Oswestry
Encyclopedia
Oswestry is a town and civil parish in Shropshire
, England
, close to the Welsh
border. It is at the junction of the A5, A483
, and A495 roads.
The town was the administrative headquarters of the Borough of Oswestry
until it was abolished on 1 April 2009 and is the third largest town in Shropshire, following Telford
and Shrewsbury
. The 2001 Census recorded the population of the civil parish as 15,613, the urban area as 16,660, and a 2008 estimate suggested that the latter figure had grown to 17,116. The town, located just five miles from the Anglo-Welsh border, is known for its mixed Welsh and English heritage, and is the home of the Shropshire libraries
' Welsh Collection.
is the site of a large Iron Age
hill fort
with evidence of occupation dating back to the 550s BC.
is thought to have been fought here in 642, between the Anglo-Saxon kings
Penda
and Oswald
. Oswald was killed in this battle and was dismembered; according to a legend, one of his arms was carried to an ash tree by a bird, an eagle, and miracles were subsequently attributed to the tree (as Oswald was considered a saint). Thus it is believed that the name of the site derived from a reference to "Oswald's Tree". The spring Oswald's Well is supposed to have originated where the bird dropped the arm from the tree. Offa's Dyke
runs nearby to the west.
(d. c1114), a Breton knight, was granted the feudal barony of Oswestry by King Henry I
who, soon after his accession, invited Alan to England with other Breton friends, and gave him forfeited lands in Norfolk
and Shropshire
, including some which had previously belonged to Ernoulf de Hesdin (killed at Antioch
while on crusade) and Robert de Belleme.
Alan's duties to the Crown included supervision of the Welsh border. He also founded Sporle Priory in Norfolk. He married Ada or Adeline, daughter of Ernoulf de Hesdin. Their eldest son William was made High Sheriff of Shropshire
by King Stephen in 1137. He married a niece of Robert of Gloucester. But two of their younger sons, Walter and Simon, travelled to Scotland in the train of King David I
, Walter becoming the first hereditary High Steward of Scotland
and ancestor of the Stewart Royal Family.
and the town's name in Welsh
is Croesoswallt, meaning Oswald's Cross. The Domesday Book
records a castle being built by Rainald
, a Norman
Sheriff of Shropshire: (meaning "the work" in French) (which was reduced to a pile of rocks during the English Civil War
), and the town changed hands between English and Welsh a number of times during the Middle Ages
. In 1149 the castle was captured by Madog ap Maredudd
, and remained in Welsh hands until 1157. Later, Oswestry was attacked by the forces of Welsh rebel leader Owain Glyndŵr
during the early years of his rebellion against the English King Henry IV
in 1400; it became known as Pentrepoeth or 'hot town' as it was burned and nearly totally destroyed by the Welsh. It eventually became known as Oswald's Tree in English, from which its current name is derived.
In 1190 the town was granted the right to hold a market each Wednesday. After the foot and mouth outbreak in the late 1960s the animal market was moved out of the town centre. In the 1990s, a statue of a shepherd and sheep was installed in the market square as a memorial to the history of the market site. With the weekly influx of Welsh farmers the town folk were often bilingual. The town built walls for protection, but these were torn down by the Parliamentarians after they took the town after a brief siege on 22 June 1644, leaving only the Newgate Pillar visible today.
buildings in the country. It was taken over by the Army in 1915 and used as a training camp. On 26 December 1918 it burnt to the ground following an electrical fault. The ruined hall and camp remained derelict between the wars. For decades following World War 2, Oswestry was a prominent military centre for Canadian troops, later British Royal Artillery
and latterly, a very successful training centre for 16-18 year old Infantry Junior Leaders. This long and proud military connection came to an ignominious end in the mid-1970s, shortly after some local licensed wildfowlers were shot by the young military guard one winter's night, mistaken for an attacking IRA
force, as the locals discharged their shotguns at some passing ducks.
The area previously occupied by the Park Hall military camp is now mainly residential and agricultural land, with a small number of light industrial units.
(in nearby Whittington
), Shelf Bank
and the Cambrian Railway Museum located near the former railway station. The town is famous for its high number of public house
s per head of population; there are around 30 in the town today, many of which offer real ale. A story incorporating the names of all of the pubs once open in Oswestry can be found hanging on the walls of the Oak on Church Street. Brogyntyn Hall belonged until recently to the lords Harlech
.
Oswestry is located at the junction of the A5 with the A483
and A495. The A5 continues from Shrewsbury
to the north, passing the town, before turning west near Chirk
and entering Wales
. Running near the town is a navigable section of the partially restored Montgomery Canal
, which runs from Frankton Junction to Newtown.
