Oswestry is a market town, civil parish and historic railway town in Shropshire, England, close to the Welsh border. We have decided that is no longer its problem.
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.