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OswestryOswestry (pop. 37,308 in 2001) is a town in Shropshire, England, close to the Welsh border. It is at the junction of the A5, A483, and A495 roads. It is the seat of the borough of Oswestry. The area has long been settled. Old Oswestry is the site of a large Iron Age hill fort with evidence for occupation dating back to the 550s BC. The Battle of Maserfield is thought to have been fought here in 642, between the Anglo-Saxon kings Penda and Oswald. Oswald's body was hung from a tree, which became known as "Oswald's Tree", which evolved into "Oswestry". The spring Oswald's Well is supposed to have originated where a raven dropped one of Oswald's arms. Offa's Dyke runs nearby to the west. The Domesday Book records a castle L'oeuvre belonging to Rainald, a Sheriff of Shropshire. The Normans built a castle in the 12th century (which was reduced to a pile of rocks after the English Civil War), and the town changed hands between English and Welsh a number of times during the Middle Ages. The town was still exposed to border fighting after the Civil War, and built walls for protection, but these were torn down in the 18th century, leaving only the Newgate Pillar visible today. Notable natives of Oswestry include the composer Walford Davies, poet Wilfred Owen and writer Barbara Pym. Attractions of Oswestry include Whittington Castle (in nearby Whittington), Shelf Bank and Oswestry School. The local football club, Oswestry Town F.C. is one of the few English teams to compete in the Welsh football league. External links
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