Oswestry no longer has an active railway, but it was once on the main line of the Cambrian Railways
. However, the section from Whitchurch
to Welshpool
(Buttington Junction), via Ellesmere
, Whittington
, Oswestry and Llanymynech
, closed on 18 January 1965 in favour of the more viable alternative route via Shrewsbury
, leaving only a short branch line of the former Great Western Railway
from Gobowen
to continue to serve Oswestry until 7 November 1966 (this branch had once run into a separate GWR Oswestry terminus, now long since disappeared: trains were switched to the main Cambrian station as early as 7 July 1924).
The main building of the Cambrian station is still a prominent landmark within the town centre, a large handsome edifice that had once housed the headquarters of the Cambrian Railways company. After restoration, this building was reopened as the Cambrian Visitor Centre in June 2006 but on 11 January 2008 closed due to the terms of the lease not being settled (it later reopened but has since closed again). A single railway track, overgrown and rusting, still runs through the station, and is the subject of an ambitious plan to reopen the line between Oswestry and Llanyblodwel
, and eventually Oswestry to Gobowen. Already the main platform at Oswestry station is being reconstructed.
Immediately to the south is the Cambrian Railway Museum, while a short distance to the north are former Cambrian Railways workshops, now occupied by a variety of industrial concerns. However, the nearest currently active station is at Gobowen
. Local railway preservation societies have plans to reinstate the line from Gobowen station (where it meets the mainline), through Oswestry and into Wales.
Bus services are mainly operated by Arriva Midlands
and local independent Tanat Valley Coaches
. The town has regular bus routes that link nearby villages and towns including Wrexham, Shrewsbury.
NHS Trust in Oswestry provides elective orthopaedic surgery and musculoskeletal medical services. The hospital is located towards Gobowen.
and Moreton Hall, and an academy, The Marches School. In addition, post-16 education is provided by Walford and North Shropshire College
.
There are a number of places of worship in Oswestry. There are two Church of England
churches, which are part of the Diocese of Lichfield
- St. Oswald's Parish Church (a church since 640AD) (www.stoswaldsoswestry.org.uk) and the Holy Trinity Parish Church, located on the corner of Roft Street, where it meets the Salop Road. St Oswald's Churchhas a Norman
tower dating from 1085. There is a new window in the East nave designed by prestigious stained glass artist Jane Grey in 2004.
The town of Oswestry and surrounding villages fall into the parish of Our Lady Help of Christians and St Oswald, in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Shrewsbury
.
There are two Methodist churches: the Horeb Church on Victoria Road and the Oswestry Methodist Church. Cornerstone Baptist, a Baptist church is on the corner of Lower Brook Street and Roft Street in a modern 1970s building. Other Nonconformist churches include the Albert Road Evangelical Church; the Carreg Llwyd Church, which was founded in 1964 and Cabin Lane Church - a plant from Carreg Llywd Church in 1980, to the eastern expansion of Oswestry.
Another church in the town is Christ Church, now United Reformed Church
, but was formerly Congregationalist. Additionally, there is a Welsh-speaking church the Seion Church, and the Holy Anglican Church a Western Rite Anglican establishment. Coney Green is a Jehovah's Witness' church. The Religious Society of Friends also holds meetings in Oswestry.
, was one of the few English
teams to compete in the League of Wales. Oswestry Town folded due to financial difficulties in 2003 and merged with Total Network Solutions F.C. of Llansantffraid
, a village eight miles (13 km) away on the Welsh side of the border. Following the takeover of the club's sponsor in 2006, the club renamed itself as The New Saints
They moved to the redeveloped Park Hall Stadium
on the outskirts of the town in September 2007.
Oswestry Cricket Club
compete in the Birmingham and District Premier League
which is the oldest cricket league in the country. The club, whose former player Andy Lloyd
went on to Captain Warwickshire CCC and also play for England, play at their Morda Road ground to the south of the Town.
Shropshire
Shropshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. It borders Wales to the west...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, close to the Welsh
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
border. It is at the junction of the A5, A483
A483 road
The A483 is a major road in the United Kingdom, running from Swansea in Wales to Chester in England, although the official title is the Swansea to Manchester Trunk Road.-Swansea:...
, and A495 roads.
The town was the administrative headquarters of the Borough of Oswestry
Oswestry (borough)
Oswestry was a small local government district with borough status in Shropshire, England. It was the smallest of the five districts of Shropshire in terms of both population and land area....
until it was abolished on 1 April 2009 and is the third largest town in Shropshire, following Telford
Telford
Telford is a large new town in the borough of Telford and Wrekin and ceremonial county of Shropshire, England, approximately east of Shrewsbury, and west of Birmingham...
and Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury is the county town of Shropshire, in the West Midlands region of England. Lying on the River Severn, it is a civil parish home to some 70,000 inhabitants, and is the primary settlement and headquarters of Shropshire Council...
