I visited market town with ‘UK’s best high street’ and ate the best cake of my life | UK | Travel

If you thought you needed to travel hundreds of miles to cities like Edinburgh for old town vibes and a feeling like you’re part of a Harry Potter novel, you may need to think again — there are places much closer to home which are well worth exploring.

I’d never been to Shrewsbury in Shropshire and, despite seeing some lovely pictures, I went in with very few expectations. I always like to keep an open mind when visiting new places and because I hadn’t read loads or seen much content about it I genuinely didn’t know what to expect.

Shrewsbury has, however, been recently named as the town with the best high street in the UK by The Telegraph, which called it a “beacon of light piercing the gloom”. It said SHrewsbury had a healthy selection of quirky and independent businesses that give shoppers a “fine reason to escape the tyranny of Amazon”. Residents spoke proudly of their town as a result.

I was there for almost exactly 24 hours, and I found out quickly that is the ideal sweet spot if you’re someone just passing through, as everything is conveniently located and easy to get to. 

The first thing I noticed as I stepped out of the train station were the hills. The station is positioned on one, right next to an old castle which is slightly elevated. I stayed in a room which was like a cross between a hotel and an Airbnb called Boutique Shrewsbury Rooms in a quiet corner of the town, just over the river and through a small park — just about within walking distance of the train station if you have a heavy suitcase.

I’d definitely recommend staying there if you enjoy a no-fuss approach to holidays, as you just let yourself in with a keypad and the room and the location were both gorgeous. A coffee machine with multiple coffee pods also got a big tick from me.

In the morning, the first place I went to was a café with some of the friendliest staff I’ve ever come across. The Shrewsbury Coffeehouse is cosy, with a good amount of character in the décor, and there’s plenty of seating with another floor downstairs.

I went for avocado on sourdough toast and it was an ideal brunch choice, a good amount of flavour with a sprinkle of chilli flakes to give it an extra kick. Definitely what you need to get into the mood for a day of exploring.

When I visited, the weather was not exactly in my favour. In fact, we actually received what I think might have been the biggest deluge of rain I’ve seen all year, but this led me to realise just how much you can still do indoors, which I normally find quite rare in older towns like this.

First, we explored the Shrewsbury Museum and Art Gallery, which gave an amazing insight into the area. I learned that there was once a time that woolly mammoths used to roam around the fields in Shrewsbury which I found fascinating, and the old fashion collections were incredible to look at.

The town is a real must-visit if you love independent shops and cafés. There was even an outdoor food market selling everything from baked goods to Indian food.

One place that caught my eye was the Old Market Hall cinema, which puts on everything from ballets to dramas and more. We didn’t manage to go in this time, but it’s firmly on my list for our next visit. The building itself looked fascinating.

In need of a sweet treat, the next stop was a coffee shop called the Cat’s Pyjamas. The name alone was enough to draw me in. This was a really cool space (they also served cocktails) and a great spot for any indie/creative types. I went for their red velvet lammington, which was a 10/10 experience. I would absolutely go back for more without any persuasion needed.

With a free afternoon, I loved getting lost in the winding old streets. It was surprisingly calm for a Saturday, which only added to its charm. Maybe the weather played a part, but it definitely had that hidden gem feel compared to more hyped medieval towns like Wells, which have gone viral on social media.

The birthplace of Charles Darwin, Shrewsbury has 76,782 inhabitants and reportedly more than 500 independent retailers and hospitality venues. That’s what “makes the town centre really stand out,” said Seb Slater, executive director at Shrewsbury BID.

My favourite shop was a huge underground shop selling antique items, Shrewsbury Antiques Centre, which has been going for more than 30 years. I never buy anything from places like this but just walking around is an experience in itself.

I love looking at different items and wondering what their stories are, where they came from and who they belong to so this place had me transfixed. And there are over 50 individual traders so the selection is huge.

The last stop we came to was a pizza restaurant we’d walked by earlier on and earmarked as somewhere that looked like the place to be. You can detect their tempting aromas from several doors down, so it was a no-brainer.

Dough and Oil has branded itself on selling sourdough pizza, homemade sides and desserts and has a playful atmosphere inside complete with a photobooth and mini football table. It ticked every box.

I’ve said this before, but I feel like the only way to gauge a pizza restaurant is to try their margherita out first and I would 100% recommend it.

After that, it was time to go home. The train station was a quick walk downhill from here. All in all, it was a successful 24 hours, and definitely somewhere I’d like to learn more about and get to know again, hopefully with better weather next time.