Shropshire perfectly captures the rural English idyll of open moors, gentle, heather-clad hills, postcard perfect farming villages, good food and peace and quiet. This is wonderful countryside to explore at your own pace, and our Gurus have plucked their recommendations for the best places to say in Shropshire from the region’s pretty centres: Tudor Shrewsbury, industrial Ironbridge, and foodie favourite Ludlow, as well as from more rural spots within the Shropshire Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, or just pretty rural villages. In Shropshire we favour a pub or restaurant with rooms, historic country house escapes, and rural escapes.

If you fancy a spot of Shropshire sightseeing, Shrewsbury castle and abbey are good places to start, and the medieval market town’s charms deserve a closer look. Amidst the timbered Tudor houses and winding lanes leading down to the River Severn you can see the birthplace of Charles Darwin, the Old Market Hall, and Henry Tudor House, where Henry VII stayed before the Battle of Bosworth. Ironbridge is almost the polar opposite to Shrewsbury’s timber, a town of industrial discovery and all that entails, including the world’s first iron bridge. If you’re here to taste Shropshire’s wares, one of the best places to stay in Shropshire is Ludlow, with its independent grocers, bakers, butchers, cheesemongers, and corresponding restaurateurs.

If it’s the scenery, and the promise of a rural escape you’re travelling towards, the best places to stay in Shropshire may well be close to the Welsh border, or dotted around the Shropshire Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, or in the surrounding towns and villages. There are many, many wonderful walking routes. There are also a very healthy number of National Trust properties in Shropshire, plus a falconry centre and the Royal Air Force Museum Cosford, which is a fantastic day out for families.

The Best Places to Stay in Shropshire

For a Country House Hotel

• Soulton Hall is a very splendid, Elizabethan-era manor house steeped in romance and history, and now converted into a comfortable country escape, with four rather romantic bedrooms in the main house, and four self-catering cottages in the grounds. Inside the manor guests will discover oak panelling dating from the 15th century, stone mullioned windows, and ancient plasterwork; these old floorboards may well have been trodden upon by Samuel Pepys — he was a friend of the family who still own the manor. It’s been run as a hotel for around 30 years, and it’s certainly a place to return to over and over again. Expect a daily changing menu, sumptuous decor and lovely walks in picturesque grounds.

For a Rural Escape

• Kinton Escapes is a child-free glamping retreat on the edge of the Shropshire Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Set on a farm, the accommodation is in a yurt, a horse box, hut, or bedroom within the farmhouse. Whatever you opt for you can expect serenity and bucolic scenery aplenty. Each of the spaces is cosily decorated, with wonderfully practical and welcoming attention to detail, including wood burners in winter. Take magical walks right from your door.
• The North Wing at Combermere Abbey is a stunningly preserved abbey just metres from the shore of a mirror-like lake. The north wing has just two guest rooms, both huge, and beautifully decorated. The grander features oak panelling, and the second has an enormous bath with incredible views. There’s a guest lounge too, and you’re welcome to explore the grounds. There’s no restaurant, but they offer breakfast.
• Ludlow’s Old Downton Lodge is a wonderfully refurbished farmhouse, where the new additions and updates have been expertly blended with the original building with all its quirks and charm. There are nine rooms and suites, in a range of shapes and sizes — the largest have high ceilings and four-poster beds, and all of them have new bathrooms. The Downton Gorge National Nature Reserve is on your doorstep, if you fancy a walk, and come the weekend they offer meals in the elegant dining room.

For Families

• The Clive Arms in Ludlow is a pretty country inn on the 8000 acre Oakly Park Estate, with a boxy red-brick facade. The pub is bright, cheerful, and more chi-chi than you’re probably expecting, and serves modern British cuisine. The 17 rooms and suites are channelling rural charm, with just the right amount of wooly tartan and chintz. There are very comfortable family rooms, and free-standing baths if you fancy one.

For Walkers

• The Castle Hotel was reworked from an old motte-and-baillie castle, using the original grey stone and enclosed courtyard. There are 12 rooms and suites, and, despite being called a hotel, it’s also got an excellent pub, which for some is the main event. It’s a rustic old pub too, with a warren of small rooms and bars, a panelled dining room and a lovely beer garden. The rooms themselves are uncontroversially contemporary, with bathrooms that are new and smart. Walking routes start right from the doorstep.
• The Coach House is a very charmingly rustic country house turned hotel, close to the Welsh border. It’s more of a converted farmhouse than a grand manor, but warm, and welcoming, and picturesque still. Its seven rooms, and communal areas, are traditionally decorated, making the most of the original exposed beams and pitched ceilings, and there’s an atmospheric restaurant too. Peaceful.
• The Graig is a charming stone farmhouse turned five room B&B, in a great location in the Shropshire Hills, just outside Ludlow. The individually designed rooms all have a country feel, and a cosy, pastel palette, and boast spacious en suites. Breakfast is a hearty affair, and the owners will pack you a lunch too, if you’re heading out walking.

