Shrewsbury (pronounced both Shroozbury and Shrowzbury) is the county town of the county of Shropshire, England. It lies on the River Severn and is 9 miles east of the Welsh border. The town has a Welsh name too, Amwythig.

History
Shrewsbury is mainly popularly known as a medieval town, having been founded c.900 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.

The most popular and well known recipe for Simnel cake is from Shewsbury.

Population
The population of the town of Shrewsbury is approx 72,000 although the population of the borough 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. Five railway lines connect the town to most corners of Shropshire and the town is regarded as the "Gateway to Wales", which is certainly true for those travelling from the West Midlands connurbation to the Principality. 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.

Major Routes
The A5 once ran through the town centre, until a bypass was built in the 1930s. In 1990 a new dual-carriageway bypass was built further out of the town 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).

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 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 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.

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 based in Shrewsbury - the local Shrewsbury Chronicle and the county's Shropshire Star.

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 developments currently under construction in the town, mainly residential (the town is becoming a place where many commuters who travel to Telford, Wolverhampton and Birmingham live). 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.

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 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.

A new Park and Ride car park site is proposed for either Preston or Emstrey, to the east of the town. Alternatively, a new railway station, to be known as "Shrewsbury Parkway", could be built at the Preston location, for commuters going out of Shrewsbury towards Telford and Wolverhampton as well as people travelling into town. As of present, plans are only at an early stage.

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.

Photo Gallery Shrewsbury