Shrewsbury Centre High Street Healthy and Ranked 4th from the Best in Review

Shrewsbury Centre and High Street 2018 Shop Closures and Health of the High Street

High Street in Shrewsbury Shrewsbury is known for its many independent cafes and has few town-centre bookmakers compared to most UK cities, although there are William Hill and Coral branches on High Street. In general, the town is symbolic of what many other county towns are experiencing on their high streets.

There have been a number of shop closures in 2018. House of Fraser in Shrewsbury is one of 31 stores shutting nationwide The drastic plan will also see branches closed in Wolverhampton and Birmingham in a bid to rescue the rest of the struggling business.

But, losses were not limited to the town centre with the closed down former Toys R Us store in Shrewsbury still empty, but there is news that it has been snapped up by an unnamed retailer.

It is surrounded by a big river so it makes many people more concerned about what will happen if people take walks at night so close to a dangerous river. It is being said that rough sleeping in Shrewsbury has reached epidemic proportions for a variety of reasons, impacting negatively on business, on visitors and those of us who wish to be able to be proud to be part of the county town.

The UK's Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH) has published a league table ranking 70 of Britain’s major towns and cities by the impact of their high streets on the public’s health and well-being.

Shrewsbury came 4^th in the national list for having a high street which relatively free of off-licences, fast food outlets and empty shops.

Grimsby was ranked the unhealthiest high street in the country.

The league table features in the new RSPH report, Health on the High Street: Running on empty, which follows on from the announcement by the Chancellor of the Exchequer of a package of measures designed to reinvigorate the nation’s high streets. This is a follow up report to the original RSPH Health on the High Street published in 2015, and assesses changes in British retail areas over the past three years.

The report updates the methodology used in 2015, to reflect the changing face of the British high street, adding off-licences and empty shops to the negative influences on health, and cafes and vape shops to the positive influences. via Shealthiest high streets

Shrewsbury Business Improvement District (BID) has entered the town in the Great British High Street Awards 2018 to celebrate its achievements and gain wider recognition.

It has put Shrewsbury forward in the Champion High Street category on behalf of members and partner organisations. The category is judged on successes in community, customer experience, environment and digital transformation criteria.

Seb Slater, Executive Director of Shrewsbury BID, said: “We have a thriving community spirit and passionate organisations who work together to ensure our high street maintains a strong appeal and adapts to meet changing consumer demands.

“We believe we have something for everyone with our mix of independents and well-known retailers, an interesting heritage and charm, lively events and festivals programme along with a safe and welcoming night time economy.

“Entering the Great British High Street Awards is a chance for us to showcase all we offer and build on Shrewsbury’s reputation as an original one-off destination.” via High Street accolade

Shrewsbury has plenty of choice in the mid-market sector. It’s well served by local independents, many of which are fighting for the same dollar, with a number of big name multiples offering bargain eats for those seeking an informal night out. Against such tough competition, simple errors are enough to make alternatives seem desirable. via Harvey's

View the above YouTube video, on YouTube here https://youtu.be/UdvbVDnpjXA

The Story of Shrewsbury Part 5 - Roger and Edric Castles and Abbey

Transcription: 

The Story of Shrewsbury 1066 to 1094, Wild Edric's Siege and Benedictine Abbey Building

The Norman Castle now dominated the town, and so did Roger!

In fact, THIS IS REALLY ABOUT Roger of Montgomery (the first Earl) of Shrewsbury,

who had good reason to be big on castles!

Because, the people of Shropshire resisted his Norman rule at first.

Their leader was 'WILD' EDRIC

In 1069 Edric Sylvaticus (known as Wild Edric) struck an alliance with the Welsh.

...and led the men of Shropshire,Hereford and Cheshire

in a siege of Shrewsbury.

This was only partly successful and, after burning part of the town, they left.

Roger (the first Earl of Shrewsbury, built about 70 other castles in all, including Ludlow Castle.

Shropshire quickly became the most heavily fortified county in Norman England.

The castles helped protect Roger's earthly power and in time his rule became less harsh, giving him time for pious thought.

He worried about the state of his soul, and set about his great work of church building.

At that time, a little wooden church existed near the bank of the River Seven, on the English or east side of Scrobbes-byrig.

Earl Roger decided that this should be replaced by a new stone church, at the heart of a great Benedictine Abbey.

Roger clearly knew how to get things done, and that's how Shrewsbury got it's Abbey.

He pushed the work ahead rapidly in the years before 1094.

At last, in 1094 the Abbey was complete.

His intention was to retire to it.

He abandoned his wealth and power and became a simple monk.

Sadly for him though, we are told that he only lived 3 days, as a monk, before he died!

Historical text derived from: "The Story of Shrewsbury" by Richard Graves, Hardwick House, Ellesmere 1993, and www.shropshirehistory.com.

