The majority of our staff live within our main local catchment area of Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin and mid Wales. Between them these three areas offer a rich variety of places to live.
One of the main attractions of this area is the fantastic outdoor life, both within Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin and mid Wales and in nearby Snowdonia and the Brecon Beacons.
The area is rich with opportunities for walking, cycling, horse riding, camping, mountaineering, canoeing and sailing, gliding and other outdoor pursuits.
Ready access to the Wrekin, the Shropshire Hills including the Long Mynd, Upland Powys, the Severn & Wye valleys, Shropshire Canals and meres, and the Welsh coast add to the wide range of activies available.
Wildlife highlights include the conservation of Red Kites and Ospreys in western Montgomeryshire, and the county boasts one of the most varied geologies in the British Isles from Precambrian sedimentary rocks of Haughmond Hill to the igneous intrusions in the South Shropshire Hills.
For the really adventurous amongst you there are few counties with access to such a wealth of outdoor pursuits From paragliding in Lond Mynd, Tandem and Solo Parachuting in Whitchurch, you can learn to fly just outside of Shrewsbury at the Shropshire Aero Club, and with easy access to North Wales there is no end of outdoor activities on the land, in the water, or even below the ground.
Most sports are well catered for locally. Both Shropshire Council and Telford & Wrekin Council have a strong commitment to sports. The sports partnership, Energize (www.energizestw.org.uk), promotes access to a wide range of organised activities including football, rugby, golf, squash, athletics, tennis, ice skating, shooting, fishing and horse riding.
Powys also offers a rich variety of sports, and just to the south of our catchment in Llanwrtyd Wells you’ll find the World Bog Snorkelling Championships as well as the annual Man vs. Horse race. Meanwhile, Newport is home to the Lilleshall National Sports Centre.
League football is played by Shrewsbury Town Football Club at the Greenhous Meadow stadium, and nearby New Saints regularly qualify for European competitions from the Welsh Premier League.
Cricket fans do not have far to travel to neighbouring Worcestershire for championship cricket, or to Ednaston for international competition.
Shrewsbury, Telford and the surrounding areas offer a whole host of activities to keep you occupied outside of working life. Whether you prefer watching a blockbuster in a building dating back to 1596 or dancing till the early hours, there is something for everyone. Shrewsbury is rich in history and culture, all displayed in the towns quaint architecture. The town boasts an impressive selection of independent restaurants, bars, theatre, live music venues and nightclubs all set among the pretty cobbled streets.
This vibrant town has seen a massive boom in nightlife recently with the addition of Shrewsbury University with regular events organised to satisfy all tastes. For more info on after hours activities look here. However the heart of Shrewsbury is the Quarry, in the weave of the River Severn. The Quarry is home to the famous Shrewsbury Flower Show, the Splash Park (opened 2016) attracts youngsters of all ages, and then there are the variety of events that take place throughout the year from The Winter Festival or the Dragon Boat Festival. You can even rent a rowing boat and sail down the river yourself, or watch the many rowers from the Boat House Pub overlooking the River.
Telford is the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution with many places of historic interest including the Ironbridge Gorge Museum. The centre of Birmingham, with its first class music, ballet, opera, theatre and art galleries, is less than an hour away.
Telford is also close proximity to Weston Park, the home to the annual V Festival attracting some of the biggest names in rock and pop. A wide range of other events are hosted at this stately home and country park, including international horse trials.
Just a short journey away is Ludlow. A town renowned for the high quality music and theatre performances stages at the annual Ludlow Shakespeare and Arts Festival, whilst the town also hosts an excellent annual Food Festival building on the town’s reputation as a great destination for restaurants and local produce.
Theatre Severn opened in Shrewsbury in 2009, broadening the choice available locally, whilst the town also hosts the world’s longest running horticultural show every summer. Telford is the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution with many places of historic interest including the Ironbridge Gorge Museum.
Shrewsbury and Telford are the main local shopping centres, complemented by a wealth of market towns, local shops and high street brands.
Telford Shopping Centre is located in the heart of Telford, with over 160 of your favourite high street stores and easy parking. The shopping centre is just across from Southwater, the exciting new leisure quarter which has an array of shops, restaurants, cafes, IMAX cinema, hotel, ice rink and modern library.
Shrewsbury has two main shopping centres The Darwin Centre and Pride Hill Centre. These shopping malls sit among the old streets of Shrewsbury which host a unique array of independent shops, cafes and restaurants.
Local villages that surround Shrewsbury and Telford are not to be overlooked. For example Bishop’s Castle offers an unexpected variety of art, antiques, crafts and textile shops alongside the renowned Three Tuns local brewery.
