Shrewsbury is a medieval town in the county of Shropshire, it is close to the Welsh border and sits on the River Severn. It is about 40 miles south of Chester and can easily be reached by train or car. There is a railway station right in the centre of the town. Trains from London take about 2hours 30 minutes, and from Birmingham just under an hour, making this the perfect place to visit for a day, weekend or longer. The town has over 600 listed buildings, many of which have retained their original Tudor style.
Stretch your legs
We began our day at Attingham Park, a National Trust property just 20 minutes from Shrewsbury town centre. The National Trust have recently started rating their properties for dog-friendliness and we were pleased to see that Attingham Park has received a ‘3-paw’ rating meaning that this is one of the most dog-friendly properties. Visitors are provided with a map which clearly shows where dogs should be on-lead and areas where they can run free.
Seve loved exploring the woods and we even managed to get a really good glimpse at some of the many deer and cows on the estate. The mansion house was absolutely stunning and there was a café with outdoor seating for a drink, snack or lunch.
Incarcerated
We’ve been telling Seve for some time that if he keeps stealing socks he’s going to get into trouble. Well today all of his misdemeanors finally caught up with him as he was sentenced to a few hours in Shrewsbury Prison! One of our favourite things to do is to visit unusual or quirky dog-friendly attractions so this venue definitely met this brief!
From the minute we arrived, Seve was greeted warmly, there was nowhere he wasn’t allowed and there were water bowls provided throughout, making this a truly great place to visit with a furry friend. It was really interesting learning about how prison life has changed over time and seeing the whole experience from being booked in, through to the cells, the washrooms, the kitchen and the exercise area was really eye-opening. We stopped here for a quick drink and a bite-to-eat, I mean it’s not often you can say you’ve actually eaten prison food!
Retail Therapy
We drove from the prison into the town centre and parked near to the Abbey. Parking here is charged per minute, with a maximum charge of £4 per day which we thought was extremely reasonable. We loved walking through the town and exploring all of the little medieval streets, the Tudor buildings are stunning and we were pleased to note just how many of the independent shops were dog-friendly.
We made our way to the Darwin Centre, named after Charles Darwin who was born in Shrewsbury. This whole shopping mall is dog-friendly, although each store inside has its own dog policy. Seve managed to find his way into Wilko and was given a big fuss by the staff, who seemed to secretly direct him to the pet aisles for him to pick out a treat!
Messing about on the river
No great day out is complete without a boat trip so we were pleased to hear that the Sabrina boat tours are completely dog-friendly. We booked online before we visited although there may be some tickets available on the day. The tour lasts approximately 45 minutes, which was just enough time for Seve to have a nap after all of his exploring! For more details of the sights you will see on the cruise you can look here
The Quarry and The Dingle
When we got back to dry land, Seve was ready to stretch his legs again so we went for a walk into The Quarry. This is a stunning 29 acre, Grade II listed park that runs right along the river and is only minutes from the town centre. At the heart of the park is The Dingle, a sunken garden with beautiful flower beds, borders, ponds, fountains and sculptures. We were blown away with just how spectacular this whole area was, it certainly didn’t feel like we were in the centre of an English town!
We walked all the way along the river back to the Abbey, where we stopped for something to eat at The Peach Tree. It was such a lovely evening that we sat at one of the outside tables and enjoyed a seafood sharing platter overlooking the Abbey. A perfect end to another fabulous day in Shrewsbury.
Visiting Shrewsbury
There are so many dog-friendly attractions, restaurants and cafes in Shrewsbury that you could easily spend a weekend here. One of the things we were disappointed not to have time for was to hire a canoe, kayak or paddleboard. We spoke to the guys at Hire a canoe who told us that not only are dogs allowed on free, they also run a special doggy paddle evening every Wednesday, where they have a doggy expert on hand, and after a paddle down the river they stop at a doggy beach for the pooches to have a run around! This is something we know Seve would absolutely love!
We hope you’ve enjoyed hearing all about our day in Shrewsbury and that we’ve given you some ideas for your next adventure with your K9 companion.
Gordon, Avril and Seve
