Stretching from Shrewsbury’s Pride Hill and Shoplatch down to the River Severn, Mardol and its surrounding streets are home to an exciting mix of independent businesses and some of your favourite high street names.
Travelling along the River Severn, Smithfield Road connects the West End to the Castle Quarter. Scattered along the way, you can find a number of Shrewsbury’s bars and pubs. Mardol hosts an exciting mix of nationals and independents, it’s not to be missed if you’re a fan of pre-loved shopping and out of the ordinary eateries. Roushill is home to an exciting mix of independent retailers, eateries and health and beauty specialists.
Two pieces of contemporary artwork decorate the area. 'Darwin’s Gate' stands at Mardol Head, a trio of columns, primarily glass, copper, and bronze, each topped with a metal sculpture. When viewed from afar, the sculpture makes use of the “parallax phenomenon”, and the sculptures appear as a single structure; the combined the forms of a Saxon helmet and a Norman window. Artists Renn & Thacker were inspired by the features of nearby St Mary’s Church. Pictured above.
On nearby Smithfield Road, within a Geo-Garden on the banks of the River Severn, you can find 'The Quantum Leap'. The sculpture was unveiled in 2009, to celebrate the bicentenary of the birth of Shrewsbury-born Charles Darwin. Although the work is abstract, because of its Darwinian theme it is often interpreted as representing dinosaur bones, a DNA strand or a backbone. Locally, it is fondly referred to as 'The Slinky'.
Mardol is one of Shrewsbury’s oldest streets, and in Saxon times was home to tradesmen who gained access to the river via long curving gardens. Some of which are still visible in the outlines either side of King’s Head Passage.
By the 15th century, Mardol was home to wealthy merchants living in luxury timber-framed buildings, many of which survive to this day. By the 17th century, the area had become Shrewsbury’s red-light district, providing drinking and entertainment for the river boatmen and their crews.
And if you’re passing by – make sure to say hello to the Mardol Dragon hanging on the corner of Roushill and Mardol.
