St Mary's

A rather pleasant wander around Shrewsbury and the rather excellent outdoor Magnum exhibition.

A plaque by the door contains the following poem about the unfortunate death of the showman and steeplejack Robert Cadman. 

"Let this small Monument record the name
of Cadman, and to future time proclaim
How by'n attempt to fly from this high spire
across the Sabrine stream he did acquire
His fatal end. 'Twas not for want of skill
Or courage to perform the task he fell,
No, no, a faulty Cord being drawn too tight
Harried his Soul on high to take her flight
Which bid the Body here beneath good Night
Feb.ry 2nd 1739 aged 28" 

More from Wikipedia 

"Cadman walked some 250 metres up the rope that connected the 68-metre-high spire of St Mary’s Church with an anchor in the ground in Gay Meadow. Climbing up the rope across the River Severn, he performed tricks on the way. When at the top, near the pinnacle of the spire, he donned a wooden breastplate with a central groove and hurtled to earth along the rope. "