Top 15 Attractions and Activities in Oswestry, Shropshire

Situated a mere five miles from the Welsh border, Oswestry is a charming market town nestled within picturesque countryside. During Medieval times, the Welsh Marches were fortified with numerous castles, as this region was frequently affected by raids and insurrections. Among notable sites near Oswestry are Chirk Castle and Whittington Castle, while Offa’s Dyke—a significant Anglo-Saxon border earthwork—traverses the landscape to the west.

This town is located in the Owestry Uplands, characterized by its verdant limestone hills, steep wooded valleys, and marshy bottoms that bear a closer resemblance to Wales than Shropshire. Furthermore, Oswestry is noteworthy as the birthplace of World War I poet Wilfred Owen, with a statue and memorial gun honoring him in Cae Glas Park, as well as an exhibition at the Oswestry Visitor Centre.

1. British Ironwork Centre & Shropshire Sculpture Park

The British Ironwork Centre serves as a multifaceted attraction centered around metalworking, encompassing 90 acres that host an expansive forge, silversmiths, ceramic workshops, and handicraft showrooms. Notably, an outdoor sculpture park boasts over 100 striking metal sculptures.

Among these, the Knife Angel stands out; it is constructed from more than 100,000 surrendered blades from the national “Save a life, surrender your knife” campaign. Additionally, the whimsical Spoon Gorilla, created using 40,000 spoons and commissioned by illusionist Uri Geller, is also noteworthy.

For those simply wishing to explore, membership allows for a nominal £1 entry fee, granting free access. A cafe is available with a 10% discount for members, along with live music often featured on weekends. Furthermore, the British Ironwork Centre offers “experience workshops” ranging from brief two-hour sessions to comprehensive full-day learning experiences in blacksmithing, silversmithing/jewelry, and pottery.

2. Whittington Castle

In the vicinity of Oswestry, evidence of the area’s turbulent Medieval conflicts is readily apparent. The Marcher castle in Whittington was established during Norman times on the English side of the 150-mile Anglo-Saxon earthwork. Originally constructed as a motte-and-bailey fortification, it was reconstructed in the 13th century with stone towers, a barbican, and a moat.

Following the 11th century, the dyke delineated the border between Wales and England. Whittington Castle, now community-owned and restored through a local fundraising initiative in the 2000s, is situated within 12 acres of sprawling parkland rich with mature trees. Approaching from Holyhead Road, visitors first encounter the substantial barbican protected by the moat.

Inside, meandering walkways allow access to the remnants of the inner bailey. The castle also hosts historical reenactments on the first weekend of May, followed by a living history weekend in late July.

3. Park Hall, The Countryside Experience

Park Hall transcends being merely an open farm; it is an award-winning aggregation of various countryside attractions. Children have the opportunity to interact with a diverse array of animals, including grooming ponies, cuddling rabbits and guinea pigs, leading gentle heavy horses across the stable yard, and feeding lambs in season.

Additional attractions include tractor rides, engaging pig races, and cow milking demonstrations, with opportunities for participation. Play areas—both indoor and outdoor—provide ample entertainment for children. Moreover, Park Hall features four museum sections that reconstruct a Victorian schoolroom, an Iron Age roundhouse, and World War I and II trenches, alongside the Welsh Guard Collection, which showcases uniforms, ceremonial weapons, and other regimental memorabilia.

Children can engage in imaginative play, dressing as Buckingham Palace guards and standing in a sentry box.

4. Old Oswestry Hillfort

Recognized as one of Britain’s most well-preserved Iron Age hill forts, Old Oswestry is located on the northern edge of the town. Its exceptional state of preservation is evident in the ramparts, which were constructed in phases over a millennium until the close of the 1st millennium BC, each successive stage improving in sophistication.

