Things to do in Shrewsbury
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Shrewsbury Abbey
Famous as the setting for Ellis Peters' Chronicles of Brother Cadfael, the lovely red-sandstone Shrewsbury Abbey is all that remains of a vast, cruciform Benedictine monastery founded in 1083. Twice the setting for meetings of the English parliament, the Abbey church lost its spire and two wings when the monastery was dissolved in 1540. It sustained further damage in 1826 when engineer Thomas Telford ran the London–Holyhead road right through the grounds. Nevertheless, you can still see some impressive Norman, Early English and Victorian features, including an exceptional 14th-century west window.
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Old Market Hall
Hobnob with the local arts brigade in this posh café-bar in the old drapers hall, underneath a stunning timbered roof and styled to combine city chic with cosy rustic touches. As well as speciality teas, soul-restoring coffees and wines, it serves up a range of sandwiches, wraps, and calorific pastries. It's based in a lively film and media centre.
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Drapers Hall
The sense of history is palpable in this beautifully preserved 16th- century hall, fronted by an elegant Elizabethan facade. Award-wining Anglo-French haute cuisine is served in rooms adorned with wood panelling and artwork, and upstairs are spectacular, heirloom-filled rooms.
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Henry Tudor House
Follow Mary's St into Dogpole and turn right into Wyle Cop, Welsh for 'hilltop'. Henry VII stayed in the seriously overhanging Henry Tudor House before the Battle of Bosworth. At the bottom of Wyle Cop, Welsh for 'hilltop', is the graceful 18th-century English Bridge, which takes you across to Shrewsbury Abbey (E of Town Centre).
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Armoury
There's an irresistibly infectious bonhomie to this converted riverside warehouse. Towering bookshelves, old pictures and curios help straddle the divide between posh restaurant and informal pub, while a plethora of blackboard menus invite you to sample wines, guest ales and hearty British dishes.
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Three Fishes
The quintessential small English alehouse, with a jolly owner, mellow regulars and hops hanging from the 15th-century beamed ceiling. No music here, just real ales on tap and the refreshing atmosphere of a pub that has long been sending smokers outside.
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Cornhouse
A relaxed wine bar and restaurant in a handsome old town house, laid out with white linen and wicker chairs. The menu of inventive modern British food features occasional nods to North Africa.
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Market Hall
The mellow-stone building balancing on chunky legs opposite the tourist office is Shrewsbury's 16th-century Market Hall, hub of the historic wool trade. A few pillars are still dented by rows of holes used to count how many fleeces were sold.
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Shrewsbury Museum & Art Gallery
The stunning timber-framed Tudor merchant's mansion and warehouse in which Shrewsbury Museum & Art Gallery is housed are as much of an attraction as its exhibits, which range from Roman finds to Darwin's times.
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Boat House Inn
Summer evenings are well spent in the riverside beer garden of this otherwise unexceptional pub, enjoying a view back over the sprawling Quarry Park and the baby-sized Port Hill Suspension Bridge, opened in 1922.
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Good Life Wholefood Restaurant
Healthy, freshly prepared vegetarian food is the name of the game AT this cute little refuge off Wyle Cop. Favourites include quiches, nut loaf, salads, soups and veggie lasagne.
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Bear Steps Hall
From the atmospheric Fish Street, steps lead to the 14th-century Bear Steps Hall, now home to a small exhibition space. On the hall's other side is Butcher Row, home to more half-timbered lovelies.
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Peach Tree
A cosy combination of timber-framed antiquity and comfortable modern style, this café-bar also has streetside seating opposite the abbey and can be relied upon for all-day food and drinks.
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Council House Gatehouse & Old Council House
Near the entrance of Shrewsbury Castle is Jacobean-style Council House Gatehouse, dating from 1620, and Old Council House, where the Council of the Welsh Marches used to meet.
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St Mary's Church
Peek inside medieval St Mary's Church, which has one of the highest spires in England and the astonishingly vivid Jesse window of rare mid-14th-century glass.
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C21
A polished city-chic club for over-25s to indulge in late-night cocktails and dance-floor acrobatics. Also home to Shrewsbury's main lesbigay night on Monday.
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Shrewsbury Library
Opposite Shrewsbury Castle is the rather ostentatious Shrewsbury Library, with a statue of Shrewsbury's most famous son, Charles Darwin.
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Grope Lane
The charmingly named and almost claustrophobically narrow Grope Lane features overhanging storeys that seem to close in around you.
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Guided Walking Tours
Guided walking tours leave the tourist office at 14:30 from May to September and at 14:30 Saturday only from November to April.
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Old Market Hall Film & Digital Media Centre
For mainstream and arthouse movies in an Elizabethan setting, try the Old Market Hall Film & Digital Media Centre.
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Shrewsbury Castle & Shropshire Regimental Museum
Terracotta-coloured Shrewsbury Castle houses the stiff-upper-lip Shropshire Regimental Museum and has wonderful views.
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St Chad's
Listen to the cacophonous bells of odd 18th-century round church St Chad's, which dominates the top of Quarry Park.
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Ireland's Mansion
The lordly timber-framed Ireland's Mansion is one of Shrewsbury's most magnificent black-and-white beauties.
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St Mary's Cottage
Take a peek at the tilted 17th-century St Mary's Cottage on your way to Shrewsbury Castle.
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Quarry Park
Stroll along the riverside to enjoy an ice cream in the tumbling gardens of Quarry Park.
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