Shrewsbury History Society
Explore the engaging history presentations and tours offered by the Shrewsbury Historical Society, perfect for all ages.
About Shrewsbury Historica
Our Story
At the Shrewsbury Historical Society, we are passionate about providing high-quality education to all individuals. Our story began with a desire to make local history accessible to everyone. We believe that our talks are a powerful tool that can inform and enlighten others about our history. We have just completed our five-year-long series on Shrewsbury’s history, covering a timeline from prehistory to the present day. 2026 we will revisit Shrewsbury's History with a more detailed 7 year series.
Our Mission
Our mission at the Shrewsbury Historical Society is to empower individuals with the knowledge to know their town. We strive to create a supportive learning community that fosters growth, creativity, and innovation. At Shrewsbury Historica, we are committed to helping our followers achieve a deep understanding of their surroundings.
We believe that learning should be engaging, interactive, and fun. That's why we have developed a unique approach to presentations that combine traditional teaching methods with Russell’s cutting-edge technology. Our presentations are designed to be mobile, allowing us to come to you, and can also be bespoke so that any topic you wish to learn about can be customized.
The Shrewsbury Civic Society Annual Architecture Seminar.
Magic Lantern to Multiplex: a history of cinema and its architecture
The Shrewsbury Civic Society Annual Architecture Seminar and its architecture.
We are privileged to have Richard Gray from the Cinema Theatre Association he is an expert on and a passionate advocate of the architecture and design of early cinemas.
His talk on the history of cinema will take you from the first Victorian magic lanterns, the Lumiere brothers to the 1930s heyday of glamorous auditoria, when ambitious entrepreneurs competed to offer the best venues, which includes Shrewsbury’s own grade II listed former Granada cinema on Castle Street.
Richard will also cover cinema since the war, its ups and downs, and the most recent developments for this most loved of entertainments and the palaces that first made it possible, in Shropshire and beyond.
His new book The Cinema Palace: Lost and Found includes cinemas here, in the US, Canada, Europe, Australasia and India.
He has talked about cinema architecture in the UK, India, US and Italy.
Good to know.
A Tour of Shrewsbury Inns within the Loop. Russell Game Tour
July 14.
Tour 1
These are the Inns toured
Bull (Butcher Row), House of the Rising Sun (Butcher Row), Loggerheads (Church Street), Cromwell's (Dogpole), Nag's Head (Wyle Cop), Henry Tudor House (Wyle Cop), Lion Hotel (Wyle Cop), Wheatsheaf/Old Post Office (Milk Street), Golden Cross (Princess Street), Old Plough (Square), Cross Keys (High Street), Three Fishes (Fish Street)
May 19.
Tour 1
Bull (Butcher Row), House of the Rising Sun (Butcher Row), Loggerheads (Church Street), Cromwell's (Dogpole), Nag's Head (Wyle Cop), Henry Tudor House (Wyle Cop), Lion Hotel (Wyle Cop), Wheatsheaf/Old Post Office (Milk Street), Golden Cross (Princess Street), Old Plough (Square), Cross Keys (High Street), Three Fishes (Fish Street)
June 16
Tour 2
These are the Inns covered in Tour 2
Yorkshire House (St Mary's Place), St Nicholas' Bar (Castle Street), Castle Vaults/Bull at the Gate (Castle Gates), Alb/Salopian (Smithfield Road), Shrewsbury Hotel (Smithfield Road), King's Head et al (Mardol), Hole in the Wall (Shoplatch), Coach & Horses/Admiral Benbow (Swan Hill,
August 12
Tour 2
Yorkshire House (St Mary's Place), St Nicholas' Bar (Castle Street), Castle Vaults/Bull at the Gate (Castle Gates), Alb/Salopian (Smithfield Road), Shrewsbury Hotel (Smithfield Road), King's Head et al (Mardol), Hole in the Wall (Shoplatch), Coach & Horses/Admiral Benbow (Swan Hill)
