Discover Oswestry, Shropshire

Oswestry, Shropshire, England: Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Oswestry_-_Historic_buildings_in_town_centre.jpg
Author: Tonythepixel


Oswestry is a town in northwestern Shropshire, England, near the border with Wales. With a population of about 17,000 people (2012 estimate), it is the third biggest town in Shropshire behind Telford and Shrewsbury.

Human habitation in the Oswestry area dates back to around 550 BC, based on the existence of a large Iron Age fort in the area. In AD 642 it was the site of the Battle of Maserfield between two Anglo-Saxon kings, Penda and Oswald. Following Norman Conquest, the barony of Oswestry was given by King Henry I to a Breton knight, Alan FitzFlaad.

Due to its proximity to Wales, Oswestry has many streets and placenames in Welsh. This is partly because the town fell under Welsh rule a number of times during the Middle Ages. Once in the early 15th century it was torched and almost totally annihilated by Welsh forces.

Oswestry received a market charter in 1190, enabling it to hold a market every Wednesday. There was a livestock market inthe town center until the late 1960s, when a foot-and-mouth disease outbreak forced the relocation of the livestock market. To commemorate its historic role, a statue of a shepherd with sheep was place in the market square in the 1990s.

St Oswald's Parish Church, Oswestry: Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Oswestry_-_St._Oswald%27s_Parish_Church.jpg
Author: Tonythepixel

Visiting Oswestry

From London, take the M1 motorway to Junction 19, then continue on the M6 motorway to Junction 11 just after Birmingham. From Junction 11, continue west on the M54 motorway. After Telford, the M54 motorway becomes the A5 road. Continue on the A5 road past Shrewsbury to reach Oswestry.

Places of Interest in Oswestry

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