Come and forget all your troubles during caravan holidays in Shropshire
Things To Do
See much of the county by climbing one of the Shropshire Hills. A great place to start is at the Shropshire Hills Discovery Centre in Craven Arms, where you can find out more about this designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and pick up tips for local walks.
If you liked the BBC 2 living history production, Victorian Farm TV series, you’ll love Acton Scott Historic Working Farm near Church Stretton. The farm, where the television programme was based, offers a great insight into rural life during the 19th Century. There are opportunities to learn traditional rural crafts and skills. You can even learn how to plough with a shire horse!
Go boating at Ellesmere from the National Waterways Museum on one of the glacial meres. The Mere within the town is the largest, covering over 100 acres, of the nine lakes in the area. Select between a rowing boat if your feeling energetic or sit back and relax on the steamboat. There are plenty of places around the water’s edge for a picnic, though the abundant waterfowl might take a fancy to your sandwiches.
Visit the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution, the heartlands of iron smelting, china production and clay pipes at Ironbridge. Cross the famous Iron Bridge that spans the River Severn, take a walk along Ironbridge Gorge or step inside the former homes of the Darby family, the ironmasters of Coalbrookdale. Buy a ‘passport’ to all the Ironbridge Gorge Museums at least a week in advance to save money when you visit the bridge, Blists Hill Victorian Town, Coalport China Museum, Enginuity, Jackfield Tile Museum, Coalbrookdale Museum of Iron and the Tar Tunnel.
Visit the castles of Shropshire. With 32 castles in the county, you’ll never be far from the walls of one of these mighty bastions. From little more than stone remnants to imposing residences, you’ll see the finest fortresses in Shropshire when you visit Ludlow Castle, Clun Castle and Stokesay Castle are among the finest to visit while the ruins of Bridgnorth Castle arguably has the best position, standing as they do, on the edge of a cliff overlooking the River Severn.
Getting There
There’s just one motorway that covers a matter of miles within Shropshire – the A54, a spur off the M6, but it’s useful for reaching the heart of the county quite quickly, especially as the route joins onto the A5 dual carriageway to Shrewsbury.
From the north, use the A49 to Whitchurch, the A483 and A5 to Oswestry or the A53 to Market Drayton. Indeed the A49 runs north to south the length of the county and this is also the best route, via Ludlow, from the south.
Caravans will have few problems with the A- and B-roads within the county. Take care on minor roads, though, particularly within the area of the Shropshire Hills, as roads can be both narrow, steep in places and with sharp bends. If you are staying at a remote campsite within this area, it would be worth checking if the owners recommend a certain route in and out to avoid major problems.
