbrookdale and Ironbridge, commonly known as the birthplaces of industry.
See also:
- Battle of Shrewsbury (1403) - fought a few miles north of the town centre, at Battlefield.
- Wroxeter Roman City - 5 miles SW of the town lies the (now ruined) Roman city of Viroconium.
Population
The population of the town of Shrewsbury is approx 72,000 although the population of the borough of Shrewsbury and Atcham is higher, at just under 96,000. Shrewsbury is Shropshire's second largest town, after Telford and before Oswestry.
Many A roads, including the A5, meet at the town, making it a notable junction on the UK road network. In 2000 and again in 2002, Shrewsbury unsuccessfully applied for city status. The borough council is expected to apply for city status again, whenever the next round of cities are to be made (normally at a royal occasion).
Within the borough, but not part of the town of Shrewsbury, is the large village of Bayston Hill. This was once a much smaller village but has grown up to become a suburb of the town. It remains, however, a separate entity to the town, with its own parish council, etc. Bayston Hill lies some 3 miles south of the town centre of Shrewsbury and on the A49 and near to the A5. The smaller village of Battlefield, this time to the north of the town, is also considered now as a suburb of the town due to recent growth in the surrounding area.
Attractions
The historic town centre still retains its medieval street pattern and many narrow streets and passages. Some of the passages, especially those which pass through buildings from one street to the next, are called “shuts” (this is because they were once shut at night). Many specialist shops, traditional pubs and local restaurants can be found in the hidden corners, squares and lanes of Shrewsbury. Many of the street names have also remained unchanged in centuries and there are some more unusual names, such as Butcher Row, Longden Coleham, Dogpole, Mardol, Frankwell, Roushill, Grope Lane, Gullet Passage, Murivance, The Dana, Portobello, Shoplatch and Bellstone.There are some very old public houses, which have been continuously open as pubs, such as the Golden Cross (established 1428 - the oldest pub in the town), the Dun Cow and the King's Head.
In the centre of the town lies The Quarry. This 29 acre (120,000 m²) riverside park attracts thousands of people throughout the year and is enjoyed as a place of recreation. The town is known as the town of flowers and this is the motto printed onto many of the signs as you enter the town on major roads.
Shrewsbury is home to one of the largest and oldest horticultural events in the UK - the annual Shrewsbury Flower Show (Shrewsbury Flower Show website). A two day event, the Flower Show takes place in mid August, has been running for more than 125 years, and attracts around 100,000 visitors each year. Set in the Quarry park, there are a multitude of events, exhibitions and displays, with a magnificent fireworks display at the end of each day. Some people dislike the fact that there is an admission charge to enter the park during the flower show, as there is usually no admission for entering the park. Keen residents could (and have) sailed dingheys across the River Severn from the historic Royal Shrewsbury Boat Club to gain entry for free.
The town is host to the Shrewsbury International Music Festival, when musical groups from all over the world come to perform for about a week for local residents, and give a final concert in the Abbey. The festival is organized by WorldStage Tours.
The tourist information centre is at the Music Hall on The Square in the town centre. The three main museums are Rowley's House, Shrewsbury Castle (including the Shropshire Regimental Museum) and the Coleham Pumping Station. Also there is the art gallery at Rowley's House, the Gateway arts and drama centre and there are also various private galleries and art shops around the town. The town is also noted for its antique shops as well as music specialists.
Transportation
Shrewsbury is the county's public transportation hub. Five railway lines connect the town to most corners of Shropshire and the town is regarded as the "Gateway to Wales". Its railway station is served by Arriva Trains Wales and Central Trains.
Bus services are operated by Arriva and serve most parts of the town, congregating at the town's bus station adjacent to the Darwin Shopping Centre and a short stroll from the railway station. Arriva also operate county services both independent of and on behalf of Shropshire County Council.
Shrewsbury has a Park and Ride bus scheme in operation and three car parks on the edge of town are used by many who want to travel into the town centre. The three car parks are located at Harlescott (to the north, coloured orange), Oxon (to the west, coloured brown) and Meole Brace (to the south, coloured green). It is proposed that a fourth one be built to the east of the town, at either Emstrey or Preston.
