Blue is the colour for this season

 

Loggerheads fans will have seen the recent decision by Shrewsbury Town Football Club to revert to a blue-only shirt (see above), and dump the usual blue-and-yellow shirt, as a sad day.

The blue-and-yellow colours are the long time colours of the loggerheads-arms of the town of Shrewsbury; and are even associated with the first Earl of Shrewsbury, who lived one thousand years ago. So… a link between the town and the town’s football club is now broken.

The only consolation is that the club’s second shirt (its ‘away’ shirt) will be in the traditional blue-and-yellow (though the club insists on saying “blue-and-amber”).  Well, thank goodness at least for that.

(Photo courtesy of Shrewsbury Town Football Club official webpage)

 A book has been published to celebrate 600 years of the loggerheads - click here to find out more.

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Pub celebrates loggerheads

 

A recent addition to the pub scene in Shrewsbury is the Market Hall Tavern, which is (not surprisingly) by the current market hall.   There has been a pub, of various names and iterations, on this site for 200 years.

The new owners have refurbished the old building to give it a smart modern appearance, but, at the same time, have acknowledged its history by including loggerheads in the decoration. (The owners understand history - they also run another long-established Shrewsbury pub, The Salopian).

The new pub’s revamped facade has loggerheads all over it – even on the door as you enter! It’s great to see that loggerheads can still be valued, even in a modern setting. 

 A book has been published to celebrate 600 years of the loggerheads - click here to find out more.

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Read about the Trinity loggerheads

Though there are a number of loggerheads in stained-glass across Shropshire, we only know a couple where the name of the maker of the glass can be identified.  The most well-known of these is the loggerheads depiction in the 19th-century window in the corner of Trinity Chapel in St Mary’s Church in Shrewsbury, which is by the prolific stained-glass artist, David Evans.  

So it’s nice to see that St Mary’s has now recognised the historic importance of the panel in question by giving it its own guide – which is one of the five guides which can be picked up at the entrance to the chapel.

Incidentally, it is a peculiar mystery as to why Evans put the loggerheads into the chapel glass. But that is another story… - which is told in this post, 'Glass loggerheads in Shrewsbury' 

 A book has been published to celebrate 600 years of the loggerheads - click here to find out more.

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Award for loggerheads

An unexpected fillip for the profile of the loggerheads came at this year’s Shrewsbury Mayor’s Awards ceremony.  Mark Stewart, author of the history about them, The Mysteries of The Loggerheads, received a ‘special award’ for writing and publishing the book. It  was seen as a major contribution to histories of the town.  
Apparently, the mayor himself, Alex Wagner, greatly approved of it.

 A book has been published to celebrate 600 years of the loggerheads - click here to find out more.

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Rows of loggerheads

 

As you might guess, 'Inroads To Shrewsbury' a poetry collection by Nigel Sustins, is all about the town. One stand-out aspect of the book is that, on each and every page, the graphic at the bottom is a row of eight sets of loggerheads - as you can see in the image above.
Loggerheads are the symbol of the town of Shrewsbury

There is even a poem concentrating on one particular ‘loggerhead’.  In Shrewsbury Museum there is a crude stone carving dating back to medieval times, formerly displayed in the garden of a nineteenth century local antiquarian, and now in Shrewsbury Museum.  It definitely shows some sort of beast and probably came from an old church building, so there is a claim that it is a sort of proto-loggerhead.  (However, that does seem to stretch credulity).  
To it Mr Sustins has dedicated a poem.

 Mr Sustins is clearly a fan of Shrewsbury loggerheads!

(The 'Inroads To Shrewsbury' poetry collection by Nigel Sustins is published by Marchland Books and is on sale through Waterstones)

 A new book has been published to celebrate 600 years of the loggerheads - click here to find out more.

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Pengwern tales

 

Although there are a couple of very good antiquarian book-stores in Shrewsbury (such as Second Chapter) and a very good chain, the only independent bookshop in the town selling new books is Pengwern, in Fish Street.  It sells a range of titles, with a special section of history books by local authors too, including ‘The Mysteries Of The Loggerheads’.

Susan Caroline, who runs Pengwern, named her establishment after the obscure pre-medieval city inhabited by the ancient Britons.  

According to the 12th century historian, Gerald of Wales, Shrewsbury was the site of Pengwern; its palace was located where the Old St Chad’s Church is now. 
This story was carried on right into the nineteenth century, being repeated by the town chronicler Henry Pidgeon.

Sadly, the story cannot be evidenced. There is no convincing proof as to where Pengwern really was.

But it is remembered at least - in the name of a bookshop on a cobbled road in Shrewsbury.
 

 A new book has been published to celebrate 600 years of the loggerheads - click here to find out more.

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Loggerheads camouflaged

 

This particular set of loggerheads is to be found on Pride Hill, Shrewsbury’s main shopping street - but it almost goes unseen - because it merges so much into its background.

This set is one of those carved into the portals of the old Pride Hill Shopping Centre, which was built in 1988.  Although a private firm had developed the site, the firm clearly felt that a nod to Shrewsbury’s past was needed – hence the loggerheads.

The centre was one of three such shopping complexes in or around Pride Hill in those days, but it finally closed in 2021, and now only one of those three malls (the 'Darwin') remains. The site … still guarded by its loggerheads… awaits redevelopment.

 A new book has been published to celebrate 600 years of the loggerheads - click here to find out more.

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