St. Mary's Church

Sitting in the centre of Shrewsbury, this large medieval church was originally Saxon, and was rebuilt in the 1170s to successfully enlarge and embellish it.

The church sits at the highest point in the heart of medieval Shrewsbury and has always dominated the towns landscape. It is believed to have been founded by King Edgar in about 970 on the site of an earlier Saxon church.

The church later became a college and retained the dignity of a Royal Peculiar until the 19th Century.

It was extensively rebuilt in 1150 and over the years, it has been enlarged and enhanced many times. The church features almost every architectural style from the 12th to the 19th Centuries.

The church is famous for its superb stained glass windows (including its stunning Jesse window) dating from various periods in its history.

The church also has fine arcades and a richly carved nave roof.

The Needle spire is one of the three highest in England.

There is a memorial to local steeplejack Robert Cadman who fell to his death in 1739 whilst performing balancing tricks on ropes suspended from the spire.