Day out in Shrewbury

Yesterday was a day off for G and so we decided to visit Shrewsbury as we hadn't been there in many years. We did the touristy thing rather than the shops, although we did have a look around the Darwin Shopping centre, and have tea and sandwiches.
We started off here, by the banks of the river Severn, a converted warehouse into apartments, they looked really nice, overlooking the boats and the river.

 We followed the river and turned uphill into the grounds where the Shrewbury flower show is usually held in August. Here is the lovely garden called The Dingle, designed by Percy Thrower the gardener, who for a time was also the gardener on the tv programme Gardeners world, and the childrens programme Blue Peter.

This beautiful flower clock was made up in true garden park design, very victorian and pretty with all of its spring flowers.

Another lovely view of The Dingle

This is Shrewsbury castle, made out of red sandstone, it was an early Norman castle overlooking the river severn. It now houses a military regimental museum.

View along the river from Lauras Tower

Lauras Tower is so called because when Thomas Telford remodelled the castle in the eighteenth century, Sir William Pountney who lived as a private resident in the castle, had a daughter called Laura.
When you climb to the top of the castle here you are standing on one of the oldest Norman Castles in England.

Charles Darwin, founder of the book Origin of species

The lady chapel inside Shrewsbury Abbey

The Abbey of St Peter and St Paul known as Shrewsbury Abbey was a former Benedictine Abbey, it was founded in 1083 by Sir Richard Montgomery. After the dissolution of the monasteries, the Abbey fell into disrepair and now it is only half its actual length , with the high altar remodelled . However it is still in use, and was the setting for the Brother Cadfael books by Ellis Peters set in Medaeval times.

There is a stained glass window dedicated to her.

A lovely day out, walking along the banks of the river severn and seeing all the crocus in bloom was particularly lovely, as was the Dingle garden.