Shrewsbury and Shropshire

The bustling market town of Shrewsbury was named by the Sunday Times Style Magazine as one of the ‘10 coolest postcodes to move to’ in 2024.

The town was also named in top 20 Happiest Places to Live in 2020 and famously enveloped by beautiful countryside and is well-connected to major cities.

The Town

Known as ‘Scrobbesbyrig’ in Saxon times, the town’s origins date back to the 5th and 6th centuries. Its history is very visible: Shrewsbury has over 660 historic listed buildings, several of them dating from Tudor times. They include a Norman abbey dating back to 1083 (the setting for Ellis Peters’ ‘Brother Cadfael’ novels), a medieval castle dating from 1074, and the 16th century Old Market Hall, which now houses a cinema and café.

Part of the town’s medieval street plan still exists too, with many ‘shutts’ and ‘passages’ – a maze of narrow alleys, which criss-cross the town centre.

Throughout the town there are numerous boutiques and quirky independent shops and 80% of the town’s restaurants and cafés are independent. The town’s indoor market which has once again claimed the prestigious title of Britain’s Favourite Market 2025 after a public vote, marking an unprecedented third consecutive win and the fourth win in the market's history.

Shrewsbury is home to Britain’s Best High Street says The Telegraph. Shrewsbury took top place in The Telegraph’s Britain’s 20 Best High Streets feature, measured against larger locations like Edinburgh and more.

The town has retained its Purple Flag status for town safety for evening and night-time economy for the third year running.

Pupils are offered the chance to venture around the town on the weekends and make use of the nearby surroundings. The Quarry has been used for running events, the river is in regular use by our rowing teams and pupils often help at the nearby Barnabas Foodbank+ and Community Centre as part of the school’s partnership and community engagement.

The most beautiful playing fields in the world, spreading and imperceptibly mingling with the pasture land of Shropshire

- Sir Neville Cardus,
^{staff member, writer and cricket correspondent}

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The surrounding area

Shropshire is one of England’s most rural counties, and the countryside all around Shrewsbury is some of the most beautiful and unspoilt in the country. Our unrivalled location is at the gateway to the Shropshire Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the UNESCO world heritage site, Ironbridge, and of course Wales where we maintain Talargerwyn ('Tally'), our bunkhouse in Snowdonia.

The area has been the inspiration for our Creative Writing Society, the route for Duke of Edinburgh expeditions as well as the main site for the Whole School Sponsored Walk.

We believe that school and Floreat, our whole person education, should encapsulate more than just a basic curriculum which is why we take advantage of the fantastic resources in the local area which will give pupils unparalleled experiences and memories that will last a lifetime.

Every five years for more than half a century, the Shrewsbury community has taken a break from the classroom to complete a 19-mile walk across the Long Mynd in support of The Shewsy, the youth and community centre in Everton that has long been part of Shrewsbury School life.

The event raises vital funds for The Shewsy’s youth programmes and showcases true Salopian Spirit, with pupils from all year groups and houses coming together to enjoy some of Shropshire’s most beautiful landscapes and far-reaching views into Wales. You can watch highlights of the Sponsored Walk in 2021. You can watch highlights from the 2021 Sponsored Walk here.

Transport Links

Despite Shrewsbury's rural location, travel links to the School are plentiful and we are proud to welcome pupils from not only all over the UK, but from all parts of the world which helps us create our thriving and diverse community which stays with pupils for life.

By road

Shrewsbury benefits from excellent road network links to all parts of the UK with the M54 only 10-miles away connecting the M6 which is only around 30-miles away from Shrewsbury.

By air

Our pupils regularly travel to and from the international airports at Birmingham (1 hour by car or rail), Manchester (1 hour 15 minutes by car, with some direct trains), Liverpool and East Midlands, and a coach runs to London Heathrow at the start and end of term, and often at half-term.

By train

Shrewsbury is served by Virgin trains from London Euston (by changing at Birmingham New Street or Wolverhampton). There are also regular services from Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool, Oxford, Cardiff and Bristol.

Please go to NationalRail.co.uk for national rail enquiries.

Shrewsbury station is only 20 minutes' walk away and there is a reliable taxi service outside of the station.

Directions to Shrewsbury School