Oswestry - well worth a visit (Villages & Resorts in Shropshire)

Member Name: merv

Product:	Villages & Resorts in Shropshire
Date:	28/10/01 (63 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Pleasant, Off the beaten track, Historically interesting

Disadvantages: none

I was born and brought up in a village close to Oswestry, a North 'Shropshire Lad' you might say and I thought I might tell you about this unspoilt and hidden part of the country.

Whilst Shropshire, the largest inland county in the UK is in itself a beautiful part of the country to live in, it remains relatively anonymous and most people when Shropshire's mentioned think of Shrewsbury, Telford and Ludlow which are all in, or towards the south of the country.

Oswestry is situated in the north of the county close to the border with Wales. So close that in some ways it is more welsh than some of the towns and villages on the other side of the border.

Its a picturesque, ancient market town set between pastureland and wild hilly country.
Strategically its position as a 'frontier town'has given it a turbulent history. Visiting Oswestry is like stepping back in time - a reminder of what the rural idyll was all about, before the developers moved in.

The town has for centuries been a market and shopping centre serving the north west part of Shropshire and Mid Wales. The lay out of the town bears witness to this, with narrow passageways linking streets whose names conjure up images of the past, e.g.English Walls, Welsh Walls, The Bailey and the Horsemarket.

Locally it remains an important shopping and agricultural centre, but it still retains the intimacy of a rural town serving local people and has many specialist and independent shops. You won't find any of the purpose-built and often identical shopping malls in Oswestry it has remained faithfull to its roots and is all the better for it.

The origins of the town are uncertain although the town's market dates back to 1190. The name Oswestry is thought to be a corruption of 'Oswald's Tree' and the legend that Oswald the Christian King of Northumbria fought a great battle against the pagan King of Mercia - Penda. Oswald was
defeated and killed in the battle. Penda - as a warning to others who might challenge his rule - dismembered Oswald's body and hung his limbs on the branches of a tree - hence the name 'Oswalds Tree'.

There is a Heritage Centre in Oswestry's first school founded in 1407 and the Tourist Information Centre is housed in the same building. Here you can see the History of Oswestry, its importance in the development of the railways and its role in the previous
foot and mouth outbreak in the 60's.

Most of the town centre has been designated a Conservation Area conveying a mixture of architectural styles. There are many old timber framed houses, for example Llywd Mansion on Cross Street, the Heritage Centre, the Blackgate, the Fox Inn and the shops along Beatrice Street. Georgian architecture is also represented particularly around St Oswald's Church where there are several imposing town houses complete with grand entrance staircases and front doors.

Many of these buildings are now pleasant coffee and tea houses, restaurants and pubs which have a comfortable and olde worlde feel about them, marvellous places to relieve the stresses of life.

Oswestry has a significant Victorian legacy. The Shop fronts and facades, the many terraced houses and churches and railway buildings reflect this period.

Oswestry is a really pleasant place to visit and has a number of historical attractions within the town and surrounding area

Within the town and within easy walking distance, there is:

The Castle, which was built around 1086, is recorded in William I’s Domesday Book. It was once a frontier outpost that saw both Welsh and Anglo Saxon mix together prior to the Norman conquest.

It is generally accepted that Oswestry was once a strong Welsh settlement and the Castle had a role of domination to subdue Welsh resistance.


The Old Grammer School

A 15th Century, Gra
de II listed timber-framed property. Originally the Oswestry Grammar School, founded by David Holbache in 1407, the building occupies a prominent position on the boundary of the churchyard of St. Oswald. Now the property of Oswestry Town Council and opened in 1992, the Centre contains civic and local items of interest reflecting the long established and magnificent Heritage of Oswestry.

Iron Age Fort

There is a large Iron Age fort just to the North of the town. It was started over 2500 years ago. Nowadays, only the Earthworks remain, but it's worth a visit. It can be seen from the A5 going North out of the town. It is maintained by English Heritage

Racecourse Common

This is at the top of a hill and is the site of an old racecourse. It is possible to walk around the old circuit and there are a number of walks is this area including some through the adjacent Candy Woods. The Offa's dyke path passes through the common and the woods.

Offa's Dyke footpath (goes right through the area)

This long distance footpath , which goes from Prestatyn to Chepstow along the Welsh border, passes about 3 miles to the west of Oswestry. It is a well maintained footpath (some other paths in the area are not so good) and can be picked up at many points in the area. The path follows an ancient earthwork which is thought to have been a defensive dyke built by the Saxon King Offa .

Outside Oswestry and within easy travelling distance you will find:

Whittington Castle 2 Miles East

There are quite a few remains of the castle which can be found in the Centre of Whittington village and plenty of ducks to be found in the old castle moat.

Ellesmere

Shropshire's lake district, seven attractive small lakes, rich in birdlife lie alongside a lovely little town full of mellow Georgian buildings.

Chirk Castle

7 miles to the north of Oswestry

and Powys Castle to
the south,

two of the finest National Trust buildings and landscaped gardens in the UK.

Take my word for it, if your looking for a weekend away in a beautiful part of the country, off the beaten track, but with plenty to do, give Oswestry a try.

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