Are these Shrewsbury's top 50 buildings?
For Shropshire author Dorothy Nicolle it seemed like mission impossible when she was asked to choose 50 buildings in Shrewsbury to feature in a new book.
She says that with more than 650 listed buildings and structures in the town, she could write a book each for the 50 medieval buildings, timber framed buildings, Tudor buildings, and so on.
So she starts her book with an apology for all those which have been left out, and to those who disagree with her choices.
Dorothy, who qualified as a Blue Badge tourist guide in 1993, said: "I must admit that I had a great deal of fun with it, although when I started I wasn’t too sure how I was going to approach the subject.
"The idea was that I should write about 50 buildings through history and there can’t be another town in the country that can cover so much of history within itself.
"I’ve quite deliberately chosen some buildings that will cause disagreement and I’ve also tried to include buildings people, even local people, won’t be aware of.
"You can imagine that discussing my list with friends has caused a lot of, well, shall we just call it discussion."
Among her choices are the Greek Orthodox Church in Dove Close.
"A wooden post found during a recent dig on the site has been dated to 2033 BC and it has been postulated that this post may have formed part of a cursus, in other words a processional walkway that could have been linked to a stone circle.
"It this is true, then pagan or Christian, this must therefore be the oldest sacred site still in use anywhere in the country."
She says the church was saved from destruction in 1994 when the Greek Orthodox Church paid the Church of England £50 for it.
Another church featured is St Mary's, which Dorothy says is easily her favourite church in the county town, albeit now redundant.
More offbeat entries include the Conduit Head at Nobold Lane, and a building which is many miles from Shrewsbury – the Shelton toll house which was dismantled and moved in its entirety to the Blists Hill Victorian Town, part of Ironbridge Gorge Museum.
Shrewsbury Town's new football ground makes the cut, as do some buildings from the 1960s, like the town's market hall at Mardol, and the modernist but award-winning Lloyds Bank in Pride Hill.
"I have to admit that when I show this building to visitors to the town and point out the Civic Society award just to the left of the entrance, the visitors look at the nearby timber structures and tend to laugh at the modern version."
Then there is the controversial Quantum Leap artwork.
"I must admit I was among the many bemused people who were unsure what to think when it was first unveiled," says Dorothy, who lives in Oswestry.
"Finally I decided that I had to make a decision and discovered, once I walked around it and under it, that I loved it – even if I didn't understand it."
"Shrewsbury In 50 Buildings" is published by Amberley and costs £14.99.