. The 2001 Census recorded the population of the civil parish as 15,613, the urban area as 16,660, and a 2008 estimate suggested that the latter figure had grown to 17,116. The town, located just five miles from the Anglo-Welsh border, is known for its mixed Welsh and English heritage, and is the home of the Shropshire libraries
Shropshire Council
Shropshire Council is a unitary authority in Shropshire, United Kingdom.It replaced the former two-tier local government structure in the non-metropolitan county of Shropshire on 1 April 2009, which involved its immediate predecessor, Shropshire County Council, and five non-metropolitan districts -...
' Welsh Collection.
Prehistory
The area has long been settled. Old OswestryOld Oswestry
thumb|250px|right|Old Oswestry hill fortOld Oswestry is a large and impressive early Iron Age hill fort in the Welsh Marches near Oswestry in north west Shropshire....
is the site of a large Iron Age
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
hill fort
Hill fort
A hill fort is a type of earthworks used as a fortified refuge or defended settlement, located to exploit a rise in elevation for defensive advantage. They are typically European and of the Bronze and Iron Ages. Some were used in the post-Roman period...
with evidence of occupation dating back to the 550s BC.
Saxon times
The Battle of MaserfieldBattle of Maserfield
The Battle of Maserfield , Welsh: "Maes Cogwy", was fought on August 5, 641 or 642, between the Anglo-Saxon kings Oswald of Northumbria and Penda of Mercia, ending in Oswald's defeat, death, and dismemberment...
is thought to have been fought here in 642, between the Anglo-Saxon kings
Anglo-Saxon monarchs
Anglo-Saxon monarchs were the rulers of the various kingdoms which arose in England following the withdrawal of the Romans in the fifth century. The most prominent kingdoms were Kent, Sussex, Wessex, Mercia and Bernicia, each recognising their own monarch...
Penda
Penda of Mercia
Penda was a 7th-century King of Mercia, the Anglo-Saxon kingdom in what is today the English Midlands. A pagan at a time when Christianity was taking hold in many of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms, Penda took over the Severn Valley in 628 following the Battle of Cirencester before participating in the...
and Oswald
Oswald of Northumbria
Oswald was King of Northumbria from 634 until his death, and is now venerated as a Christian saint.Oswald was the son of Æthelfrith of Bernicia and came to rule after spending a period in exile; after defeating the British ruler Cadwallon ap Cadfan, Oswald brought the two Northumbrian kingdoms of...
. Oswald was killed in this battle and was dismembered; according to a legend, one of his arms was carried to an ash tree by a bird, an eagle, and miracles were subsequently attributed to the tree (as Oswald was considered a saint). Thus it is believed that the name of the site derived from a reference to "Oswald's Tree". The spring Oswald's Well is supposed to have originated where the bird dropped the arm from the tree. Offa's Dyke
Offa's Dyke
Offa's Dyke is a massive linear earthwork, roughly followed by some of the current border between England and Wales. In places, it is up to wide and high. In the 8th century it formed some kind of delineation between the Anglian kingdom of Mercia and the Welsh kingdom of Powys...
runs nearby to the west.
The Conquest
Alan FitzFlaadAlan FitzFlaad
Alan fitz Flaad was a Breton knight who held the feudal barony and castle of Oswestry in Shropshire. His duties as a "valiant and illustrious man" included supervision of the Welsh border.-Family:...
(d. c1114), a Breton knight, was granted the feudal barony of Oswestry by King Henry I
Henry I of England
Henry I was the fourth son of William I of England. He succeeded his elder brother William II as King of England in 1100 and defeated his eldest brother, Robert Curthose, to become Duke of Normandy in 1106...
who, soon after his accession, invited Alan to England with other Breton friends, and gave him forfeited lands in Norfolk
Norfolk
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
and Shropshire
Shropshire
Shropshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. It borders Wales to the west...
, including some which had previously belonged to Ernoulf de Hesdin (killed at Antioch
Antioch
Antioch on the Orontes was an ancient city on the eastern side of the Orontes River. It is near the modern city of Antakya, Turkey.Founded near the end of the 4th century BC by Seleucus I Nicator, one of Alexander the Great's generals, Antioch eventually rivaled Alexandria as the chief city of the...
while on crusade) and Robert de Belleme.
Alan's duties to the Crown included supervision of the Welsh border. He also founded Sporle Priory in Norfolk. He married Ada or Adeline, daughter of Ernoulf de Hesdin. Their eldest son William was made High Sheriff of Shropshire
High Sheriff of Shropshire
The High Sheriff is the oldest secular office under the Crown. Formerly the High Sheriff was the principal law enforcement officer in the county but over the centuries most of the responsibilities associated with the post have been transferred elsewhere or are now defunct, so that its functions...
by King Stephen in 1137. He married a niece of Robert of Gloucester. But two of their younger sons, Walter and Simon, travelled to Scotland in the train of King David I
David I of Scotland
David I or Dabíd mac Maíl Choluim was a 12th-century ruler who was Prince of the Cumbrians and later King of the Scots...
