Oswestry, England
Almost Wales, Actually England
"Border Town: Confusing Sat-Navs Since 1200"
Official Coat of Arms
A shield bisected by a wavering dotted line representing the England-Wales border, flanked by two confused sheepdogs pointing in opposite directions, above a scroll reading 'Wait, Which Country Am I In'. Surmounted by a depiction of Old Oswestry hillfort, because it's genuinely impressive and someone should mention it.
TripAdvisor Review
★★★☆☆ 3/5
"Popped in on the way to the coast and honestly quite charmed by the old town centre and the hillfort, but good luck finding anywhere open past 6pm on a Sunday. The market hall is lovely but I still don't know if I was in England or Wales for most of my visit. Parking near the racecourse (which isn't a racecourse) was easier than expected, so that's something."— BarryFromBirkenhead_Rambler
Property Listing
Nestled in a UNIQUE BORDERLAND LOCATION offering the best of both nations (and the paperwork confusion of neither), this characterful market town boasts a HISTIC hillfort, a BUSTLING Wednesday market, and unbeatable access to the Shropshire countryside. Perfect for the buyer who enjoys a gentle debate about nationality at dinner parties!
Twinned With
Hay-on-Wye — Both towns exist in a permanent identity crisis about which country they actually belong to.
Supporting Evidence
Oswestry sits so close to the Wales-England border that the town has been claimed and re-claimed by both sides for centuries, and locals still get asked at least once a week whether they're Welsh or English.