Reply to post: Wow! Go Shrewsbury!

Wow! Go Shrewsbury!

As a Shrewsbury born and bred lad, I'm so happy to see this article on my favourite web site! Thanks VERY much to the author for writing this.

Some more information on the Maltings: It was in use a maltings/brewery right up into the late 80s from what I remember. I would walk past it twice a day on my way to school and back (1985-1987). Back then, they brewed Skol lager there.

During WWII, an air raid siren was fitted in the top tower, and this was still in use in the 1970s (I definitely remember it still being in use in 1975/76) as the shift-change siren! You could hear it for miles, all across Shrewsbury. It must have been de-commissioned some time later as it wasn't in use in 80s. I lived on the main road (St. Michaels Street) and we would have heard it for sure!

For visitors: The Maltings stands on the main road heading into the town centre: St. Michaels Street. If you follow this road all the way into the town centre, you'll come to Shrewsbury train station on your left-hand side. Look up. There stands a 900 year old castle, still open to visitors to this day (it's a military museum). Keep going up the same road (it's now called Castle Street, but it's the same road). The road pitches upwards and turns to the right. Look to your right. There stands the huge statue of Charles Darwin, outside (what was then) Shrewsbury School, where he was educated. It's now the public library and worth a visit in its own right. It's beautiful.

Carry on up the road another 100 yards and you're in Shrewsbury town centre. LOOK UP. All the medieval buildings are right there. See if you can find Traitors Gate (where a traitor opened the gate at the river Severn to let the parliamentarians in to do battle with the kings' supporters).

Historically, the town is massive. Make sure you pay a visit to Wyle Cop, and just look at the buildings. Go into the Lion Hotel and have a drink, and ask about the history of the place. It's fascinating.

(I promise I'll shut up in a minute, but it's my home town, and I love it very much, though sadly I don't live there anymore).

For Geeks Guide to Britainers: From the Maltings, if you go in the opposite direction on St. Michaels Street, you'll eventually come to Heathgates. Can't miss it: Big traffic island, and the Heathgates Pub in front of you. Take the first exit on the island on to Whitchurch road. Carry on up the road. Morrisons supermarket is on your left side. When you go past the car-park entrance to Morrisons, immediately after that is the Old Sentinel Works, where the Sentinel company made their steam wagons and road rollers for use all across Britain, and indeed the world. Amazingly, after the Sentinel works closed, it became Rolls Royce (building aircraft engines and the like during WWII right up until the early 80s IIRC, then Vickers Engines, where tank engines and the like were made. TODAY however it is... The Sentinel Works again! A group of enthusiasts have bought the building, and are re-building and renovating steam engines and steam wagons inside the works.

Shrewsbury is a lovely town, and if you go during August, you can visit the Shrewsbury Flower Show (one of the longest running flower shows in the world) which has a lot more going on than just flowers, and has one of the best fireworks displays you'll ever see anywhere in the world.

Tell 'em ForthIsNotDead sent you!

Thanks again to the author!