, Walter becoming the first hereditary High Steward of Scotland
High Steward of Scotland
The title of High Steward or Great Steward was given in the 12th century to Walter Fitzalan, whose descendants became the House of Stewart. In 1371, the last High Steward inherited the throne, and thereafter the title of High Steward of Scotland has been held as a subsidiary title to that of Duke...
and ancestor of the Stewart Royal Family.
Border town
The town, being very close to Wales, has many Welsh street and Welsh placenamesWelsh placenames
The placenames of Wales derive in most cases from the Welsh language, but have also been influenced by linguistic contact with the Romans, Anglo-Saxons, Vikings, Anglo-Normans and modern English...
and the town's name in Welsh
Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
is Croesoswallt, meaning Oswald's Cross. The Domesday Book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
records a castle being built by Rainald
Rainald
Rainald was an abbot of Abbot of Abingdon.Rainald was a former monk of Jumièges who was King William I's chaplain when he was appointed Abbot of Abingdon by him in 1084. He died in Normandy in 1097.-References:...
, a Norman
Normans
The Normans were the people who gave their name to Normandy, a region in northern France. They were descended from Norse Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock...
Sheriff of Shropshire: (meaning "the work" in French) (which was reduced to a pile of rocks during the English Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
), and the town changed hands between English and Welsh a number of times during the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
. In 1149 the castle was captured by Madog ap Maredudd
Madog ap Maredudd
Madog ap Maredudd was the last Prince of the entire Kingdom of Powys, Wales and for a time held the Fitzalan Lordship of Oswestry.Madog was the son of Maredudd ap Bleddyn and grandson of Bleddyn ap Cynfyn. He followed his father on the throne of Powys in 1132...
, and remained in Welsh hands until 1157. Later, Oswestry was attacked by the forces of Welsh rebel leader Owain Glyndŵr
Owain Glyndwr
Owain Glyndŵr , or Owain Glyn Dŵr, anglicised by William Shakespeare as Owen Glendower , was a Welsh ruler and the last native Welshman to hold the title Prince of Wales...
during the early years of his rebellion against the English King Henry IV
Henry IV of England
Henry IV was King of England and Lord of Ireland . He was the ninth King of England of the House of Plantagenet and also asserted his grandfather's claim to the title King of France. He was born at Bolingbroke Castle in Lincolnshire, hence his other name, Henry Bolingbroke...
in 1400; it became known as Pentrepoeth or 'hot town' as it was burned and nearly totally destroyed by the Welsh. It eventually became known as Oswald's Tree in English, from which its current name is derived.
Market town
Military
Park Hall, a mile east of the town was one of the most impressive TudorTudor style architecture
The Tudor architectural style is the final development of medieval architecture during the Tudor period and even beyond, for conservative college patrons...
buildings in the country. It was taken over by the Army in 1915 and used as a training camp. On 26 December 1918 it burnt to the ground following an electrical fault. The ruined hall and camp remained derelict between the wars. For decades following World War 2, Oswestry was a prominent military centre for Canadian troops, later British Royal Artillery
Royal Artillery
The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery , is the artillery arm of the British Army. Despite its name, it comprises a number of regiments.-History:...
and latterly, a very successful training centre for 16-18 year old Infantry Junior Leaders. This long and proud military connection came to an ignominious end in the mid-1970s, shortly after some local licensed wildfowlers were shot by the young military guard one winter's night, mistaken for an attacking IRA
Provisional Irish Republican Army
The Provisional Irish Republican Army is an Irish republican paramilitary organisation whose aim was to remove Northern Ireland from the United Kingdom and bring about a socialist republic within a united Ireland by force of arms and political persuasion...
force, as the locals discharged their shotguns at some passing ducks.
The area previously occupied by the Park Hall military camp is now mainly residential and agricultural land, with a small number of light industrial units.
Landmarks
Attractions in and around Oswestry include: Whittington CastleWhittington Castle
Whittington Castle is a castle in northern Shropshire, England, owned and managed by the Whittington Castle Preservation Fund. The castle was originally a motte-and-bailey castle, but this was replaced in the 13th century by one with buildings around a courtyard whose exterior wall was the curtain...
(in nearby Whittington
Whittington, Shropshire
Whittington is a village in north west Shropshire, England.The civil parish of Whittington has a population of 2,490 as of the 2001 census. The village of Whittington is in the centre of the parish, and two smaller villages, Hindford to the north-east and Babbinswood to the south, are also within...
