River shuttle service for Shrewsbury launch plans unveiled as jetty completed on time and to budget

The ‘Severn Shuttle’ is a collaboration between Shrewsbury Men’s Shed, the Sabrina Riverboat and Shrewsbury Moves, and will operate between the DMOS People West Mid Showground and Doctor’s Field, off The Mount.

Doctor's Field is named after Charles Darwin’s father and described as a "convenient point on the town side of the river for Darwin’s birthplace", which is set to soon open as a tourist attraction. The new pontoon is a few metres from the steps to Drinkwater Street, Frankwell and Welsh Bridge.

Funding for the pontoons and enabling infrastructure has come from the Government UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) through the Shrewsbury Big Town Plan Partnership’s Shrewsbury Moves active travel campaign.

The work to build the pontoon has been completed by the team at Shrewsbury Men’s Shed, based on the showground - and the river shuttle service is set to open in 2025, according to the collaborators.

Simon Rouse, chair of Shrewsbury Men’s Shed and a trustee of the West Midlands Agricultural Society, said: “In previous decades, the showground has linked to the town during the annual county show with a temporary bailey bridge courtesy of the Royal Engineers - in recent years this service has been provided via Sabrina’s picnic boat.

“We thought it would be a real benefit for the environment, town and showground to establish a permanent jetty and make the link seasonal for the public and events. The plan coincided with a new movement plan for Shrewsbury, which anticipated better use of the river for transporting people and work began in February."