Ellesmere is a market community near Oswestry in north Shropshire, England, significant for its proximity to a number of prominent Meres. The town is situated alongside Ellesmere (aka 'the Mere'), one of the biggest natural meres in England outside the Lake District and also among nine glacial meres in the location. ('antarctic' means that the depression inhabited by the mere was the place of a block of ice that lingered at the end of the last Glacial epoch). These meres are different from those in the Lake District in that they do not have a circulation of water right into them to keep the level. An artificial island in the Mere was built in 1812 from soil removed throughout the making of the gardens at Ellesmere House. This was later named Moscow Island, as Napoleon was forced to pull away from Moscow that year. The Mere has a site visitors' centre and also is popular with birdwatchers, much of whom see to see grey herons nesting. There are eight various other meres close by: Blakemere, Colemere, Crosemere, Kettlemere, Newtonmere, Whitemere, Sweatmere as well as Hanmer Mere. The civil parish which constitutes the town is Ellesmere Urban; the bordering church, covering a big backwoods, is Ellesmere Rural.