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| Castle Gates House - late 16th century |
Last week we had to jaunt up to Shropshire for Kevin to attend an interview. It was a tiring trip in the dark on a Monday night after putting in a full day of commuting and working - close to four hours of driving. Thus we arrived without being able to see much of our surroundings until the following morning.
It's been some time since we've stayed in a 'traditional' B&B and it was clean and comfortable with a wonderful host, but very dated and cramped and not exactly cheap. It reminded me of my first trip to Britain in the 80s. Thank goodness there are choices these days.
While Kevin was put through his paces over four hours I was at leisure to explore Shrewsbury. What a nice town.
It's completely encircled by the River Severn and its most famous son was Charles Darwin.
In addition to a vast number of impressive churches, there's a castle and a very nice green space in the form of The Quarry park and The Dingle.
And then of course there is the Tudor architecture. Lorks a-lordy!
None of your mock Tudor rubbish - these are the real thing, with a number of buildings dating back to the 15th and 16th centuries. There are well over 600 listed properties in this town that has somehow retained pretty much its original medieval street plan.
Cobbled streets, timbered buildings and narrow lanes abound.
Strangely most of the old churches now have commercial cafés housed inside them. I suppose with dwindling congregations you have to be creative in earning the funds to maintain and restore.
I chose to lunch at The Golden Cross, and was initially attracted by its gorgeous exterior. On closer inspection I discovered it was even more lovely inside. What's more it had no fewer than five vegetarian dishes on the menu!
What an absolute find! I had one of the tastiest meals I've ever eaten in the UK, and the soft lighting, tinkling music and excellent service made the whole experience a real pleasure.
I spent more than four hours wandering around Shrewsbury and barely scratched the surface for interesting things to do and see. It's a town fairly unique not only for its architecture but also the fact that most of its shops are independent, rather than the monotonous string of chain retailers that you find everywhere else in the UK. Such a pleasurable change.
There are lots of good pubs and restaurants, and a market hall housing a charmingly old-fashioned array of fresh produce stalls as well as hand-made goods and pop-up cafés.
The thing that struck me most soundly however was how friendly everybody was. Shrewsbury is full of very pleasant people.
Sadly we won't be moving to Shrewsbury but I enjoyed exploring this lovely town.
Until next time,
- Maree xo
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| The English Bridge, over the River Severn - one of nine bridges that cross the river in the town |
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| Decoration on The English Bridge |
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| St Chad's Church and entry gates to The Quarry |
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| Quarry gates detail |
While Kevin was put through his paces over four hours I was at leisure to explore Shrewsbury. What a nice town.
It's completely encircled by the River Severn and its most famous son was Charles Darwin.
In addition to a vast number of impressive churches, there's a castle and a very nice green space in the form of The Quarry park and The Dingle.
 |
| The Quarry |
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| Crocuses announcing the arrival of Spring |
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| Bronze statue of St Michael, The Quarry |
And then of course there is the Tudor architecture. Lorks a-lordy!
None of your mock Tudor rubbish - these are the real thing, with a number of buildings dating back to the 15th and 16th centuries. There are well over 600 listed properties in this town that has somehow retained pretty much its original medieval street plan.
Cobbled streets, timbered buildings and narrow lanes abound.
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| Golden Cross Passage |
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| The Old Market Hall, The Square |
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| St Mary's Church |
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| The Jesse Window (1345), which was moved to St Mary's Church in 1792 |
I chose to lunch at The Golden Cross, and was initially attracted by its gorgeous exterior. On closer inspection I discovered it was even more lovely inside. What's more it had no fewer than five vegetarian dishes on the menu!
 |
| The Golden Cross - a gorgeous lunch venue! |
What an absolute find! I had one of the tastiest meals I've ever eaten in the UK, and the soft lighting, tinkling music and excellent service made the whole experience a real pleasure.
 |
| Shrewsbury is not just about Tudor architecture - there are also some very fine Georgian and Victorian buildings |
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| Laura's Tower, Shrewsbury Castle |
I spent more than four hours wandering around Shrewsbury and barely scratched the surface for interesting things to do and see. It's a town fairly unique not only for its architecture but also the fact that most of its shops are independent, rather than the monotonous string of chain retailers that you find everywhere else in the UK. Such a pleasurable change.
There are lots of good pubs and restaurants, and a market hall housing a charmingly old-fashioned array of fresh produce stalls as well as hand-made goods and pop-up cafés.
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| Shrewsbury Cathedral (Roman Catholic) |
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| View from Laura's Tower - eastwards |
The thing that struck me most soundly however was how friendly everybody was. Shrewsbury is full of very pleasant people.
Sadly we won't be moving to Shrewsbury but I enjoyed exploring this lovely town.
Until next time,
- Maree xo
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