The Quarry

The Quarry is the main recreational park in Shrewsbury, the county town of Shropshire, England. The park was created in 1719 and encompasses 23 acres. [ [http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/descriptions/entry_page.jsp?text_id=934570&word=NULL Vision of Britain | Imperial Gazetteer entry for SHREWSBURY ] ] Its name is derived from the fact that there used to be a small stone quarry there, used in the Middle Ages, which has now been transformed into a flower garden with ponds and fountains, called "The Dingle" (dingle being a Shropshire word used for a picturesque valley). Also in the Quarry park is a bandstand where people doing fire arts can often be found and nearby are the Shrewsbury town swimming baths and Shrewsbury Sixth Form College. The River Severn runs through the parkland, and is bridged by the Porthill Bridge, which connects the Quarry to the Porthill area of the town. Opposite the Quarry, on the other side of the River Severn, is Shrewsbury School, Stoner's Bank and the Pengwern Boat Club.

The Quarry holds various festivals, in addition to its normal, more informal recreational use, through the year including the Shrewsbury Flower Show and the Shrewsbury Regatta. The headquarters of the Shropshire Horticultural Society are also located in the park. Recently The Quarry has been used as a live music venue, with performances in 2005 from Jools Holland and Will Young, the Sugababes appeared in July 2006.

The avenue that runs along the River Severn is called "Victoria Avenue" and the largest avenue that runs downhill from the town centre to the Victoria Avenue is "Gloucester Avenue". The latter was known as Central Avenue, but in 1974 Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester came to the Shrewsbury Flower Show and the avenue was dedicated to her. Both are traffic-free at all times.

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