Major Routes
The A5 once ran through the town centre, until a bypass was built in the 1930s. The A5/A49 seventeen-mile £79m dual-carriageway Telford-Shrewsbury Bypass was built further out of the town, opening in August 1992, and the A5 is now taken via this route. It runs to the south of the town. The A49 now meets up with the new A5 north of Bayston Hill (3 miles south of the town centre) and merges with it for 3 miles before separating again to the east of the town. From there it runs north, passing Sundorne then Battlefield, before heading out towards Whitchurch. At Battlefield the A53 route begins and heads northeast towards Shawbury and Market Drayton.
The A458 (Welshpool-Bridgnorth) runs through the town centre though, entering in the west and leaving to the southeast. The A528 begins in the town centre and heads north, heading for Ellesmere. The A488 begins just west of the town centre in Frankwell and heads out to Bishop's Castle and Clun in the southwest of Shropshire.
The A5112, A5191 and A5064 are all internal roads of the town - the A5191 goes north-south via the town centre, the A5112 goes north-south to the east of the town centre and the A5064 is a short, 1 mile stretch of road to the southeast of the town centre, called "London Road". The A5124 is the most recently built section of the Shrewsbury bypasses and runs across the northern edge of the town at Battlefield (connecting the A49/A53 to the A528), though it did exist before as Harlescott Lane (which is now unclassified).
Bridges
The town has many bridges, old and new, pedestrian, traffic and rail, which cross the River Severn and the Rea Brook. Here are listed the main ones, from upstream down:
- Frankwell Footbridge (see Frankwell)
- Welsh Bridge - built in the 1790s to replace St George's Bridge
- Porthill Bridge
- Kingsland Bridge
- Greyfriars Bridge
- English Bridge - rebuilt in the 1930s, historically called "Stone Bridge"
Shrewsbury railway station is partially located above the River Severn too.
Future
Shrewsbury won the West Midlands Capital of Enterprise award in 2004. The town has two expanding business parks - the Shrewsbury Business Park and the Battlefield Enterprise Park. There are many residential developments currently under construction in the town to cater for the increasing numbers of people wishing to live in the town and commute to Telford, Wolverhampton and Birmingham. The borough council has also recently added to this building activity in the town, by building the new Guildhall and the council is currently building a large new theatre in Frankwell, a new livestock market at Battlefield and a sports village in Sundorne. A new 75-bed hotel will also be coming to Shrewsbury in November. The Sleep Inn will be located on the site of the Shrewsbury Business Park.
The town centre has two large indoor shopping centres - the 'Pride Hill' and 'Charles Darwin' centres - and the company which owns them has announced plans to expand these two and link them together. Plans for the first phase of this work were approved by the borough council on the 1st February 2005. The approved scheme was for a new 6 storey building to be built on what is currently a surface car park, which will include a night club on the street and centre management offices at the top. On August 13, 2005, it was announced that the new combined shopping centre of Shrewsbury will be called the Castle Gate Shopping Centre, after a public vote.
OFCOM have recently announced that a radio broadcasting license will be granted for a new radio station for the Shrewsbury area. At present 2 groups are expected to compete for the licence, one of them Shrewsbury FM and the other Shrewsbury Local Radio. The successful applicant is expected to begin broadcasting around Summer 2006.
Administrative functions
Shrewsbury is the administrative centre for both Shrewsbury and Atcham Borough and Shropshire County (which does not include the Telford and Wrekin borough, which is now a unitary authority). The County Council have their headquarters in the Shirehall, on Abbey Foregate and the Borough Council have their headquarters in the new Guildhall, on Frankwell Quay. The Borough Council have recently moved from their old Guildhall, "Newport House", which is on Dogpole (a street in the town centre). For an explanation of how the town (and its borough) is run, click here.
The town also serves as the administrative headquarters of the British Army's 5th Division, which has their administrative HQ at the Copthorne Barracks.
Two newspapers are published for Shrewsbury - the Shrewsbury Chronicle and the local edition of the county's Shropshire Star.
Suburbs of the town
Suburbs and districts surrounding the town centre:
North:
Ditherington - location of the first iron framed building in the world
Castlefields
Sundorne - location of the Shrewsbury Sports Village
Harlescott - location of the Shrewsbury Sunday Market
Mount Pleasant
Battlefield - site of the Battle of Shrewsbury 1403
Greenfields
Coton Hill
East:
Underdale
Cherry Orchard
Abbey Foregate
Telford Estate
Monkmoor
Belvidere
South:
Sutton Farm
Reabrook
Sutton Park
Meole Brace
Belle Vue
Coleham
Bayston Hill
West:
Copthorne
Frankwell
Porthill
Kingsland - see also Shrewsbury School
Gains Park
Radbrook
Shelton
Famous residents
- Charles Darwin, son of Robert Darwin was born in Shrewsbury, at The Mount House.