Best Pubs and Restaurants with Rooms

• Sebastians is an award-winning restaurant with rooms that has been converted from a 17th century building in Oswestry. You can expect beamed ceilings in all of the six bedrooms, along with fireplaces and pitched roofs. The decoration leans towards the period as well, with brass beds and heavy oak furniture. Downstairs in the restaurant guests can expect five-course dinners, with the full service of aperitifs beforehand, and a cosy fire afterwards.
• The Pheasant at Neenton is a charming country pub in the pretty Shropshire village of Neenton. Welcoming and cosy, as well as three rooms, The Pheasant also has a very good restaurant. Come here for hearty British fare, crisp, white linens and a fond welcome for pets.

For Romantics

• Shrewsbury’s The Lion & Pheasant is a 16th century building, housing an innovative interior, with a very cool, 2 AA Rosette awarded restaurant, a chic bar, and 19 stylishly minimalist rooms — with original features and wrought iron beds. The exposed beams, flagstones, and whitewash feel bright and lively here, and there’s a nice collection of antiques and a friendly welcome. The restaurant has a taste for local produce — as local as The Lion’s garden if possible, and the location is great for exploring the region.
• In a stunning setting, on 17 acres of its own picturesque parklands, sits Rowton Castle, a 17th century built charmer, complete with towers, stone crenelations and Gothic details. Inside, the 19 rooms and suites are decorated with antique luxury, and feature chandeliers, heavy, dark wood furniture, and sumptuous four-poster beds. The reception rooms and restaurant are grand, and the food is excellent.
• The Dinham Hall Hotel is an imposing townhouse hotel in the historic market town of Ludlow. Its 13 rooms and suites are all traditionally, and uniquely, decorated, with antiques to match the high ceilings, sash widows and other original details. The restaurant is very good — competition in Ludlow is high — and you’re close to a farmer’s market, a golf course, and plenty of sightseeing and antique shopping opportunities. Bring your dog too.

For the Views

• The Baron at Bucknell is a charming inn, set just within the Shropshire Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, close to Bucknell and the River Redlake, and surrounded by picturesque countryside. The inn itself is a traditional choice with a feature ancient flour mill, and a cosy, wood-heavy bar. Upstairs are five rooms and suites, but The Baron also has three newly built garden rooms, which are like private contemporary lodges, with cosy fires and wonderful views.
• Pen-y-Dyffryn is right on the border between England and Wales, with views over the Shropshire Hills in all directions. When you arrive you’ll be offered a complimentary afternoon tea, and each morning there are different walking routes recommended, weather reports and other local titbits. The 12 rooms aren’t cutting edge, but the hospitality couldn’t be better, with hearty breakfasts and very good four-course suppers.

For Great Value.

• The Haughmond is a charming local inn in the pretty village of Upton Magna, just outside Shrewsbury. The restaurant is much more exciting than your average pub restaurant, it’s headed up by the owner, who has won many gongs for his contemporary British cuisine. There are five guest rooms, simply decorated with solid, pale-wood furniture, and with a range of doubles and twins.

Best B&Bs

• Converted from a library building, The Library House is a stylish, four room B&B, by the banks of the River Severn, and within a very short, pleasant stroll of the pubs and historic sites of Ironbridge. The four rooms are very light, and simply and comfortably decorated. Guests also have use of the charming sitting room, shady garden, and breakfast room.

Prefer a Private Apartment or Cottage?

• If you'd prefer the privacy of a self-catering option then browse through the wide variety available online with our partner, Booking.com.

Travel Information

• Want to fly to Shropshire?

• Manchester Airport is probably your closest international airport, though East Midlands Airport and Birmingham are worth considering too. If you’re flying into the UK and visiting Shropshire first, it might be convenient to head for Heathrow, London City Airport, or London Luton Airport. If you’re travelling by train out of London it’s about three hours journey, leaving from London Euston.
• If you want to hire a car we recommend you visit our online partner, Rentalcars.
• Shropshire’s climate is mild, but unpredictably British. Generally speaking winter is wetter and cooler; add to that the shorter days and it’s not the best time to visit. Spring and summer are the most popular seasons for tourists. Autumn, especially September, is also usually sunny and warm, and will be a lot quieter than during the school holidays. It’s a nice time for a short walking break, or holing up somewhere to write your novel.

Still not sure where to stay?

• You could refine your search to one of Shropshire’s towns or villages: try the best places to stay in Shrewsbury or the best places to stay in Ludlow
• Expand your search to neighbouring Herefordshire
• Or you could contact one of our friendly Gurus for personalised advice.

Weather

Monthly Weather in Shropshire