The Market Hall
2 minutes on footUnder the big clock tower, and repeatedly voted one of Britain's favourite markets. Artisan food, proper coffee, antiques and crafts. Go hungry.
Our bigger shop
The Toy Box, Shrewsbury.
Right in the middle of one of the most gloriously independent towns in the country. More room to explore, more corners to turn, and a whole medieval maze of a town waiting outside the door.
Room to wander
ShropshireElev8: add Shrewsbury postcode
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Get directions
More space, more to find.
Our second shop, and our biggest. There's proper room to browse here, which means more of the ranges we love, more room for the bears, and enough space that nobody has to hurry anybody along. Give it half an hour and see what happens.
Find us
45 High Street, ShrewsburyShropshireElev8: add Shrewsbury postcode
Call the shop
Opening hours
Monday to Saturday09:30 to 17:30
Sunday11:00 to 16:00
Make a day of it
A town that kept its independents, and its secrets.
Shrewsbury is a loop of the River Severn with a medieval town parcelled up inside it. The street plan barely changed for centuries, which is why it's still a tangle of narrow passageways, timber fronts leaning over the pavement, and small shops that have been somebody's life's work.
Independent shops here outnumber the chains, which is exactly why we wanted to be part of it. Come and give the town a proper day, not a dash.
Ask a local for "the shuts" and watch them light up. They're the little cut-throughs between the streets, and they are the best way to get pleasantly lost.
Shrewsbury Castle
8 minutes on footRed sandstone, standing guard over the neck of the river loop since the 11th century. The grounds are lovely and free to wander.
The Quarry & The Dingle
7 minutes on footTwenty-nine acres of riverside park, with a sunken flower garden at the middle of it. Ideal for running off a morning's excitement.
The shuts
Right outsideShrewsbury's medieval passageways, threading between the streets. Duck down one and you'll find shops you'd never have spotted otherwise.
Wyle Cop
3 minutes on footSaid to be the longest run of independent shops in the country, tumbling downhill towards the English Bridge. A browser's paradise.
Darwin's home town
All over townCharles Darwin was born here in 1809 and hunted for newts in the Quarry as a boy. There's a statue, and a trail, and a lot of local pride.
If you'd like a plan
A rather good day in Shrewsbury.
1
from about 10
Breakfast in the Market Hall
Start under the clock tower with coffee and something warm, then do a lap of the stalls before the crowds arrive.
2
late morning
Find us at number 45
We're a two minute stroll from the market. Come and browse properly. If it's a present, we'll make it look like one.
3
around lunch
Get lost down the shuts
Pick a passageway and follow it. This is the best hour of the day, and the one nobody plans.
4
afternoon
The castle, then the park
Wander up to the castle grounds, then down to the Quarry to let everybody run about by the river.
5
before home
Amble down Wyle Cop
Finish with the long hill of independents and a cake somewhere. You've earned it.
The boring but useful bit
Before you set off.
Parking
Several town centre car parks are within a short walk, and there's park-and-ride if you'd rather leave the car outside the loop. The station is a few minutes away on foot too, if the train suits you better.
Where to eat
You're spoilt. The Market Hall alone could feed you all day, and the surrounding streets are full of independent cafés, delis and pubs. Very little of it is a chain.
Good to know
The town is walkable but hilly in patches, and the old streets can be narrow. We're on the flat bit, happily, and there's always a hand for a pushchair at our door.
Fancy the pretty drive? Our first shop is half an hour away, in the Gorge.