- Robert Clive ("Clive of India") was Mayor and Member of Parliament for Shrewsbury.
- John Gwynn, architect (1713-1786), was born and died in Shrewsbury. The town's English Bridge and the bridge at Atcham were both designed by him.
- William Johnstone Pulteney, once Britain's richest man, was MP for Shrewsbury and lived in apartments at Shrewsbury Castle.
- The 80s pop group T'Pau came from Shrewsbury.
Trivia
Proud Salopians
Story has it that when King Henry VIII created the Church of England he wanted a diocese of Shropshire, with Shrewsbury as the Cathedral City. However the town of Shrewsbury rejected the offer, claiming that it wanted to remain a "first of towns" rather than a second rate city. It is said that this is where the term "Proud Salopians" comes from; a term used for the people of Shrewsbury.
HMP Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury prison is the most overcrowded prison in England and Wales, according to a 2005 report on the UK prison population.
Pronunciation of "Shrewsbury"
The name of the town can be pronounced "Shrooz-bury" or "Shroze-bury". The latter pronunciation is older and is the one favoured by the BBC, although the former seems more logical. Both are heard widely in the town. The "bury" in Shrewsbury is always pronounced as one syllable by natives - "shrews-bree", and is difficult for many, especially Americans.
Shrewsbury and Shropshire
The name "Shrewsbury" comes from the Anglo-Saxon "Scrobbesbyrig". "Byrig" means "fortified place". "Scrobb" could mean shrubs or scrubland, or it could be the name of an Anglo-Saxon chieftain, so the meaning would be "scrubland fort" or "Scrobb's fort". Similarly, the name "Shropshire" evolved from "Scrobbesbyrigscire".
Both Shrewsbury and Shropshire have the same alternative name, Salop, which can be confusing. On some maps, Shropshire is recorded as "Salop", while on milestones in and near to the county, "Salop" refers to Shrewsbury.
Zutphen
Shrewsbury is twinned with Zutphen in the Netherlands.
Simnel cake
The most popular and well known recipe for Simnel cake is from Shewsbury.
Fictional References
The Brother Cadfael novels by Ellis Peters, aka Edith Pargeter, take Shrewsbury Abbey for their setting.
The character William of Baskerville (played by Sean Connery in the movie) in the Umberto Eco book The Name of the Rose was from Shrewsbury.
Shrewsbury Town
In 2004, the local football team, Shrewsbury Town F.C., were promoted to the Football League Division 3 (now called League 2) from the Nationwide Conference. They were in the Conference for just one year and became the first team in 10 years to bounce straight back up just one year after relegation. Their current manager is Gary Peters.
Shrewsbury School
See the main article Shrewsbury School
Shrewsbury School is a leading public school in the country, where Sir Philip Sydney, Charles Darwin, Michael Palin and Michael Heseltine were educated. It is located 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.
Coat of arms
Floreat Salopia - latin; "may Salop flourish" (Salop can mean both Shrewsbury and Shropshire).
This shield is that of the borough of Shrewsbury and Atcham - Shrewsbury's town shield is the same but without the bridge (which is the Atcham Bridge). Shrewsbury, Shrewsbury and Atcham, Shrewsbury Town FC and Shropshire all use the same loggerheads and motto.
External links
- Shrewsbury & Atcham Borough Council
- Shrewsbury Photograph Album
- Shrewsbury Aerial Photos
- Shrewsbury Guide
- Shrewsbury Forum
- Official STFC Web Site
| Towns on the River Severn, UK | edit | |
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Heading downstream: Llanidloes | Newtown | Welshpool | Shrewsbury | Bridgnorth | ||
| Settlements on the River Severn between Llandrinio and Ironbridge (heading downstream) | edit | |
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Llandrinio | Ford | Montford | Shrewsbury | Uffington | Atcham | Wroxeter | Cressage | Buildwas | Ironbridge | ||
Categories: Towns on the River Severn | Towns in Shropshire | Towns of the Welsh Marches | English county towns
