Tours

Daily guides | Organised tours/ school visits | Children’s tours

The Abbey – a parish church, a community center, a heritage site

The Abbey was founded on the site of a manor and chapel named St Peters located in the Saxon settlement of Scrobbesburh which evolved to become Shrewsbury.  The Saxons had in turn settled there following the end of Roman occupation of the area known as Scrobbescire near the city of Wroxeter.

We have many enthusiastic Guides willing to share their knowledge about the Abbey’s history, architecture, meaning and context of the stained-glass windows as well as key characters such as Roger de Montgomery, St Winifrede, Cadfael and Wilfred Owen.

Public Visits

In the Summer months (clocks on BST) we are open weekdays Mon-Fri 10am and 4pm, for visiting, private prayer or just spending a few moments of peace. On Saturdays, or if we have a midweek evening event, we close at 3pm.

In Winter months (clocks on GMT) we are open from 10am to 3pm each day.

We have volunteer guides on duty throughout these times and we are most grateful to them, as without them we could not open the Abbey to the public.

School Visits

We are a popular location for school visits and logistics couldn’t be easier. Abbey Foregate car and coach park immediately opposite has 600 spaces.

The secondary education syllabus for history students includes the period 1066 to 1509.; the Abbey directly represents the period from Norman conquest until the accession of Henry VIII.

Organised Tours by External Guides

All organised tours by independent operators need to be booked and paid for in advance. We make a very modest charge of £5 per head. If you would like to speak to us to arrange a formal guided tour, please complete our online enquiry form.

Children’s tours

Our guides have adapted our tours to cater for children’s needs.  We have short tours of 20 minutes duration limited to approximately 9 children to ensure every child can engage with the tour.  Larger parties can be accommodated by rotating them with other activities to ensure that children are included at all times.  Props and costumes are available to bring the Abbey’s history to life.  Children’s tours can be delivered in conjunction with other events to create a great day out for school parties and families.  Please complete our online enquiry form for more details.