History of Shrewsbury The Normans Shrewsbury Castle Lauras Tower - Pt 4

Transription: THE HISTORY OF SHREWSBURY PART 4: THE NORMANS

When the Normans occupied Shrewsbury, they did as they had done elsewhere.

'A time of invasion and battle fortifications'.

They found a suitable site from which to dominate the town, dug a circular moat.

This image shows the type of moat thought to be similar (this one is not in  Shrewsbury).

They threw the earth into the centre to form a mound, (This picture is of 'The Moat' in Dundonald, for example.)

and on that mound they erected a wooden Keep.

(This picture shows an archaeological reconstruction in France of a wooden Norman keep.)

The site they chose (which may have looked similar to this slide), is now occupied by Laura's Tower.

This is the modern-day Laura's Tower.

The commanding view meant that the Normans could easily watch for enemies.

Imagine the view without the castle.

TRUST ME! That did not exist at the time. Keep watching! Explained later.

Here is another shot of the present Laura's Tower.

In order to secure his borders against the Welsh, William the Conqueror gave enormous powers to three of his followers.

They became the Palatinate Earls of Chester, Shrewsbury and Hereford.

(This is a portrait of William the Conquerer.)

Roger of Montgomery, a kinsman of the Conqueror, was created the first Earl of Shrewsbury in 1074.

And, he immediately began rebuilding the original wooden castle.

By the time of the Domesday Book in 1086, he had swept away 51 houses, to make room for a much more substantial Castle, including the secure walled area of an 'inner bailey'.

And, a further fifty houses had been demolished near the Castle to create a vast 'outer bailey',

which stretched right down to present-day Castle Street.

The Norman gateway is the only part of Earl Roger's original building which still survives.

BUT, you won't believe this! Shrewsbury Castle LOOKS INCREDIBLY ancient, but isn't Norman, & wasn't started until c1300.

Now. watch out for the History of Shrewsbury, Part 5 - coming soon!

The Story Of Shrewsbury - Part 2 From Pengwern to Scrobbes-byrig. Anglo-Saxon Shrewsbury

This "Story of Shrewsbury" video is about the period just after he first settlers arrived in Shrewsbury.

When the citizens of Wroxeter settled in what we now call Shrewsbury, they called their new town Pengwern.

Pengwern means simply "the fenced-in hill-top with Alders". So, it was here that the Britons stayed and since it commanded the River Severn whose board valley provide done of the only safe means of passage into the mountains of Wales, it grew in importance.

You can also view this on the YouTube website here.

The importance of the strategic position of Pengwern was soon recognised.

In the year 617 Briochel Yscithrog, King of Powys, which at that time included a large part of modern-day Shropshire, chose Pengwern as his capital. The connection continued and his descendents ruled from the town until about 760.

Part 3 The Story of Saxon Shrewsbury Up to 1066 and All That

Pt. 3 - Saxon Shrewsbury Up to 1066 and All That!

Scrobbes-byrig (Shrewsbury) flourished as a Saxon town.

It had its own mint in the early 900s, during the reign of King Alfred's son Edward the Elder.

The mint produced coins for the Saxon kings, and, in 2015 the Shropshire Star reported on an auction of one of the coins. 

This coin, worth a penny when it was created in Shrewsbury more than 1,000 years ago, was sold for more than £500 in 2015.

The mint had closed by the time of the Norman invasion in 1066.

In 1006 the Kingdom of Pengwern was organised into "shires" (smaller areas of administration). and "Scrobbesbyrigscire" (Shropshire), was created.

So, even in 1006, people were still evidently talking about the "town of scrubby bushes" (Scrobbes-byrig) for many years to come.

...That's quite a tongue-twister! Try saying it out loud. NOW!

AND, it gets worse!

...You got it! They even named the whole COUNTY after those "scrubby bushes" (alders)!

That happened when "Scrobbesbyrigscire", became the County name of what we now call "Shropshire".

Moving on to a new subject.

The County Sheriff was a powerful man, and acted on behalf of the king.

He had the authority to collect taxes and raise armies for attacks into Wales.

He was also responsible for enforcing law and order.

Presumably attacking Wales was a perfectly respectable thing, in those days!

Maybe, it was tit for tat?

Also in 1006 King "Aethelred the Unready" spent the winter in Shrewsbury.

Translation of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicles states "Unready" to mean “poor counsel”, “evil counsel” or “unwise".

By the time of the Norman Conquest in 1066 the town was important enough to be called a city, and Included within its walls four churches and two hundred and fifty-two houses. But, it's was still only the size of one average housing estate!

Historical Text from: The Story of Shrewsbury, R. Graves, Hardwick House, Ellesmere 1993.

And, www.shropshire history.com

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgStNKgiYZuxQXqwHujxLew