Shrewsbury: The happiest place in the Midlands?

The Guardian rated Shrewsbury as one of its 'Happiest places to live in 2025' and with it being very close to Birmingham, we decided to make the journey up on the train during the Easter break to test out if that was true.

Known for its medieval streets, the town is watched over by the red sandstone castle perched above the railway station, built during the Norman conquest. You could be forgiven for mistaking the station for the castle if you were not aware, as the grand Victorian façade would not look out of place amongst palaces and castles.

Shrewsbury train station provides a regal entrance to the town

Embracing Shrewsbury in a sweeping meander, the river Severn cocoons the town centre with its soothing blue waters. This is very useful for visitors, as it means its hard to get lost in the winding medieval streets when you have the river to keep you on track.

Plodding up the hill, we immediately spotted a small café tucked away on a side street called The Good Egg. Its vibrant orange exterior was hard to miss and there was a comforting feeling emanating out the doorway.

On the counter there was a tempting array of sweet and savoury goods, with the owner welcoming us with a beaming smile. After a few moments of deliberation, we elected two sausage rolls to power us through the morning.

Their pastry was buttery and flaky and the sausage meat inside was wonderfully fresh, so much so that it almost felt guilt free as we tried to devour them without leaving a Hansel and Gretel-style trail along the streets.

At the top of the hill stand three buildings that typify the variety of architecture in Shrewsbury

As we glamorously ate, we walked further up the hill and found our first pre-chosen stop - Dutch Living. Despite containing a few items that weren't quite to our taste, inside felt like being sat by a warm fire on a cold winter's day. The lighting was gentle and highlighted some sleek Scandinavian tables and chairs that drew our eye. Some of the pieces were beautifully sleek and simple in their form, reminding us of the dream scenario that we would like in our future home.

Food and Drink

The Good Egg

3 Meadow Pl, Shrewsbury SY1 1PD

Iron & Rose

Units 52-57, Gallery Level, The Market Hall, Claremont St, Shrewsbury SY1 1QG

Patch's Coffee

Market Kiosk, Shrewsbury SY1 1HX

The Cat's Pyjamas

6 The Sq, Shrewsbury SY1 1LA

Oath Coffee

39-40 Castle St, Shrewsbury SY1 2BW

Glouglou

17a Castle Gates, Shrewsbury SY1 2AD

Shopping

Dutch Living

32-34 Castle St, Shrewsbury SY1 2BQ

Shrewsbury Market Hall

Claremont St, Shrewsbury SY1 1HQ

Snoop

73 Wyle Cop, Shrewsbury SY1 1UX

Left for Dead

14 Wyle Cop, Shrewsbury SY1 1XB

Brok

71 Wyle Cop, Shrewsbury SY1 1UX

After indulging our fantasies a little, the next destination was the multi award-winning Shrewsbury Market Hall. Controversial at the time of its opening, it has now modelled itself into a bastion of independent trading for Shrewsbury and the wider county of Shropshire.

There was an assortment of traders, offering everything from dust cloths to fine wines. I chose to focus on those two extremes as they are what we ended up purchasing, along with an enamel soap dish. The wine came from Iron & Rose located on the upper level of the hall. As much as we enjoy wine, we're not very clued up on the flavours and fermentations, but luckily the shop owner was on-hand to provide us with plenty information and insight into the multiplicity of bottles on display. We chose a particular bottle of orange wine that he recommended and suffice to say, it was deliciously vibrant.

One of Shrewsbury's many well-preserved Georgian streets

Following this, we ambled along the old town walls and simply absorbed the feel of the surroundings. To complement our little stroll, we picked up a superb fruity long black from Patch's Coffee that we found in a happy accident.

There were beautifully kept Georgian houses and a bountiful array of gardens and allotments that gave the feel of an urban farmland springing up next to the walls.

There was a smattering of rain in the air and the plants welcomed it with open arms as we continued along the walls.

However, nothing could take away from the serenity of the surroundings and it felt like we were missing our Georgian finery to be able to walk the streets.

Town houses with a Norman tower offering its watchful eye

The most notable part of walking through the more residential areas of the town centre was how placid the atmosphere was.

Even without seeing any people, which is very unusual coming from a city of over a million, you could feel the relaxation and contentedness of the inhabitants.

There is very much a slower pace of life, though not in a negative way. Once we had wound our way back to the shopping areas, people were still bustling about and the streets felt alive, yet unperturbed.

