Borough of Oswestry

Oswestry Castle is a medieval castle in the town of Oswestry, Shropshire, England. The castle has also been known as, or recorded in historical documents as: Album Monasterium; Blancminster; Blankmouster; Blancmustier; Croes Oswald; L'Oeuvre; L'uvre; Castle Loure; Luure; Luvre; Lvvre: Castle Philip; Oswaldestre; Meresberie. The first reference to the castle in Oswestry was in 1086, when castelle Lurve (or castle L’oeuvre) is recorded in the Domesday Book as being built by Rainald, Sheriff of Shropshire in the Hundred of Meresberie. No town was recorded until around 1272 when references appear to the settlement of Blancminster (named after its white stone church). The Welsh were already referring to Croes Oswallt (Cross of Oswald) in 1254, regarding St Oswald, the Northumbrian king killed at the Battle of Maserfield (reputed to have taken place near Oswestry) in 641 AD. After Rainald the castle passed to Alan fitz Flaad. The civil war between Stephen and Empress Matilda (1135–54) saw the Marcher Lord of Oswestry, William FitzAlan, join forces with Matilda. As a consequence he was deprived of his lands, including the castle and its area, and titles by Stephen after 1138, when he fled into exile. The castle was reclaimed by Madog ap Maredudd the Prince of Powys between 1149 and 1154, along with the lordship of the area. This was short-lived; on the accession of Henry II in 1154, William FitzAlan recovered his estates and was restored as High Sheriff of Shropshire in 1155 until his death in 1160. A period of conflict between the Welsh and the English followed and the castle was sacked numerous times. In 1165, Henry himself adopted it as a base for his unsuccessful campaign against Owain Gwynedd. In 1211 King John moved against Llywelyn the Great and the castle came under attack. By 1270 the castle’s walls had been extended to embrace the town, but its military significance declined. The castle was garrisoned by Royalist troops during the Civil War, and captured by the forces of Oliver Cromwell in 1644. It had been largely demolished by the Roundheads by 1650. The motte is about 12m high and 52m by 72m at its base. The collapsed remnants of the stone keep, possibly dating to the 13th century, are in situ. The remains of the keep are a Grade II Listed Building. The internal layout of the keep is not known, but an inventory compiled in 1398 notes three chambers, hall, chapel dedicated to St Nicholas, kitchen, larder and buttery. To the south east of the keep are the remains of a bastion, largely rebuilt in the late 19th century, it is a Grade II Listed Building. The walls and the gate piers are also Grade II Listed. The castle bailey, which lies to the south of the motte, probably served as the initial focus for the development of the town. The town had grown beyond the limits of the bailey before the second half of the 13th century when the town walls were constructed. The location of the bailey is recorded in the street names Bailey Street and Bailey Head.

The Battle of Oswestry took place during the First English Civil War on 22–23 June 1644 when Parliamentarians led by Lord Denbigh attacked and took control of the Royalist garrison in Oswestry, Shropshire.

Oswestry Guildhall is a municipal building in Bailey Head in Oswestry, Shropshire, England. The structure, which was the meeting place of Oswestry Municipal Borough Council, is a Grade II listed building.

The Battle of Maserfield, (Welsh: Cad Maes Cogwy) was fought on 5 August 641 or 642 (642 according to Ward) between the Anglo-Saxon kings Oswald of Northumbria and Penda of Mercia allied with Welsh Kingdom of Gwynedd, ending in Oswald's defeat, death, and dismemberment. The location was also known as Cogwy in Welsh, with Welshmen from Pengwern participating in the battle (according to the probably ninth-century Canu Heledd), probably as allies of the Mercians. Bede reports the commonly accepted date given above; the Welsh Annales Cambriae is generally considered incorrect in giving the year of the battle as 644. The site of the battle is traditionally identified with Oswestry.

Oswestry ( OZ-wəss-tree; Welsh: Croesoswallt) is a market town, civil parish and historic railway town in Shropshire, England, close to the Welsh border. It is at the junction of the A5, A483 and A495 roads. The town was the administrative headquarters of the Borough of Oswestry until that was abolished in 2009. Oswestry is the third-largest town in Shropshire, following Telford and Shrewsbury. At the 2021 Census, the population was 17,509. The town is five miles (8 km) from the Welsh border and has a mixed English and Welsh heritage. Oswestry is the largest settlement within the Oswestry Uplands, a designated natural area and national character area.

