Market Drayton, United Kingdom
Market Drayton is a town of 11,773 people in England, United Kingdom.
Why visit Market Drayton
Townapedia lists 1 museum or landmark, 7 parks and trails, 45 places to eat, 2 places to stay and 1 attraction in and around town.
Highlights include Festival Drayton Centre and Audley's Cross.
Weather in Market Drayton
Forecast from MET Norway (CC BY 4.0). Full forecast
About Market Drayton
Market Drayton is a market town and civil parish on the banks of the River Tern in Shropshire, England. It is close to the Cheshire and Staffordshire borders. It is located between the towns of Whitchurch, Wem, Nantwich, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Newport and the city of Stoke on Trent. The town is on the Shropshire Union Canal and bypassed by the A53 road.
From the Wikipedia article Market Drayton (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Travel tips from other travellers: Market Drayton on Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Things to do1
Museums and landmarks1
Audley's Cross
Monument and historic site · 2.7 mi
Cross sited in Blore Heath, Staffordshire to mark the spot on which James Touchet, Lord Audley was killed at the battle of Blore Heath in 1459
Parks, trails and playgrounds7
Restaurants and cafes45
Foodshion Garden Restaurant
Restaurant · Chinese
15 Cheshire Street, Market Drayton
33 more on the map.
History
"The Devil's Ring and Finger" is a notable site 3 miles (5 km) from the town at Mucklestone. These are across the county boundary in neighbouring Staffordshire. There are also several Neolithic standing stones.
Drayton is recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as a manor in the hundred of Hodnet. It was held by William Pantulf, Lord of Wem, from Roger de Montgomery, 1st Earl of Shrewsbury. Drayton is listed as having five households in 1086, putting it in the smallest 20% of settlements recorded.
Domesday also lists Tyrley, which was the site of a castle later (52°54′00″N 2°28′45″W).
In 1245 King Henry III granted a charter for a weekly Wednesday market, giving the town its current name. The market is still held every Wednesday. To the south-east near the A529 an 18th-century farmhouse stands on the site of Tyrley Castle, which was probably built soon after 1066 and later rebuilt in stone in the 13th century.
Nearby Blore Heath, in Staffordshire, was the site of a battle in 1459 between the Houses of York and Lancaster during the Wars of the Roses. Audley's Cross, Blore Heath is located close by.
Read more of the history
Rowland Hill of Soulton, the first Protestant Mayor of London, came from a prominent ancient local family which had extensive property in the area. He is a possible inspiration for Shakespeare and ran the Geneva Bible translation project. He founded the Old Grammar School, in St Mary's Hall, directly to the east of the church in 1555. It contains a 16th-century bust of him. To this day a charity exists in the town to support the education of young people.
Elizabeth Wriothesley, Countess of Southampton (1572 – 1655) was a daughter of the prominent local Vernon family. Her husband was the supposed inspiration of part of Shakespeare's sonnets. She was one of the chief ladies-in-waiting to Elizabeth I in the later years of her reign.
Evidence has recently been found for a skirmish in the English Civil War around 1643.
The great fire of Drayton damaged more than 50% of the town in 1651, quickly spreading through the timber buildings. The buttercross in the centre of the town still has a bell at the top for people to ring if there was ever another fire.
In the 1730s Robert Clive attended the grammar school, and a school desk with the initials "RC" may still be seen. He was expelled from the school, and his record is today contested.
From the History section of Market Drayton on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
More about Market Drayton
Arts and culture
The town has an active arts and culture scene mainly based around the Festival Drayton Centre. This centre was established in 1984 and is run by volunteers. Over 40 years it has expanded considerably and includes a thriving cinema, theatre, art gallery and a range of meeting rooms that area available for hire. The Festival Drayton Centre also hosts regular live music and comedy and features event cinema beamed in by satellite from the National Theatre and Royal Opera House.
The Drayton Arts Festival is held every year in October; its 10th anniversary was due in 2023.
Market Drayton has always been a hotbed for musical talent producing a number of bands who have progressed on to achieve national acclaim. In 1981 the town boasted the ‘second best’ school rock band in the country, TSB National School Band runners up, Monovision (Winners were “Mother Hen”). At the same time the local youth club were represented by the Platinum Needles in the NAYC Opportunity Rocks competition final. In early 1981 the Platinum Needles were also featured on the Stoke Musicians Collective album released on Slip Records “Cry Havoc”. During the late ’70s and early ’80s, Market Drayton also boasted one of the only recording studios in Shropshire, Redball Records.
From the Wikipedia article Market Drayton, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Notable people from Market Drayton
Tony JamesBritish musicianPhoto: Raph_PH, CC BY 2.0
John LewisEnglish footballer, administrator and referee (1855-1926)Photo: Unknown author Unknown author, Public domain
Ben GarrattEnglish association football player (born 1994)Photo: Paul W, CC BY-SA 4.0- Nick ChadwickEnglish footballer (born 1982)
- Andy Cookeprofessional footballer (born 1974)
- Harold EdgeEnglish cricketer (1892-1944)
- Christopher FlynnBritish footballer (born 1987)
- William FeltonEnglish composer
- Tom HillEnglish footballer (1871-?)
- Arthur Morrisassociation football player (1882-1945)
Born in Market Drayton, according to Wikidata (CC0). Each name links to its Wikipedia article.
Where to stay2
Churches and places of worship6
Catholic Church of St Thomas Aquinas & St Stephen Harding
Church · Catholic · 0.4 mi
53 Great Hales Street, Market Drayton
Shopping7
Gas and EV charging2
Schools, colleges and libraries5
Healthcare4
Map of Market Drayton
80 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Getting there and nearby towns
Hawarden Airport (CEG) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 27 miles away.
- Whitchurch 9 mi northwest, about 15 min by car
- Newport 11 mi southeast, about 17 min by car
- Nantwich 11 mi north, about 18 min by car
- Newcastle under Lyme 13 mi northeast, about 20 min by car
- Stoke-on-Trent 14 mi northeast, about 23 min by car
- Wellington 14 mi south, about 23 min by car
- Stone 14 mi east, about 23 min by car
- Telford 16 mi south, about 26 min by car
- Sandbach 17 mi north, about 28 min by car
- Winsford 20 mi north, about 32 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Towns near Market Drayton
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Headlines from INDB.
Reviews, tips and questions
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Sources and licences
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, coordinates, regions and time zone
- Mapillary (see each image): photos
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- MarketDraytonTudorHouseHotel, M J Richardson, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Market Drayton Methodist Church, Matt r baker, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Former brewery, Market Drayton, Richard Webb, CC BY-SA 2.0
- War Memorial, Market Drayton 2, Steven Manning, CC BY-SA 4.0
- War Memorial, Market Drayton, Jonathan Hutchins, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Market Drayton Town Hall, Richard Kelly, CC BY 4.0
- Street-level photo, trigpoint, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, tallguy, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, trigpoint, CC BY-SA 4.0
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