), Shelf Bank
Shelf Bank
This large hill in the centre of Oswestry is a 3 hectare area consisting of acid grassland and naturally regenerated areas of woodland and scrub.-Location and surroundings:...
and the Cambrian Railway Museum located near the former railway station. The town is famous for its high number of public house
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
s per head of population; there are around 30 in the town today, many of which offer real ale. A story incorporating the names of all of the pubs once open in Oswestry can be found hanging on the walls of the Oak on Church Street. Brogyntyn Hall belonged until recently to the lords Harlech
Baron Harlech
Baron Harlech, of Harlech in the County of Merioneth, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1876 for the Conservative politician John Ormsby-Gore, with remainder to his younger brother William. He had previously represented Carnarvon and North Shropshire in the House of...
.
Transport
A483 road
The A483 is a major road in the United Kingdom, running from Swansea in Wales to Chester in England, although the official title is the Swansea to Manchester Trunk Road.-Swansea:...
and A495. The A5 continues from Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury is the county town of Shropshire, in the West Midlands region of England. Lying on the River Severn, it is a civil parish home to some 70,000 inhabitants, and is the primary settlement and headquarters of Shropshire Council...
to the north, passing the town, before turning west near Chirk
Chirk
Chirk is a small town and local government community, the lowest tier of local government, part of Wrexham County Borough in Wales. It has a population of over 4,000....
and entering Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. Running near the town is a navigable section of the partially restored Montgomery Canal
Montgomery Canal
The Montgomery Canal , known colloquially as "The Monty", is a partially restored canal in Powys, in eastern Wales, and in northwest Shropshire, in western England...
, which runs from Frankton Junction to Newtown.
Oswestry no longer has an active railway, but it was once on the main line of the Cambrian Railways
Cambrian Railways
Cambrian Railways owned of track over a large area of mid-Wales. The system was an amalgamation of a number of railways that were incorporated in 1864, 1865 and 1904...
. However, the section from Whitchurch
Whitchurch, Shropshire
Whitchurch is a market town in Shropshire, England on the border between England and Wales. It is the oldest continuously inhabited town in Shropshire. According to the 2001 Census, the population of the town is 8,673, with a more recent estimate putting the population of the town at 8,934...
to Welshpool
Welshpool
Welshpool is a town in Powys, Wales, or ancient county Montgomeryshire, from the Wales-England border. The town is low-lying on the River Severn; the Welsh language name Y Trallwng literally meaning 'the marshy or sinking land'...
(Buttington Junction), via Ellesmere
Ellesmere, Shropshire
Ellesmere is a small market town near Oswestry in north Shropshire, England, notable for its proximity to a number of prominent lakes, the Meres.-History:...
, Whittington
Whittington, Shropshire
Whittington is a village in north west Shropshire, England.The civil parish of Whittington has a population of 2,490 as of the 2001 census. The village of Whittington is in the centre of the parish, and two smaller villages, Hindford to the north-east and Babbinswood to the south, are also within...
, Oswestry and Llanymynech
Llanymynech
Llanymynech is a village straddling the border between Montgomeryshire/Powys, Wales and Shropshire, England about 9 miles north of the Welsh town of Welshpool. The name is Welsh for "Church of the Monks"....
, closed on 18 January 1965 in favour of the more viable alternative route via Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury is the county town of Shropshire, in the West Midlands region of England. Lying on the River Severn, it is a civil parish home to some 70,000 inhabitants, and is the primary settlement and headquarters of Shropshire Council...
, leaving only a short branch line of the former Great Western Railway
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
from Gobowen
Gobowen
Gobowen is a large village in Shropshire, England, of population 3,927 .-History:The village was previously called Bryn-y-Castell, but the name in time changed to Gobowen. The name Gobowen is believed to originate from Gob and Owen who was believed to have rested his weary head there...
to continue to serve Oswestry until 7 November 1966 (this branch had once run into a separate GWR Oswestry terminus, now long since disappeared: trains were switched to the main Cambrian station as early as 7 July 1924).
The main building of the Cambrian station is still a prominent landmark within the town centre, a large handsome edifice that had once housed the headquarters of the Cambrian Railways company. After restoration, this building was reopened as the Cambrian Visitor Centre in June 2006 but on 11 January 2008 closed due to the terms of the lease not being settled (it later reopened but has since closed again). A single railway track, overgrown and rusting, still runs through the station, and is the subject of an ambitious plan to reopen the line between Oswestry and Llanyblodwel
Llanyblodwel
Llanyblodwel is a village and civil parish in Shropshire, England; the spelling "Llanyblodwell" was commonly used in the past, and the village was sometimes simply referred to as "Blodwell". It lies 7 miles west of the nearest town, Oswestry, in the valley of the River Tanat.The parish had a...
, and eventually Oswestry to Gobowen. Already the main platform at Oswestry station is being reconstructed.
Immediately to the south is the Cambrian Railway Museum, while a short distance to the north are former Cambrian Railways workshops, now occupied by a variety of industrial concerns. However, the nearest currently active station is at Gobowen
Gobowen railway station
Gobowen railway station is a railway station on the Shrewsbury to Chester Line serving the village of Gobowen in Shropshire, England. It is the nearest station to the town of Oswestry., train services run on two routes;...
