Shelf Bank
Encyclopedia
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.
engineering works, now being converted into a new Health Centre. On the rare occasions when snow falls in the town, it provides the local populace with superb sledging opportunities.
The site was compulsorily purchased in 2005 by Oswestry Borough Council to ensure it could be managed for wildlife and the quiet recreation of Oswestry residents and visitors alike. Shelf Bank was not left to the children of Oswestry, it was only through the intervention of Shropshire County Council staff that the previous owner of the site was finally found and the land purchased for the people of Oswestry.
Shelf Bank is now managed by Shropshire Council who are seeking Local Nature Reserve designation, securing its open space nature for generations to come.
Oswestry
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....
is a 3 hectare area consisting of acid grassland and naturally regenerated areas of woodland and scrub.
Location and surroundings
The site occupies the majority of a knoll which offers views across Oswestry town and the wider Shropshire countryside. For that reason during WWII anti aircraft guns and lookout posts were established on the summit. Along the southern edge of the site there can be found a section of Wats Dyke, an earth bank structure dating back to the Dark Ages. On the North side, it is surrounded by a vast desolate area of old railway sidings of the Oswestry Branch Line (closed many years ago) and a huge VictorianVictorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
engineering works, now being converted into a new Health Centre. On the rare occasions when snow falls in the town, it provides the local populace with superb sledging opportunities.
Recent history
Local legend had it that the land was donated to "the children of Oswestry" by a long-forgotten landlord and as a result of its disputed ownership has proved very difficult to redevelop, despite occupying valuable land just outside the town centre.The site was compulsorily purchased in 2005 by Oswestry Borough Council to ensure it could be managed for wildlife and the quiet recreation of Oswestry residents and visitors alike. Shelf Bank was not left to the children of Oswestry, it was only through the intervention of Shropshire County Council staff that the previous owner of the site was finally found and the land purchased for the people of Oswestry.
Shelf Bank is now managed by Shropshire Council who are seeking Local Nature Reserve designation, securing its open space nature for generations to come.