Neolithic flint tools have been uncovered at Old Oswestry, but the earliest signs of habitation date back to 1000 BC, marked by the emergence of roundhouses and industry relating to pottery and bronze melting. The settlement was abandoned during Roman times before being incorporated into the 40-mile Wat’s Dyke earthwork by the Mercians in the 8th century. Managed by English Heritage, the site provides informative panels, and the summit offers panoramic views extending over Shropshire, North and Mid Wales, and Cheshire.

5. Cambrian Railways Museum

Managed by Cambrian Heritage Railways, this museum occupies the former goods shed of Oswestry’s listed railway station (1860), which ceased operations in 1966 following major changes to the UK’s railway network due to the Beeching Cuts. Inside the Victorian depot, visitors can explore artifacts from the former railway line, including lamps, signal box fittings, signs, tickets, archival photographs, clocks, and models.

Cambrian Heritage Railways maintains a short section of restored track that serves the newly restored station building. Steam train rides are typically offered on weekends in the summer and last just over ten minutes, transporting train enthusiasts into an exhilarating experience.

6. Oswestry Town Museum

Located on the third floor of Oswestry’s Victorian Guildhall, the town museum is accessible on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. After ascending a flight of stairs, visitors will find themselves in three rooms filled with captivating exhibits focused on Oswestry’s history.

The museum features a comprehensive timeline of the town’s past, an intriguing natural history display, and various notable artifacts, including inscribed jail doors dating back to 1637 and an authentic Penny Farthing bicycle. A poignant exhibition, present since 2017, showcases a collection of letters exchanged between two male soldiers during World War II at a time when homosexuality was not only illegal but could also lead to execution within the military.

7. Church of St Oswald

The parish church is named after St. Oswald, the 7th-century canonized Anglo-Saxon King of Northumbria, who was killed during the Battle of Maserfield around 641 or 642. The current structure, built in the early 13th century, underwent remodeling in the 1640s following damage incurred during the Civil War.

Much of the decoration comes from a restoration led by G. E. Street in the 1870s. However, several historical curiosities exist, such as an octagonal font featuring a spread eagle carving that commemorates the Restoration of the Monarchy in 1662. Fine oak chests with Medieval origins can be found in the south and north transepts. Additionally, a large Renaissance wall monument honors Hugh Yale (d. 1616) and his wife, showcasing two prominent kneeling figures. This is the same Yale family associated with Elihu Yale, the benefactor of what is now known as Yale University in Connecticut.

8. Oswestry Visitor and Exhibition Centre

Significantly located on the Wilfred Owen trail, the Oswestry Visitor and Exhibition Centre is situated in a half-timbered building constructed in 1407, which once served as Oswestry School. This site holds the distinction of being the second oldest grammar school in the UK, founded by David Holbache, King’s pleader and attorney for Wales (1355-1422/23), with a commemorative monument located in St Oswald’s Churchyard. Visitors can explore a small display dedicated to Wilfred Owen and exhibitions of local artistry from Monday to Saturday.

The visitor center houses a tourist information desk and includes a cafe that features outdoor seating in the former school’s courtyard.

9. Cae Glas Park

With impressive gates leading into a meticulously maintained floral garden on Church Street, Cae Glas Park offers a tranquil venue for relaxation and activity. The elegantly arranged smaller formal garden features a WWI-era field gun and a statue of Wilfred Owen, leading into a larger open area.

Deeper within the park, visitors can enjoy a delightful crazy golf course, a bowling green, tennis courts, and a play area for young children. Summer weekends typically feature various activities at Cae Glas Park, highlighted by the vibrant Balloon Festival in August, showcasing up to 25 hot air balloons, along with street food, a continental market, and live entertainment.

10. Chirk Castle

Crossing the border into Wales, visitors can explore the 13th-century Marcher fortress, Chirk Castle, which later transformed into an elegant residence for the Myddleton family. The West Range invites exploration, featuring the Adam Tower, which retains murder holes, Medieval toilets (garderobes), and a unique twin-level dungeon.

Aside from the historical interiors that reflect a vision much younger than their original styles, visitors will appreciate an art collection that includes the 17th-century King’s Cabinet, a Japanese Shagreen Chest from 1600, and the Myddleton Pedigree, a 10-meter scroll outlining the family tree of the Myddleton lineage, also dating back to the 17th century.

