Route and times for Oswestry Illuminated Tractor Run which will light up north Shropshire
Dozens of dazzling tractors are to take to the roads of north Shropshire this weekend for a festive fundraiser.
The Oswestry Illuminated Tractor Run will leave the town's livestock market at around 5pm on Saturday, before going to light up towns and villages such as Baschurch, Ellesmere and Gobowen in a two-hour loop.
The 35-mile trip is in memory of Will Roberts, a popular young farmer from Pennant Farm, Gobowen, who died of a brain tumour in December last year.
The son of Dave and Sue Roberts, he was affectionately known by all as “Choc” because of his love of chocolate.
Charles Dean, Whittington and Oswestry Young Farmers President said: “We hope this becomes an annual event and that it becomes known locally as “Choc’s” Tractor Run to keep his name alive in the farming community and, at the same time, raise money for this much needed cancer charity.”
The event, organised by Whittington and Oswestry Young Farmers, will raise funds for the Lingen Davies cancer charity based in Shrewsbury, with marshal and bucket collectors lining the route to help take in donations.
Tractors will muster from about 3.30pm so people can walk around them at the livestock market and meet the farmers and drivers. People can also have a closer look when they return at around 7pm.
The colourful convoy will travel down part of the A5 south of Oswestry to Queen's Head, before turning off to go through West Felton. After there it will rejoin the A5 until the Shotatton crossroads, where the tractors will turn left to go to Ruyton-XI-Towns.
The tractors will continue along the B4397 to Burlton, where they will join the A528 to head up to Ellesmere.
From there it's onto the B5068 to St Martins where they then go onto the B5069 St Martin's Road to Gobowen and B5009 to Whittington.
The last leg of the journey takes the tractors back to Oswestry along the A495 Whittington Road into Oswestry.
Once in Oswestry, tractors will go along Gobowen Road, Oswald Road, Leg Street, English Walls, Smithfield Street, Church Street and Morda Road, down to the A483 south of Morda.
There, they turn left to head back to the livestock market.
Organisers have issued a timetable for the run, with estimated arrival times for the following places:
Oswestry livestock market (depart) - 5pm
West Felton - 5.12pm
Ruyton-XI-Towns - 5.26pm
Baschurch - 5.33pm
Burlton - 5.44pm
Cockshutt - 5.52pm
Ellesmere - 6.07pm
Dudelston Heath - 6.15pm
St Martins - 6.25pm
Gobowen - 6.33pm
Whittington - 6.40pm
Oswestry - 6.49pm
Morda - 6.53pm
Oswestry livestock market (return) - 7.05pm