. Local railway preservation societies have plans to reinstate the line from Gobowen station (where it meets the mainline), through Oswestry and into Wales.
Bus services are mainly operated by Arriva Midlands
Arriva Midlands
Arriva Midlands is a division of Arriva. It operates bus services around the Midlands area of England and is made up of various previous bus operators.-Arriva Midlands North:...
and local independent Tanat Valley Coaches
Tanat Valley Coaches
Tanat Valley Coaches operates bus and coach services in Montgomeryshire and across the Shropshire-Welsh borderland, in the United Kingdom.The family-run firm is based in the village of Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant, west of Oswestry. It also has a depot in the nearby village of Pentrefelin, in addition...
. The town has regular bus routes that link nearby villages and towns including Wrexham, Shrewsbury.
Demographics
Oswestry has had a mixed Welsh- and English-speaking population for centuries. The parish church conducted services in Welsh until 1814. English is the dominant language today, but there is still a substantial number of Welsh-speakers. Oswestry has one of the few Welsh-language bookshops outside Wales.Healthcare
The Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic HospitalRobert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital
The Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic and District Hospital NHS Trust in Oswestry, Shropshire, England provides elective orthopaedic surgery and musculoskeletal medical services....
NHS Trust in Oswestry provides elective orthopaedic surgery and musculoskeletal medical services. The hospital is located towards Gobowen.
Education
As well as numerous primary schools, such as Our Lady's and St Oswald's Catholic Primary School in or just outside Oswestry, there are two independent schools, Oswestry SchoolOswestry School
Oswestry School is a co-educational independent school, located in the town of Oswestry, Shropshire, England. Founded in 1407 by David Holbache and his wife Guinevere Holbache, it is the second oldest non-denominational school in England....
and Moreton Hall, and an academy, The Marches School. In addition, post-16 education is provided by Walford and North Shropshire College
Walford and North Shropshire College
Walford & North Shropshire College is a further education college in Shropshire, England. Walford and Oswestry are where the two main campuses are based, although there are other smaller centres used throughout the county.-Creation:...
.
Religious sites
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
churches, which are part of the Diocese of Lichfield
Diocese of Lichfield
The Diocese of Lichfield is a Church of England diocese in the Province of Canterbury, England. The bishop's seat is located in the Cathedral Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Saint Chad in the city of Lichfield. The diocese covers 4,516 km² The Diocese of Lichfield is a Church of England...
- St. Oswald's Parish Church (a church since 640AD) (www.stoswaldsoswestry.org.uk) and the Holy Trinity Parish Church, located on the corner of Roft Street, where it meets the Salop Road. St Oswald's Churchhas a Norman
Norman architecture
About|Romanesque architecture, primarily English|other buildings in Normandy|Architecture of Normandy.File:Durham Cathedral. Nave by James Valentine c.1890.jpg|thumb|200px|The nave of Durham Cathedral demonstrates the characteristic round arched style, though use of shallow pointed arches above the...
tower dating from 1085. There is a new window in the East nave designed by prestigious stained glass artist Jane Grey in 2004.
The town of Oswestry and surrounding villages fall into the parish of Our Lady Help of Christians and St Oswald, in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Shrewsbury
Diocese of Shrewsbury
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Shrewsbury is a Latin Rite Roman Catholic diocese in England. The diocese encompasses parts of the North West of England and parts of the West Midlands...
.
There are two Methodist churches: the Horeb Church on Victoria Road and the Oswestry Methodist Church. Cornerstone Baptist, a Baptist church is on the corner of Lower Brook Street and Roft Street in a modern 1970s building. Other Nonconformist churches include the Albert Road Evangelical Church; the Carreg Llwyd Church, which was founded in 1964 and Cabin Lane Church - a plant from Carreg Llywd Church in 1980, to the eastern expansion of Oswestry.
Another church in the town is Christ Church, now United Reformed Church
United Reformed Church
The United Reformed Church is a Christian church in the United Kingdom. It has approximately 68,000 members in 1,500 congregations with some 700 ministers.-Origins and history:...
, but was formerly Congregationalist. Additionally, there is a Welsh-speaking church the Seion Church, and the Holy Anglican Church a Western Rite Anglican establishment. Coney Green is a Jehovah's Witness' church. The Religious Society of Friends also holds meetings in Oswestry.
Sport
The former local football club, Oswestry Town F.C.Oswestry Town F.C.
Oswestry Town F.C. was a football club, formerly playing in the League of Wales.The club was founded as Oswestry United in 1860, which meant they were one of the world's oldest football clubs. Matches were latterly played at Park Hall stadium, Oswestry, after a spell at Victoria Road...