The gardens are adorned with stately yew topiaries, rock gardens, herbaceous borders, and terraces, all enveloped by 18th-century parkland. Chirk Castle, a property of the National Trust, has open access to its estate and gardens year-round, though visitor access to the residence has limited hours outside of summer.

11. Chirk Aqueduct

In Chirk, the Llangollen Canal elegantly spans the boundary between England and Wales through the stunning 220-meter Chirk Aqueduct. This structure is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which includes the entire Llangollen Canal and boasts some of the finest canal architecture in the UK. It is also one of the rare locations on this waterway where visitors can physically stand with one foot in England and the other in Wales.

The aqueduct is supported by ten masonry arches and stands 21 meters above the River Ceiriog, masterminded by visionary civil engineers William Jessop and Thomas Telford. From this point, visitors can proceed into the Chirk Tunnel, recognized as one of the first canal tunnels to include a towpath.

12. Oswestry Castle

Like many castles throughout the country, Oswestry Castle was dismantled in the mid-17th century following the conclusion of the Civil War. Royalist troops were stationed here until Parliamentarian forces captured the town in 1644, ultimately leading to its destruction to prevent future use.

Presently, little remains aside from an earthwork mound, reaching 12 meters in height and established around 1086, with faint remnants of a 13th-century keep scattered across its summit. Visitors can ascend the mound to contemplate the turbulent history of battles that unfolded on this site during the 12th and 13th centuries as control of the castle and town shifted between English and Welsh forces. Notably, this very location hosted a parliament called by Richard II in 1398.

13. Stonehouse Brewery

Oswestry’s craft beer scene is dominated by Stonehouse Brewery, which offers an eclectic array of traditionally brewed beers and ciders. Their selection includes a couple of English-style bitters, a Belgian-style wheat beer, a dark porter infused with coffee and vanilla notes, two varieties of cider, a fruity ale, and even two beers that draw flavors from New Zealand and Australia.

On the first Saturday of each month at 13:00, a guided tour takes participants through every step of the brewing process, from boiling to fermentation, maturation, and bottling. Attendees receive a drink upon arrival, and after the 90-minute tour, a tasting session culminates with a final drink, so arranging alternative transportation is advisable. The taproom remains open until 19:00, and collaborations with local eateries, such as Lepone’s—a cherished Italian restaurant housed in a converted church on Oswald Road—are also offered.

14. Offa’s Dyke Path

Named after Offa, the 8th-century King of Mercia, Offa’s Dyke represents a significant linear earthwork that once marked the boundary between Mercia to the east and the Welsh kingdom of Powys to the west. Comprised of a raised mound and ditch, the dyke spans a width of up to 20 meters and reaches heights of two meters, meandering through diverse terrain across a length of 150 miles.

The most effective way to appreciate this extraordinary feat of early Medieval engineering is along the National Trail, which either follows or remains in proximity to the dyke. Offa’s Dyke Path extends 177 miles from the Severn Estuary in the south to Prestatyn on the north coast of Wales. For those in Oswestry, the trail provides pathways for excursions to Llanymynech or Craigant, leading through richly wooded beech forests, steep valleys, and meadows abundant with wildflowers.

15. Llanymynech Golf Club

The only golf course in Europe that straddles two nations, Llanymynech Golf Club allows players to tee off in Wales and putt in England. Fifteen of the holes lie within Welsh territory, whereas three are located across the border in England. The round begins on Welsh soil, and players will cross into England at the fourth green before returning to Wales on the seventh tee.

The course is bordered to the west by Offa’s Dyke, and on clear days, serves up panoramic views extending across twelve counties in England and Wales. Offering an unforgettable golfing experience, green fees are a reasonable £30 per person on weekdays and £40 on weekends. Ian Woosnam, the 1991 Masters champion, is an Oswestry native and a current member of the club.