The Battle of Shrewsbury

The battle of Shrewsbury was fought on the evening of 21 July 1403.

Although drawn over 150 years after the Battle of Shrewsbury the Burghley map shows how Shrewsbury town centre may have looked around 1403. However, notice the strong emphasis on defence. Shrewsbury Castle was originally built by the Normans in 1067 and rebuilt and strengthened between 1280 and 1300. It was situated to guard the bottleneck created by the meandering loop of the River Severn and effectively controlled access to the town. Notice also the town walls and the magnificent gatetowers guarding the English and Welsh medieval river bridges. By the time of the Battle of Shrewsbury in 1403 both the Castle and the town walls had been allowed to fall into a state of ruin. The Battle of Shrewsbury, which took place just outside the town, interrupted an otherwise peaceful era in Shrewsbury’s History.