, was one of the few English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
teams to compete in the League of Wales. Oswestry Town folded due to financial difficulties in 2003 and merged with Total Network Solutions F.C. of Llansantffraid
Llansantffraid-ym-Mechain
Llansantffraid-ym-Mechain is a village and community in Powys, Mid-Wales, close to the border with Shropshire, about south west of Oswestry....
, a village eight miles (13 km) away on the Welsh side of the border. Following the takeover of the club's sponsor in 2006, the club renamed itself as The New Saints
The New Saints F.C.
The New Saints of Oswestry Town & Llansantffraid Football Club , also known as The New Saints or simply TNS is a full-time-professional British football club representing Llansantffraid-ym-Mechain in Powys, Wales and Oswestry in Shropshire, England . They play in the Welsh Premier League...
They moved to the redeveloped Park Hall Stadium
Park Hall (football ground)
Park Hall Stadium is the home ground of The New Saints in Oswestry.Oswestry Town first used the former council-owned stadium on 28 August 1993 but, after the club's financial problems and the merger with TNS, the ground fell into disrepair and was purchased by Mike Harris.After redevelopment at a...
on the outskirts of the town in September 2007.
Oswestry Cricket Club
Oswestry Cricket Club
Oswestry Cricket Club is an amateur Cricket club based in Oswestry, Shropshire. The Club was formed in 1855 and celebrated its 150th Anniversary in 2005 with a fixture against the Marylebone Cricket Club...
compete in the Birmingham and District Premier League
Birmingham and District Premier League
The Birmingham and District Cricket League is the oldest club cricket league in the world, formed in 1888. Arguably the strongest club competition in the country, it was also the first ECB Premier League, being designated such in 1998.- Geography :...
which is the oldest cricket league in the country. The club, whose former player Andy Lloyd
Andy Lloyd (cricketer)
Andy Lloyd is a former English cricketer, who played in one Test and three ODIs for England in 1984. His only Test was against the West Indies in June 1984. After making ten runs, and batting for thirty three minutes, he was hit on the head by the West Indies fast bowler, Malcolm Marshall...
went on to Captain Warwickshire CCC and also play for England, play at their Morda Road ground to the south of the Town.
Notable people
- Jesse ArmstrongJesse ArmstrongJesse Armstrong is one of the co-creators of Channel 4's Peep Show, along with Sam Bain. He also co-wrote the BBC Four comedy The Thick of It and was one of the writers on series 1 and 2 of the BBC Radio 4 sketch show That Mitchell and Webb Sound and the BBC Two sketch show That Mitchell and Webb...
, TV comedy writer - Alan Ball Jr., footballer for England (1966 World Cup)
- Frank BoughFrank BoughFrank Bough is a retired British television presenter who is best known as the former host of BBC sports and current affairs shows including Grandstand, Nationwide and Breakfast Time, which he fronted alongside Selina Scott.-Early life:...
, British television presenter - Thomas BrayThomas BrayThe Reverend Dr Thomas Bray was an English clergyman, who spent time in Maryland as an Anglican representative.-Life:...
, theologian - Henry Walford DaviesHenry Walford DaviesSir Henry Walford Davies KCVO OBE was a British composer, who held the title Master of the King's Musick from 1934 until 1941.-Early life and education:...
, composer - Paul Evans, footballer
- Carl GriffithsCarl GriffithsCarl Brian Griffiths is an English-born Welsh footballer, now manager. He is currently manager of Aveley.He started his career with Shrewsbury Town in 1988, and after five years moved on to Manchester City. In 1995 he transferred to Portsmouth, moving on to Peterborough United a year later...
, footballer - Ian HunterIan Hunter (singer)Ian Hunter Patterson is an English singer-songwriter. He was the lead singer of the English rock band Mott the Hoople from its inception in 1969 to its dissolution in 1974, and he again fronted them at the time of their 2009 reunion. Hunter was a musician and songwriter before Mott The Hoople, and...
, musician - Mott the HoopleMott the HoopleMott the Hoople were a British rock band with strong R&B roots, popular in the glam rock era of the early to mid 1970s. They are popularly known for the song "All the Young Dudes", written for them by David Bowie and appearing on their 1972 album of the same name.-The early years:Mott The Hoople...
, etc. - Per LindstrandPer LindstrandPer Lindstrand is a Swedish aeronautical engineer, pilot, adventurer and entrepreneur. He is particularly known for his series of record-breaking trans-oceanic hot air balloon flights and, later, attempts to be the first to fly a Rozière balloon around the Earth - all with British entrepreneur,...
, balloonist - Philip LlewellinPhilip LlewellinPhil Llewellin was a British journalist and writer. Born in Oswestry, Shropshire, he was educated at Oswestry School and Wycliffe College, Gloucestershire....