At the conclusion of the walls, we found ourselves at the foot of Wyle Cop, a serpentine, precipitous street that is lined with 16th and 17th century timbered buildings.

According to some reports, it's the longest uninterrupted row of independent shops in the UK, although I wasn't able to find any verification for that... I will say though, there definitely was A LOT of independent shops which was a joy to see.

We didn't go into all of them as it would have taken forever and a day, but we ended up spending a significant portion of time in Snoop, Left for Dead and Brok.

Snoop was a vibrant delight, full of adorable trinkets and homewares, including some of our favourite Scandi brands. The layout flowed naturally around the space and drew the eye in a new direction every time you looked up. Tommy purchased a notebook and some bath salts from the tempting selection of stationery and care products, although I resisted anything on this occasion, merely revelling in the hygge vibe of the store and feeling a sense of relaxed elation.

Next door but one was Brok, a premium menswear store featuring chic brands like Armor Lux, Colorful Standard and Portuguese Flannel. Again there was an enticing selection, with many items I could envisage in my wardrobe, but I resisted. Despite being a small space, individual pieces were allowed to shine and the thought put into the arrangement of clothing meant that it was easy to spot each item.

Looking up the hill on Wyle Cop: 'Left for Dead' is just in view on the right, with 'Snoop' and 'Brok' just out of camera shot to the left

Crossing over the road, we headed for Left for Dead, a vinyl and book shop originally in Birmingham's Custard Factory, but relocating to Shrewsbury around ten years ago. As well as purchasing some classic and socialist literature, we had a wonderfully reaffirming conversation with the shop owner about Brexit (vomit) and all the difficulties and negatives that it has brought small businesses in the UK, together with its impact on wider society and politics.

Discovering personal stories and insights like this is why I love small businesses and exploring places in more detail - I can't ever imagine people having a half hour conversation in Next or Primark about UK politics and how we need to change the social fabric of the country.

Having solved the UK's crises, it was finally time to head for a bite to eat. Our indecisiveness was working overtime, but we found solace in The Cat's Pyjamas. Immediately we were drawn to one item on the menu and, unusually for us, we both ordered the same thing. It was a black pudding benedict with a decadent sweet and sticky chorizo jam, poached eggs, hollandaise, pickled fennel and rocket on a slice of fresh sourdough.

I'm still thinking about that chorizo jam to this day and desperately wanted to ask for the recipe. Seriously. It was THAT good.

Black pudding benedict: you can't see the chorizo jam, but I promise you it's there

As delightful as the lunch was, we had another walk around to let the food settle and expend a handful of those calories, before inevitably consuming more coffee.

This time, it was at Shrewsbury's speciality hotspot, Oath Coffee, on the main high street. The interior design was filled with clean edges and simple but effective wooden chairs and stools. On the bar was a long line of filter options which were all chattering for our attention and we duly went through each one before selecting our chemex.

The barista was just as excited as us whilst he prepared our choice, a natural processed Congolese coffee from Assembly with notes of blackcurrant and black tea. It's always heartwarming going into a coffee shop and seeing the people working there step up their enthusiasm over something you have ordered. It almost feels more satisfying than the actual drinking of the coffee itself... almost.

The tranquil settings of 'Oath' with this delectable chemex

Due to the impending closure, we had to make ourselves scarce from Oath, yet still had a short while before the train back to Birmingham. En route to the station, there was a wine bar just opening, Glouglou, who happened to stock wine from Iron & Rose where we had bought our bottle earlier.

An alluring list of wines was placed before us, however, some advice from the staff there led us to an orange wine that was zesty but had subtle undertones of spice. Sipping on the crisp liquid, it was a soothing end to a pleasantly surprising day, allowing us to take stock of the areas we had explored and the locals we had met along the way.

Ending our trip to Shrewsbury with a sumptuous orange wine

Our day was soon at an end and it was time to leave this charming town for the bustle of Birmingham once more. I was worried there would not be as much to write about this visit, but turns out, we did quite a lot.

My overriding takeaway from the visit is how amiable and contented the locals seem. From simple advice and pleasantries in stores, to our long chat with the bookshop owner, it was a refreshing change in an increasingly divisive world.

Subjective as The Guardian's outlook may be, it is clear to see that there is a high quality of life in Shrewsbury, both in busyness and in relaxation. Who can say for sure if it is indeed the happiest town in the Midlands, but it certainly felt like that for one short day in April.

This cosy corner of 'Oath' sums up the ambience of Shrewsbury

*All words, opinions and photos are my own.