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.