Here - Shrewsbury For Groups

SHREWSBURY FOR GROUPS - INFORMATION
Markets
Shrewsbury 2012
Higgledy-piggledy streets with names you
want to say out loud – Bear Steps, Grope
Lane, Wyle Cop. A river that scoops up the
town in a loop. Wonky buildings left, right
and centre.
Shrewsbury’s history is out there in the streets.
In the red sandstone of the Castle, in the
Norman arches of the Abbey, the stained glass
of St. Mary’s, the black & white timbers of Tudor
shops and houses.
And coach parking is Free
Shop
In a world of identikit high streets, Shrewsbury
is one of the few places where the independent
shops outnumber the big chains – interesting
shops with names you’ve never heard before.
Shops you didn’t think still existed. Shops made
for lingering.
Our shopping centres have more character than
most. The Parade, with its grand neo-classical
outside and quaint Victorian corridors on the
inside, has 30 independent shops. And our
two modern malls, Pride Hill and the Darwin
Centre, have a healthy mix of the known and
the unknown.
At the base of the big clock tower, the Market
Hall is one part farmer’s market, one part grand
bazaar. Market days are Tuesday, Wednesday,
Friday & Saturday plus a small market on
Thursday. Lifts give easy access to both floors
and there are accessible toilets.
www.markethallshrewsbury.co.uk. Farmers
markets are held in the Square on the first
Friday every month. Made in Shropshire Art &
Craft Markets are in The Square on the second
Saturday each month.
Guided Tours
Guided Walking Tours for Groups can be
arranged at any time and tailored to suit your
interests and itinerary. A typical tour lasts about
90 minutes and includes the main sites and
historic town centre. Each guide can take a
group of about 20. Cost per guide is from £35.
Themed tours are also available, including:
• Darwin tours
(Darwin boat trips also available)
•
•
Ghost tours
(Ghost cruises also available)
Brother Cadfael tours - based on
Ellis Peters best-selling medieval
detective novels.
General or themed talks can also be
arranged. Book a guide to accompany
your full or half day coach tour.
CONTACT THE VISITOR INFORMATION CENTRE ON THE DETAILS BELOW TO ARRANGE YOUR TOUR AND FOR ADVICE ON ITINERARIES
Shrewsbury Visitor Information Centre
Floral Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury is known as the ‘Town of Flowers’,
and won Gold in Britain in Bloom in 2013. The
Quarry alongside the River Severn, is the
town’s 29 acre park; at its heart lies the Dingle,
a floral garden designed by the famous
gardener Percy Thrower. Percy was
Shrewsbury’s Parks superintendent for 28
years. Beyond the town centre Percy
Thrower’s Gardening Centre and Dobbies
Garden Centre welcome coaches & groups.
Boat Cruises
From March to October 45 minute daily boat
cruises, with full commentary and river maps
on board ‘Sabrina’, leave Victoria Quay near
the Welsh Bridge on the hour (11 – 4 pm)
Mar-Oct. Discounts are available for group
bookings. www.sabrinaboat.co.uk
Historic Shrewsbury
Historic buildings to visit include Shrewsbury
Castle now home of the Shropshire Regimental
Museum, the new Shrewsbury Museum & Art
Gallery at The Music Hall; Shrewsbury Abbey,
site of the first English parliament and setting
for the Brother Cadfael mysteries by Ellis
Peters; St. Mary’s Church with the finest
collection of stained glass windows in the UK
and St. Chad’s, with the largest round nave in
England. www.visitshrewsbury.com.
Cultural Shrewsbury
Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury’s new concert
hall and performing arts venue opened in 2009
on the riverside at Frankwell Quay. Great views
from the café and balconies. Group discounts
are available. www.theatresevern.co.uk
Shrewsbury hosts many events throughout the
year. Highlights include Shrewsbury Cartoon
Festival April, Shropshire County Show May,
Shrewsbury Food Festival June, Shrewsbury
Flower Show August, Shrewsbury Steam
Rally August.
Nearby
On the outskirts of Shrewsbury are some of
Shropshire’s most well known attractions.
Attingham Park is a Regency hall set within a
deer park, built for the 1st Lord Berwick in 1785
and now in the care of the National Trust.
Group discounts & tours available.
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/attingham-park
Wroxeter Roman City is the remains of the
fourth largest city in Roman Britain: The site
includes the great wall of the bath house and
the reconstructed Roman villa featured in TV’s
Rome Wasn’t Built in a Day.
www.english-heritage.org.uk/wroxeter
Battlefield 1403 is a free exhibition about the
Battle of Shrewsbury plus farm shop and café
both selling locally produced fresh food. It is all
on the site of the medieval battle in which Harry
Hotspur challenged King Henry IV for the throne
of England. www.battlefield1403.com
Food & Drink and Accommodation
in Shrewsbury
Within the town centre there are many
restaurants, cafes and pubs. There are three 3
star historic hotels within the town centre plus a
new Premier Inn. Within four miles of
Shrewsbury there are several hotels which can
accommodate and cater for groups including
two 4 star hotels. For a list of suitable
accommodation please contact Shrewsbury
Visitor Information Centre on the contact details
below, or visit the website.
www.shrewsburyforgroups.com
How to get Here
By Road
Shropshire connects to the M6 and motorway
network via the M54. The A49, A5, A53, A458
all make Shropshire easily accessible.
Parking in Shrewsbury
Coach Parking is available at Abbey Foregate
car park and at Frankwell car park. Parking for
coaches is free; however, charges may apply
during some events such as the Shrewsbury
Flower Show.
Abbey Foregate: 12 coach parking spaces
(SatNav Ref: SY2 6AE)
Frankwell: 5 coach parking spaces.
It is situated next to Theatre Severn
(SatNav Ref: SY3 8HQ)
Passenger Set Down Points
In addition to the car parks, there is a coach set
down point close to the town centre at St.Chad's
Terrace opposite St. Chad's Church and outside
the main entrance to The Quarry (the riverside
park). From this set down point visitors will have
a 200m approx. downhill walk to the town centre
shops and Shrewsbury Visitor Information Centre
at the Museum and Art Gallery.
Toilets
There are public conveniences in the town
centre at St. Alkmund’s Place. There are also
toilets in The Music Hall, Pride Hill & Darwin
Shopping Centres and the indoor Market Hall
subject to opening hours. There also toilets at
Abbey Foregate Coach Park.
There are currently no public toilets at
Frankwell Car & Coach park but there are
toilets in Theatre Severn close by subject to
opening hours.
Drivers
Coach drivers may obtain free coffee/tea
and a snack at the Market Hall buffet (upper
level indoor Market Hall) to the value of £3
(just show driver ID – badge or other proof of
coach company contact details) Raven
Meadows bus station in the town centre
provides a driver rest room for bus and coach
drivers about 5 minutes walk across the
footbridge from Frankwell Coach Park. Theatre
Severn next to Frankwell Coach Park has
plenty of comfortable seating in public areas
which drivers are welcome to use. There is a
cafe on site.
See the map on the next page or download
from www.shrewsburyforgroups.com for
parking, set down points and toilets.
CONTACT THE VISITOR INFORMATION CENTRE ON THE DETAILS BELOW TO ARRANGE YOUR TOUR AND FOR ADVICE ON ITINERARIES
CONTACT THE VISITOR INFORMATION CENTRE ON THE DETAILS BELOW TO ARRANGE YOUR TOUR AND FOR ADVICE ON ITINERARIES
Shrewsbury Visitor Information Centre
Shrewsbury Visitor Information Centre