Its only relicks now remaining are the ruins of a chapel, built over a
remarkably fine spring of water; to this was formerly attributed the cure
of various diseases, incident both to man and beast; and though its
miracles have long ceased, yet it still bears the name of the saint. The
remains of the castle, supposed to have been built at the time of the
conquest, are now almost too trivial to be noticed. This town was
garrisoned by the King, in the beginning of the civil wars, but captured
in June, 1644, by the Earl of Denbigh and General Mytton.
In passing through the town of Oswestry, we noticed the church, as being
a very neat building; but either from our own neglect, or imagining it
not to be ancient, we did not inspect the interior. Oswestry suffered
greatly by fire, in the year 1542, and likewise in 1567.
“The chirk of St. Oswalde (says Leland) is a very faire leddid chirch
with a great tourrid steple, but it standith without the New Gate; so
that no chirch is there within the towne. This chirch was some time
a monasterie, caullid the _White Minster_. After turnid to a paroche
chirch, and the personage impropriate to the abbey of Shreusbyri.
The cloister stoode in hominum memoria ubi monumenta monachorum. The
place and streate wer the chirch standithe is caullid Stretllan.”