Details of Shrewsbury town centre road closures for cavalry regiment's freedom parade on Saturday

Members of the public have been invited to go along to cheer on the Royal Yeomanry Regiment and alerted to road closures on the day to allow the big parade to wend its way around town from 1.15pm to 3.30pm.

The Mayor of Shrewsbury, Councillor Elisabeth Roberts, will welcome a 145-strong team at Shrewsbury Castle before the parade starts at 2.00pm, and makes its way through the town towards the Square, where the Royal Honorary Colonel, Her Royal Highness Princess Alexandra and Her Majesty’s Lord Lieutenant of Shropshire, Anna Turner, will be invited to inspect the troops by the Commanding Officer of the Regiment, Lieutenant Colonel Charlie Field.

Road closures will be in place along Castle Gates from the railway station, Castle Street, St Mary’s Street, Dogpole, High Street and Princess Street to allow the parade to proceed safely. Diversion signs will be erected to assist drivers visiting Shrewsbury and the town council say there may be some "minor delays" to traffic that day.

Mayor Roberts, said: “It will be a great honour to receive the Royal Yeomanry Regiment at the castle before they march through the town.

"We are delighted to recognise the work of the Army Reservists and this honour is in recognition of the long association and cordial relations which have existed between the town and the Regiment and the work of the British Forces in helping to defend the interests of the United Kingdom.

“I hope that as many people as possible will come along and support our Armed Forces on Saturday. It will be a great spectacle with 145 personnel marching through the town behind a military band and a Jackal vehicle with bayonets fixed and standards flying.”

It will be the first time that the Royal Yeomanry Regiment exercises its Freedom of the Town.

Flags will be flying and bayonets fixed as the Army Reserve reconnaissance unit steps off from outside Shrewsbury Castle at 2pm.

The parade will be accompanied by a military band and a Jackal vehicle.

Lt Col Field said: “We are thrilled to receive the Freedom of Shrewsbury. The prestigious honour is testament to the support we receive from the local community.

“Some of our soldiers live and work in Shrewsbury and I’m sure they will be very proud to be publicly honoured in their home-town.”

The decision to give the Royal Yeomanry the Freedom of the Town was made to recognise the Army Reservists work and to seal the bond of friendship that exists between the town and the regiment.

The regiment recruits from Shrewsbury and has a Squadron in nearby Telford.

It has recently deployed soldiers on a UN peacekeeping mission in Mali, West Africa.

The deployment called ‘Operation Newcombe’ saw the soldiers working alongside its paired regiment, 1st The Queen’s Dragoon Guards, acting as the eyes and ears of the UN.

The taskforce conducted patrols out to hard-to-reach villages, to gather intelligence and engage with the local population. This helped the UN mission better understand how it can help the people of Mali.

Last year saw Royal Yeomanry soldiers deployed alongside 1st The Queen’s Dragoon Guards to provide the reconnaissance capability to the United States 2nd Cavalry Battlegroup in Poland as part of NATO’s Enhanced Forward Prescence (eFP).

In the UK, the regiment also played its part in the Army’s response to COVID – known as Operation Rescript.

Lt Col Field said: “Our reservists are an essential part of our Armed Forces. I am proud of the way they work alongside their regular counterparts to deliver the military capability needed to get the job done.

"They expect no thanks and do it without fanfare but days like this are an opportunity for the local community to show their support by coming out to watch the parade.”

The celebratory parade will be followed by a private reception for the soldiers and their families at Shrewsbury Castle, home to the Soldiers of Shropshire Museum.