I visited a friendly Shropshire market town which makes everyone feel welcome and has 'everything on its doorstep'

It’s a unique town - a little out of the way and feeling distinct from its neighbours - but with a handy railway station, there is little excuse not to visit.

You’ll have a great time here, we were reliably informed by locals who seemed more than happy to stop for a chat to boast about their town.

Beyond a range of popular calendar events - including Shifnal Carnival, returning on the last weekend of June - keeping locals entertained, there’s a variety of unique businesses to visit, from popular chippy Cottams to dog grooming service Arthur's Barkers. 

Sweeping the picturesque Parade, where some of Shifnal’s finest independent businesses are based, we bumped into street cleaners Lee and Ted Urbaniec.

Despite being Market Drayton natives, the duo work in Shifnal - and think it's a fantastic place to both live and work. 

“We do wall maintenance, cut the edges, make sure there's no weeds popping through - keep it clean for the local public,” Ted said.

“[Shifnal] is clean and tidy. It's a nice, small town.

“Everybody seems to be pleasant. They always say ‘you're doing a good job’ so they like what we're doing.”

The range of businesses you will find in Shifnal is rare, Lee said. Ted agreed.

Looking down the Parade, broom in hand, Ted said: “It's not all nail bars and barbers.

“You got a bottle shop, you have a bakers. I know there’s a barbers there, a tattooist.

“But most small towns are barbers, beauty parlors, nail bars and coffee shops.”

Eyeing some pretty flowers, just down the road, we bumped into Mark Urkovskis, of Codsall, who thinks Shifnal is “brilliant”. 

The 61-year-old said: “I'm here for the next couple of weeks, dog-sitting for my son, but Shifnal is a brilliant place to be.

“There's so much to experience. There's lots of nice places to go and eat - an Italian restaurant, three Indian restaurants, and so many pubs."

Despite his short time here, Mark has already been blown away by the quality and service by Shifnal’s indies.

“Alexander's [Kitchen] is fantastic.

“I only came by chance, to be honest, and it's down the side of the alley.

“But seriously, they do the best food, and it's really, really good value for money."

Mark is also a fan of The Anvil in Aston Road, who he said made him feel like “one of the locals” despite it being his first time there. 

And more people should definitely make the trip out, Mark said.

After all, it’s incredibly easy to get to - with trains to take you anywhere from Shrewsbury to Birmingham and beyond.

“You've everything on your doorstep,” Mark added.

Samantha Norbury agreed - “the pretty little town” of Shifnal “has it all”, she said.

Recently appointed supervisor at Catherine’s Bakery in Cheapside, Samantha originally hails from Broseley, a 20-minute drive away.

Seated outside the bakery in the spring sun, the supervisor said that from the One Stop down the road to the vibrant pubs, Shifnal has everything one needs without having to travel far at all.

“It’s a very friendly town,” Samantha said.

“They've got a lot of convenience stores here, some nice places to shop.

“It's a lovely place - nice and busy.”

She added: “The One Stop has got some great deals in there. They're really, really lovely in there.

“You've got some lovely little pubs around here as well, nice places to eat. And of course, Catherine's Bakery, which has got all the best offers.”

The bakery boasts cakes, bread, sandwiches, pizzas, savory bakes - and it’s a Shifnal favourite.

“We've got everything.

“The cajun chicken, that's the new variety that I've brought here, we're doing that in the pizzas, and we're doing it in sandwiches, and it's definitely a hit."

Visiting Shifnal and not popping into a pub for a chat didn’t feel right. There’s plenty to pick from - and residents are fiercely proud of their town’s boozers.

From the Winking Frog to The White Hart, which has just reopened, Shifnal is a fantastic place for a pub crawl. 

One of the most loved watering holes in the area is micropub The Kings Yard, just a few doors down from the bakery. 

The pub, which offers a good selection of beers as well as fresh, local produce, gets especially busy towards the end of the week.

But on a quieter Monday morning, we met staff member Carl Wood who had nothing but good things to say about his hometown.

“I’ve lived here my whole life. I walk down the street, passing by you can guarantee someone will wave, say hello to someone or stop.”

I felt that too, despite being there only a short while - and being an outsider from Leeds but living in Wellington.

Plenty of people, from youngsters and students to elderly couples and dog walkers, would pass by with a friendly smile, chirping a quick “hello!”.

Carl would recommend visiting the pubs when visiting the town as well as the restaurants, charity shops and more.

“It’s just a pleasant place to be, just to walk around. It's clean, it's tidy. People say folks are very friendly as well.”