, journalist and writer - Andy LloydAndy Lloyd (cricketer)Andy Lloyd is a former English cricketer, who played in one Test and three ODIs for England in 1984. His only Test was against the West Indies in June 1984. After making ten runs, and batting for thirty three minutes, he was hit on the head by the West Indies fast bowler, Malcolm Marshall...
, England test cricketer & captain of Warwickshire CCC - Alexander Macmillan, 2nd Earl of StocktonAlexander Macmillan, 2nd Earl of StocktonAlexander Daniel Alan Macmillan, 2nd Earl of Stockton is a Conservative Party politician in the United Kingdom. He is the first son of the late Conservative politician Maurice Macmillan and the first grandson of former prime minister Harold Macmillan.-Life:Lord Stockton was educated at Eton...
, Chairman of Macmillan Publishing Ltd - Boaz MyhillBoaz MyhillGlyn Oliver Myhill , more commonly known as Boaz Myhill , is a footballer who plays for Birmingham City, on loan from West Bromwich Albion, and the Wales national team as a goalkeeper.-Early life:...
, footballer - Wilfred OwenWilfred OwenWilfred Edward Salter Owen MC was an English poet and soldier, one of the leading poets of the First World War...
, WWI soldier and poet - Barbara PymBarbara PymBarbara Mary Crampton Pym was an English novelist. In 1977 her career was revived when two prominent writers, Lord David Cecil and Philip Larkin, nominated her as the most underrated writer of the century...
, author - Trevor Rees-Jones, bodyguard and survivor of the accident in which Diana, Princess of WalesDiana, Princess of WalesDiana, Princess of Wales was the first wife of Charles, Prince of Wales, whom she married on 29 July 1981, and an international charity and fundraising figure, as well as a preeminent celebrity of the late 20th century...
died - Mark RobinsonMark Robinson (cricketer, born 1984)Mark Robinson was an English cricketer who played for Shropshire. He was born in Shrewsbury but now lives in Oswestry.Robinson, who represented Oswestry in the 2004 Cockspur Cup, made his sole List A appearance for Shropshire in the 2005 C&G Trophy...
, cricketer - William Archibald SpoonerWilliam Archibald SpoonerWilliam Archibald Spooner was a famous Oxford don whose name is given to the linguistic phenomenon of spoonerism.-Biography:...
, originator of the SpoonerismSpoonerismA spoonerism is an error in speech or deliberate play on words in which corresponding consonants, vowels, or morphemes are switched . It is named after the Reverend William Archibald Spooner , Warden of New College, Oxford, who was notoriously prone to this tendency... - William Henry Griffith ThomasWilliam Henry Griffith ThomasWilliam Henry Griffith Thomas was an Anglican clergyman and scholar from the English-Welsh border country. He has been quoted by theologian Alister McGrath in the science-versus-religion debate.-Life and work:...
, clergyman and scholar - Robert UssherRobert UssherRobert Ussher was an Irish Protestant Provost of Trinity College, Dublin and Bishop of Kildare.-Life:The youngest son of Henry Ussher, he was educated at Trinity College, Dublin, being made fellow in 1611, and graduating B.A. 1612, M.A. 1614, viceprovost 1615; B.D. 1621. He was prebendary of St...
, Bishop of KildareBishop of KildareThe Bishop of Kildare was an episcopal title which took its name after the town of Kildare in County Kildare, Ireland. The title is no longer in use by any of the main Christian churches having been united with other bishoprics. In the Roman Catholic Church, the title has been merged with that of...
- buried at Doddleston Chapel, near Oswestry - Richard WaitesRichard Waites (actor)Richard Waites is a British actor who is most famous for appearing as Cuthbert Lilly in all 131 episodes of the popular CITV show ZZZap!.-Career:...
, actor and writer - Edward WestonEdward Weston (chemist)Edward Weston was an English-born American chemist noted for his achievements in electroplating and his development of the electrochemical cell, named the Weston cell, for the voltage standard...
, chemist - George WilliamsGeorge Williams (senator)George Williams was born on 24 September 1869 in Oswestry, which has at various times in history been part of either Wales or Shropshire, England.Sometime before 1884 he immigrated to Marquette in the Upper Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan...
, Michigan state senator - Ian WoosnamIan WoosnamIan Harold Woosnam OBE is a Welsh professional golfer.Nicknamed 'Woosie', 'Woosers', or the 'Wee Welshman', Woosnam was one of the "Big Five" generation of European golfers, all born within 12 months of one another, all of whom have won majors, and made Europe competitive in the Ryder Cup...
, golfer
External links
- Oswestry Hospital - OsCell
- Oswestry Town Council
- Oswestry Borough Council
- 107.1 FM | The Severn
- Oswestry & Border Counties Advertizer Newspaper
- Oswestry Landmarks and Tourism
- Guide to Oswestry History and Archaeology
- Annual Oswestry Agricultural Show
- The Oswestry Food Festival
- The Oswestry Festival of the Word