Shrewsbury

Shrewsbury occupies a loop of the River Severn near the Welsh border. Its castle and medieval streets reflect the importance of a market town that linked the Marches with the English interior. In 1403 King Henry IV met a rebel army led by Sir Henry Percy, known as Hotspur, north of the town. The king's forces won the battle, and Percy was killed, ending a serious challenge to Henry's rule.