23/02/2024 - Permalink

Shropshire Day: a celebration of our great county

Related topics: Community / Economic growth / Leisure, culture and heritage / Partner organisations

It was revealed this year that Shropshire has been named as one of the world’s top 10 tourist destinations to watch, by renowned travel experts ABTA – The Travel Association, but then those of us lucky enough to live here already know that!

Whether you are looking for scenic landscapes, historic sites, delicious food, thriving towns or exciting events, Shropshire has something for everyone.

A scene in Shropshire

Here are just a few of the reasons we should celebrate Shropshire on our unique day.

  • The Shropshire Hills, part of the National Landscape, that covers about a quarter of the county. Here you can enjoy stunning views, diverse wildlife, and peaceful trails. Some of the popular spots include the Long Mynd, the Stiperstones, and the Wrekin, and not forgetting Shropshire Council-run Severn Valley Country Park, where the river meanders through lush meadows and woodlands and you can stop for a break at our visitor centre.
  • Our many charming villages and market towns, including the county town of Shrewsbury, each has its own character and history.
  • Shropshire has a rich and varied history, that spans from the prehistoric to the modern times. There are 16 castles in the county including Shrewsbury Castle, Ludlow Castle, Stokesay Castle, and Whittington Castle. It also has one of the best-preserved Iron Age Hill Forts in the UK – Old Oswestry Hillfort – and there’s Ironbridge Gorge, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, where the world’s first iron bridge was built in 1779.
  • Shropshire has a strong reputation as a ‘foodie’ paradise thanks to its traditional pubs, cafes and fine dining restaurants, as well as the ever-popular food festivals such as the Ludlow Food Festival, Shrewsbury Food Festival, and Shropshire Oktoberfest in The Quarry, Shrewsbury.
  • It’s not only food festivals that are a feature of Shropshire’s ‘What’s On’ calendar.  Shrewsbury Folk Festival, Wenlock Poetry Festival, Shrewsbury Flower Show, Shropshire County Agricultural Show, Oswestry Balloon Carnival and other music festivals are also popular events.
The Long Mynd

The Long Mynd

Shropshire Day, on 23 February each year, was originally named in honour of St Milburga, Benedictine abbess of Wenlock, who is associated with several miracles, some during her lifetime and others from the discovery of her relics.

Shropshire Council’s Archives team have a blog which explains her history. You can read all about it here: Shropshire Day 2022 (shropshirearchives.org.uk)

Wenlock Priory

Wenlock Priory