Shrewsbury
Set amidst the glorious Shropshire countryside, Shrewsbury, the county town of Shropshire, is one of England's finest historic market towns. The early Saxon settlement ( 7th century ) occupied two small hills built on a defensive site occupying the only land entry into Shrewsbury within the loop of the River Severn. Later under the control of the Normans the remaining land approach was eventually fortified by the magnificent Shrewsbury Castle. As with most of the Welsh Border towns the occupants seemed to live in constant fear of the inhabitants of Wales as is evidenced by the massive fortresses built during this period.
The oldest parts of Shrewsbury Castle were built between 1066 and 1074, by Roger de Montgomery during the reign of William the Conqueror and there were further additions over several centuries. Over the next two hundred years the Welsh continued to harass and attack the English Border towns. The Welsh leader Llywelyn II was eventually killed in 1282 and a year later his brother David was also defeated and brought to Shrewsbury where he was hung, drawn, and quartered on the High Cross on Pride Hill. His body parts were dispersed around the country and his head sent to the Tower of London.
On a more peaceful note Shrewsbury Abbey Church, founded by the Normans in 1083, is still a place of worship. God has been worshipped there for over one thousand years, initially in a small Saxon church and subsequently in the great Benedictine Abbey Church of SS Peter and Paul which was founded by Roger de Montgomery, a relative of William the Conqueror.
Black and white timber mansions dating back to the 1400's line the narrow medieval cobbled streets of the town centre, among the finest of these being Shrewsbury Museum & Art Gallery. The museum occupies two adjoining buildings; one of which is timber-framed (originally built as a merchant's warehouse in the 16th or early 17th Century) and the other a stone and brick building of about 1618 (the mansion of the merchant William Rowley). At the museums you will be able to find information on Charles Darwin, probably Shrewsbury's most famous son, born at The Mount at Frankwell in Shrewsbury in 1809.
But Shrewsbury also has plenty by way of modern entertainment, too, courtesy of its cinema, theatre and a wide selection of specialist shops, including antique centres and art galleries spread throughout the historic central area. Explore beautiful parks and gardens, take advantage of twenty miles-worth of cycle routes, or get out and about on foot by enjoying the many and varied walks and treks. And when you need to relax and unwind, call in at one of the area's popular old-style inns, traditional pubs or modern restaurants and select from a range of cosmopolitan cuisine. Should you be fortunate to arrive in August you will be able to visit the world famous annual Shrewsbury Flower Show, held in the town's Quarry Park.

If you are in Shrewsbury, following the Cadfael Trail, you can pick up a booklet from the Shrewsbury Tourist Information centre, called 'In the footsteps of Brother Cadfael'. The booklet outlines three short walks, through the Town, the Abbey (St Peter and Paul) , and the Abbey grounds and Foregate, with short extracts from the Cadfael books relating to the area.