Oswestry railway station is a Grade II listed heritage railway station in Oswestry, Shropshire, England. It was closed when passenger services were withdrawn in 1966. The station building today is used as commercial premises, although the Cambrian Railways Society are restoring it.

Wilfred Owen Green is the town green located in the middle of the town Oswestry in Shropshire, England.

Shelf Bank is a hill in the centre of Oswestry which has been a local nature reserve since 2014. It has an elevation of 145 m (476 ft) and is a 3-hectare (7.4-acre) area consisting of acid grassland and naturally regenerated areas of woodland and scrub.

The Cambrian Railways works is a former railway engineering building located in Oswestry, Shropshire. Formed from a series of regional railway companies, in July 1865 the Cambrian Railways company extended an Amalgamation Act to include the Aberystwith and Welsh Coast Railway. Having built Oswestry railway station, and relocated its headquarters there, the company need a new railway works. The site chosen was to the north of the station on Gobowen Road, and its construction hastened Oswestery's boom as a railway town, from a population of 5,500 in 1861, to nearly 10,000 40 years later. Built of local red brick and costing £28,000, the locomotive erecting shop had a central traverser which was hand-moved, serving 12 roads on each side. Apart from the entrance and exit roads, each of the 22 other roads could accommodate a single locomotive or other piece of rolling stock, which again had to be moved into the roads by hand. On the far north end of the works, 11 sidings accessed a carriage and wagon works. Power to the machines was provided by a large steam engine via overhead shafting and belts. The 150 feet (46 m) chimney is still a local landmark. The works undertook most of the casting, fabrication, assembly and repairs for the Cambrian Railways. But whilst many carriages and wagons were built in the workshops, only two locomotives were actually constructed at Oswestry, although many were extensively rebuilt. After the Cambrian Railways was taken over by the Great Western Railway on grouping in 1923, the GWR kept it open as a regional carriage and wagon works, and locomotive repair shop for the associated locomotive shed. After becoming part of the London Midland Region in 1963, the depot closed in January 1965, the works in early 1966. A Grade II listed building, since closure the works' buildings have been used an antiques centre, small business hub and document storage centre. In July 2011, after extensive renovation to the southern section of the buildings, Oswestry Health Centre opened on this site as a multi-purpose outpatient healthcare centre. Services are provided by Shropshire Community Health Trust, South Staffordshire and Shropshire Mental Health Foundation Trust, The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust and Cambrian Medical Practice. A Minor Injury Unit (MIU) is also housed at the Oswestry Health Centre and opens from 8:30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, and 8:30am to 1pm on Saturday and Sunday. X-Ray services are also available at the MIU from 10am until 2pm, Monday to Friday. In December 2012, a new community ambulance station opened at the Oswestry Health Centre. The new facility has parking for ambulances, rapid response vehicles and ambulance crew. It is also the base for the town's 'round-the clock' dedicated community paramedics.

Oswestry School is an ancient public school (English independent boarding and day school), located in Oswestry, Shropshire, England. It was founded in 1407 as a 'free' school, being independent of the church. This gives it the distinction of being the second-oldest 'free' school in the country, between Winchester College (founded 1382) and Eton College (1440). (See also the article on early grammar schools.) Due to the fact that these Renaissance schools focused heavily on subjects such as Latin grammar, Oswestry School has long been known locally as 'The Grammar School' even during the period when Oswestry had modern state grammar schools. Oswestry School should also not be confused with other secondary schools in Oswestry, such as the Marches School. One of the school's earliest sites, dating from the 15th century, can still be seen adjacent to St Oswald's Parish Church. It is currently used as the town's visitor and information centre, incorporating a coffee shop and exhibitions.The present-day senior school is located on Upper Brook Street and the junior school is based at Bellan House on Church Street. Bellan House Preparatory School was a completely separate institution until its amalgamation in the 1970s.

The Marches School is a coeducational secondary school with sixth form in Oswestry, north-west Shropshire, England. It was the first academy to be created in Shropshire. It has an enrolment of around 1,200 pupils, in year groups 7-11, key stages 3 and 4, ages 11 to 16.

Plas Wilmot (Welsh: Wilmot Hall) is a substantial suburban villa near Oswestry in the United Kingdom. The house was originally constructed c.1829 of red brick with slate roof, with additions in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It was the birthplace of First World War poet Wilfred Owen on 18 March 1893. It became a Grade II listed building in 2012, following a campaign by Oswestry Civic Society and other local groups. The grounds were put on sale in 2013 after the local authority granted planning permission for houses to be built on the land.