Oswestry in Shropshire- what to do, where to stay, where to eat and park.
Friendly, historic, surprising. Visit Oswestry - a Shropshire market town
Discover more about Oswestry Town: Markets and Shopping | Eat and Drink | Stay | Oswestry Tourist Information Centre
Friendly Oswestry
Time to discover Oswestry, Shropshire’s second largest town. Explore our award-winning markets bustling on market days. Indulge in unique finds at specialty markets and eclectic independent shops. Savour local produce in our welcoming restaurants and pubs. Call in at our Tourist Information Centre to meet our friendly staff and discover more.
Historic Oswestry
Oswestry’s history has been forged by being sometimes English and sometimes Welsh! From the iron age hillfort through medieval border battles onto the industrial revolution and Oswestry’s railway heritage, this Shropshire market town invites you to discover our fascinating history and heritage.
Places to visit in Oswestry: Old Oswestry Hillfort | Wilfred Owen Sculpture | Cambrian Heritage Railways | Oswald’s Well
What’s on in Oswestry: What’s on next | All year events | Oswestry Food and Drink Festival
Surprising Oswestry
Oswestry surprises with its year-round festivities and many are free. From chilled out Summer Sundays with music in the park to a summer beach day in landlocked Shropshire, Oswestry’s events are a unique feature of our market town. Don’t miss July’s Food and Drink Festival or August’s spectacular Hot Air Balloon Carnival.
Friendly - Oswestry
Discover the warmth and charm of Oswestry, a welcoming Shropshire market town renowned for its friendly atmosphere. Explore Oswestry’s award-winning and bustling market. Open regularly on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, there are also occasional speciality markets for unique finds. Come along on the last Friday of each month for the Artisans’ market and late night opeing with live music in the Oswestry Town Market Hall.
Enjoy the eclectic mix of Oswestry’s independent shops including our independent, totally modern and award winning book shop and probably Shropshire’s best kitchen shop. Quirky antique shops and art galleries sit comfortably next to independent fashion and gift shops and the welcome will be friendly and genuine.
Experience Oswestry’s inviting cafes and coffee houses, serving up a friendly Oswestry welcome. Dine in local restaurants that showcase the finest Shropshire produce, celebrating the region’s culinary heritage.
For an authentic local experience, mingle with the locals in Oswestry’s lively pubs. You’ll find quiz nights, live music or just a friendly corner to enjoy a pint of local ale.
Curious to learn more about Oswestry? Visit our Tourist Information Centre. It is in the market hall and is open on market days. Our friendly staff are waiting to share their unique knowledge of Oswestry with you and it’s a great place for local souvenirs and gifts.
Historic Oswestry
Oswestry, a town steeped in both English and Welsh history, is a unique blend of border cultures. Surrounded by Wales on three sides, Oswestry has been both Welsh and English over the centuries.
Oswestry’s markets have been here for over 800 years but Oswestry’s beginnings go back to the iron age. The iron age hillfort, Old Oswestry, has protected the town for thousands of years, with some legends even claiming it as the birthplace of King Arthur’s Guinevere.
Venturing into medieval times, the legend of King Oswald lives on through landmarks like Oswald’s Well and the striking church erected in his memory. Don’t overlook the poignant sculpture of poet Wilfred Owen, born here in 1893. His family would still recognise many of Oswestry’s historic buildings. In fact, the Guildhall was opened in 1893, the year Wilfred Owen was born.
While Oswestry Castle now exists only as a faint echo atop Oswestry Castle Mound, it still offers unparalleled views of the town and Old Oswestry hillfort.
An integral part of Oswestry’s narrative is its railway heritage, celebrated through the Cambrian Heritage Railway. This historic railway route, extending from the heart of the town to Weston Wharf and the local brewery, serves as a vibrant reminder of Oswestry’s industrial legacy.
Surprising - Oswestry
What is surprising about this small Shropshire market town is just how much there is to see and do. From the winter arts festival, Love Oswestry in February through to free Easter events such as the market fun day and the wacky street circus, Oswestry town knows how to celebrate all year long.
Summer days bring the beach. That’s right – sand, deckchairs and buckets and spades in the centre of a market town in land locked Shropshire! The fun, free, and family friendly Food and Drink Festival in July brings two days of deliciousness to Oswestry’s Street Markets. Possibly the only Hot Air balloon carnival that takes off from a town centre park is the highlight of a hot August weekend.
Oswestry Show is the focus in early August, a cornucopia of all things rural, it is one of the largest one day agricultural shows in the country.
There is more! Pop into Oswestry’s stunning Cae Glas park, part of Oswestry’s winning entry into the 2023 Large Town section in Britain in Bloom, it is the perfect place for a summer picnic with an accompaniment of live music on sunny Sunday afternoons.
The year rounds off with a medley of fun events in December. The Christmas Parade is a fun mix of veteran vehicles and fantastic floats. Whilst Christmas Live is a unique event in the town centre. For one night only the streets are filled with fairground rides, live music and Christmas markets.
