On the Origins of Charles Darwin: A Shrewsbury Walking Tour

Stroll down historic streets, along medieval town walls, around beautiful Quarry Park and among the blooms of Shrewsbury’s Dingle Botanical Garden on this walking tour through the medieval town where evolutionist Charles Darwin grew up.

As you make your way from Shrewsbury Castle to the Darwin Gate’s sculpture in the center of the town’s shopping district, I’ll tell you how young Darwin’s interest in life science was shaped by what he observed in the Quarry and at the botanical garden. Along the way, you’ll see the 16th century Old Market Hall, St Alkmund’s church, and St Mary's Church where Darwin worshiped as a boy.

We won’t stop at Darwin, though. On this medieval meander, you’ll also hear about the town’s Anglo-Saxon origins, the historic significance of Shakespearean characters like Harry Hotspur and Prince Hal, and how Shrewsbury flourished as a major trading center for Welsh cloth. I’ll share the story of a local hero, Admiral Benbow, who inspired the folk-song ‘Brave Benbow’ and you’ll learn about the origins of the world’s longest-running flower festival, the Shrewsbury Flower Show.

You can also look forward to seeing:

• The original 17th century Shrewsbury School, attended by Darwin, the Conservative politician Michael Heseltine, and Monty Python actor, author and travel documentary maker Michael Palin
• Luxurious medieval houses in the Tudor style, fit for royalty
• The gravesite of Ebenezer Scrooge
• Shrewsbury Abbey, the setting for The Cadfael Chronicles, a thriller series by Ellis Peter
• St Chad’s Church, the largest circular church in Britain
• The Lion Inn where Darwin embarked on his five-year-long journey around the world that helped him form his theory of evolution

By the end of the tour, you’ll have the answer to questions like:

• What was it like to live in a turbulent frontier town close to the Welsh border?
• How did streets like Dogpole, Wyle Cop and Murivance earn their strange names?
• Who was Aethelflaed and how did she reconquer lands previously lost to Danish Vikings?
• What treasures are hidden in plain sight within the Shrewsbury Museum?
• How did Shrewsbury become a thriving culture, shopping and tourism hotspot?

Allow yourself at least 90 minutes for this Shrewsbury tour, or take as long as 2 hours and make the most of your experience. The pace is up to you!

So come, join me in the footsteps of history’s greatest biologist as I use audio to guide you on a walking tour of historic Shrewsbury!

Music credit:
Brave Benbow folk song recording provided courtesy and copyright of Daniel Kelly.