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- Celebrate Attenborough's 100th by getting in touch with the nature on your doorstep
Celebrate Attenborough's 100th by getting in touch with the nature on your doorstep
If you're in Shrewsbury, you never need to travel very far to touch grass and get close to nature. The town centre sits inside a remarkable loop of the River Severn, and nature is thriving all around it.
The Cut, Shropshire Wildlife Trust
Tucked away on Abbey Foregate, The Cut is one of Shrewsbury's best-kept secrets. Run by Shropshire Wildlife Trust, this urban wildlife garden offers a genuine patch of the natural world in the heart of the town - with a herb garden, fruit trees, and spaces designed to invite wildlife in.
Take a seat in the garden and enjoy the birdsong swelling all around. It's calm, green, and genuinely restorative - for you and for local wildlife. The kind of place we think Sir David himself would approve of.
The Quarry and The Dingle
Head to The Quarry and you'll find 29 acres of riverside parkland just minutes from the town centre, with tree-lined avenues and hedges welcoming hundreds of wild birds, and swans, ducks, coots and moorhens visible on the river. Be patient and you'll also see fish break the quiet surface to snatch fallen insects.
At The Quarry's heart lies The Dingle - a stunning sunken garden designed by legendary horticulturalist Percy Thrower - where seasonal colour and mature planting make for a spectacular walk at any time of year. In spring and summer especially, it's alive with pollinators.
The River Severn
It's not just the backdrop to The Quarry - the River Severn is Shrewsbury's greatest natural asset, and there are few better ways to appreciate it than from the water. Join a tour on the Sabrina Boat for a different perspective on the town and its riverside wildlife - herons, kingfishers, and swans are regular companions. Or hire a paddleboard or canoe and get out on the water yourself; multiple companies offer quick and easy hire, or lessons for those looking to learn.
For those who prefer dry land, the river walk from The Quarry down to the Salmon Weir is one of the loveliest walks in town - easy underfoot, rich in birdlife, and peaceful even on busy days. Lucky walkers might spot otters or water voles. In autumn, you might spot leaping salmon as they navigate the weir on their way back upstream to spawn.
Abbey Gardens
Small but lovely, Abbey Gardens sits beside the Severn near the English Bridge, in a surprisingly secluded spot. Mature trees, riverside views, and a handful of benches make it an ideal spot to pause and simply watch the river go by.
Sir David Attenborough has spent a lifetime teaching us to treasure and protect our natural world. As he turns 100 - and long after - we hope you'll feel inspired to find a moment to step outside, breathe it in, and appreciate the extraordinary natural world on our doorstep.
Header image credit to Birgitta Zoutman
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