Shropshire attractions.

Gramaisc

Forum O. G.
Shropshire is close, quite big and, generally, reasonably nice.

The better-known attractions are, er, better-known...

However, there may be some lesser-known ones that might be of interest to others on here.

Today, by chance, I was picking up an eBay purchase next to Nesscliffe Hill Country Park, just off the A5 past Shrewsbury. It looked worth a wander round and turned out to be a very interesting place - with scenic views, flora and fauna, geology, archaeology, etc. If you're stuck for an hour or two in the area on a decent day, then I would recommend it, although you do need to be fairly sure-footed.

Another point would be worth making - of the thirty or so people I interacted with, from about five through teenagers to ninety years of age, everybody was nice - not just bearable, but actually nice.

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Thehooperman

Well-Known Forumite
Not too far from Nescliffe are two walks i really enjoy, namely the Oswestry Old Racecourse and Admiral Rodney's Pillar although the latter is just over the Shropshire border.

There's a great walk from Llanymynech to the Old Racecourse that we did once when I was much younger and fitter. I think it was about 9 miles and we parked a vehicle at the far end to come back in rather than walk there and back.

Llanymynech is half in Shropshire and half in Wales and in those days the licensing hours were different so the pubs on one side of the road were shut on Sundays whilst those on the English side were open.

They got their own back several years later when prescriptions were free on one side of the border but not on the other :)
 

BobClay

Well-Known Forumite
Always thought we were lucky to live next door to Salop. I think the most underrated County in terms of landscape. When I was a kid we used to pedal to the Wrekin (which has volcanic origins would you believe,) get to the top then come down and pedal back ... a lot slower than we'd pedalled out. :embarrass:
Billington Bank was the final killer on that one, and the Castle Bank ? That was just taking the piss !!! :eek:
 
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Withnail

Well-Known Forumite
There is a revisionist visitor centre @ the Battle of Shrewsbury site, that is in conflict with the boards erected in what to the trained eye would have been probably late 80's early 90's? Right down at the bottom of the field.

Regardless of the accuracies, the best bit of the whole field is perhaps the most accurate portrayal of Henry IV on the church.

There are two things that make this battle notable to the eye of the beholder -
  • this was the first time two 'battles' (what would now be called battalions, sort of) would be equally equipped, facing each other in equal strength, on English soil, meeting as Englishmen, looking to establish a new England...
  • perhaps more importantly, the first time that two arraignments of archers at full strength had engaged at this kind of strength at this kind of distance...
Two things that are also of interest, Edmund Stafford - he of 5th Earl of Stafford fame, local boy and all - copped it there, and Henry of Monmouth - he of Henry V King of England fame, took an arrow to the right side of his face @ Shrewsbury, that meant you've only ever seen his 'good' side, the other was completely f**ked.

viz...

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- making him the only King to have only ever been portrayed in profile.
 

The Hawk

Well-Known Forumite
Henry of Monmouth - he of Henry V King of England fame, took an arrow to the right side of his face @ Shrewsbury, that meant you've only ever seen his 'good' side, the other was completely f**ked.
An arrow in your face. That sort of thing can really put a crimp on your day.
 

Chillybean

Well-Known Forumite
Not too far from Nescliffe are two walks i really enjoy, namely the Oswestry Old Racecourse and Admiral Rodney's Pillar although the latter is just over the Shropshire border.

There's a great walk from Llanymynech to the Old Racecourse that we did once when I was much younger and fitter. I think it was about 9 miles and we parked a vehicle at the far end to come back in rather than walk there and back.

Llanymynech is half in Shropshire and half in Wales and in those days the licensing hours were different so the pubs on one side of the road were shut on Sundays whilst those on the English side were open.

They got their own back several years later when prescriptions were free on one side of the border but not on the other :)
Rodney's Pillar is good uphill hike but well worth the view. The three large white rectangular buildings you see to the north are the former Government (Post Office/BT) Criggon Radio Station VLF and HF which was used to signal to the Navy submarine fleet and surface fleet and is reportedly where the signal to sink the Belgrano during the Falklands war was sent. It was reportedly on the soviet "A" list during the Cold War.
 
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