Charles Darwin is from Shrewsbury.
a picture will go here
The first town I stopped in was Shrewsbury. Shrewsbury sits in a loop on the River Severn, and was the place of a fortification as early as the 5th century. The Normans built the first stone castle on this site, which was expanded by Edward I in the late 13th century. It was the capital-in-exile for King Charles I during the early years of the (English) civil war. Shrewsbury Abbey is where Ellis Peters based her ‘Brother Cadfael’ mysteries. For those of you unaware of these books, they center around a 12th century monk who solves medieval mysteries. The BBC has produced several of these books, and they have been shown here in the US on PBS. Roger de Montgomerie (see below) founded the abbey in 1083. It housed a community of Benedictine monks until 1540. (pop quiz – why was the abbey dissolved?) On the original abbey grounds is a ‘Medieval Quest’. Buildings have been built to recreate parts of the abbey, and visitors are invited to wander through and solve a mystery. I was more interested in the details and props in the rooms. As far as I can tell they were quite authentic, (even the shoes). The abbey contains a calligraphy room, where visitors are invited to create their own scrolls using quills, brass rubbings and stamps. In the center of the abbey is a medieval herb and flower garden. There are monks all around the abbey, and they do a great job of staying in persona. I’m not sure if it was because they were in persona, or if it was because they are British (who always maintain a stiff upper lip), but not one of them questioned me when I threw on garb (I brought an 12th century dress with me) and posed for photos. I actually did most of the tour in garb. Each monk was allocated 8 pints of ‘small beer’ a day, perhaps that is why they don’t comment on peoples dress!
There is also a castle in Shrewsbury, originally built by Roger de Montgomery, first Earl of Shrewsbury. The castle was build in about 1075 to restrain hostile Welsh incursions. Roger used the castle as his seat of power, his home, and his seat of justice and taxation and as an offensive base from which to expand his holdings into the heart of Wales. In 1101, his son (Robert de Belesme) sided in a rebellion against Henry II and the earldom and lands were stripped from him and his heirs forever. Remaining in royal hands, the castle saw major works in the reigns of Henry II and Edward I but then fell into decline and was declared as ‘ruinous’ (ie. too expensive to bring back into full fighting status) in the mid sixteenth century. It presently holds a regimental museum, i.e. lots of Shopshire war & army stuff. I went through the castles briefly skimming the displays, most were from ‘recent’ wars like the American ‘skirmish’ and the Crimea. I was busy examining the castle itself – picturing feasts in the large hall, etc.
Roger de Montgomery was one of the most powerful Norman Lords. He did not take part in the battle of Hastings because he was given the responsibility of ensuring the safety of Normandy in the absence of Duke William (the Conquer). Roger provided 60 ships for the invasion of England, and was awarded (amongst other things) the earldoms of Arundel, Chichester, and Shrewsbury. In 1086 Roger’s estates were worth £2000 per annum, almost 3% of the national total. He was one of the top ten Norman leaders, who between them held one quarter of the revenues of England. Earl Roger had castles at Montgomery, Quatford and Shrewsbury. By 1086 Norman control was extended as far as Llangollen so that Welsh names appear as tenants in that part of the Domesday Book. In 1093 Roger and his barons (including Roger de Lacy at Ludlow and Robert de Say at Clun) invaded Cardigan where they built a new castle; and Pembroke where his son was set up as Earl. Roger died in 1094 at the age of 69 and rests in Shrewsbury abbey.
Shrewsbury has many fantastic Tudor buildings, the ‘black and white’ houses. One of the oldest of these houses, The Rowley’s House, has been turned into a museum depicting Shropshire before the Romans; Shropshire geology; Wroxeter and the Romans and Mediaeval Shrewsbury. The bottom floor also had a presentation of current plans for the revision of Shrewsbury. The town is suffering the plight of many towns in England, the ancient designs make it impractical for 20th century living. The town is located on a hill, and has the original street design from pre-Roman times. This means very small streets that are currently designated one-way for motorized vehicles. Needless to say, it’s a bit of a nightmare to drive in this town (so I heard, I didn’t experience it personally). Parking is also almost non-existent. As a pedestrian I found it difficult, because the streets, like most in the UK, are poorly labeled, often changing names at each intersection.
I arrived in Shrewsbury at 6pm, so my first views were of deserted town streets. Shops close early in the UK, and it seems that they practically roll up the sidewalk. Therefore, I did some window shopping, before I headed to the pub that had Guinness on sale. One of the stores quite intrigued me, and I made a note to return during business hours. It was called ‘Period House’ (I later found out it is a chain), and contained in the window lots of neat, old stuff. When I returned, I realized that it was a store that sold recreated pieces for houses, so that people didn’t have to put modern fixtures, doorknobs, signs, etc. on their ‘old’ houses. Rather like an antique Home Depot. So goes my tale of Shrewsbury, in Shropshire, UK. Next month I’ll tell you about Ludlow, capital of the Marches (Wales)
Other Travels of Rowanna:
London|Shrewsbury|Ludlow|Clun|Cardiff|
|Chartres|Anjou & Angers|Cognac|Saint Emilion|Toulouse & Foix