Shropshire Villages
Shropshire boasts some of the most charming villages in England. This western English county offers great food and breathtaking scenery, so get out your map and drive down one of these scenic roads to explore these picturesque hamlets!
Ludlow defies its small size with an array of restaurants and bistros occupying historic half-timbered houses offering diverse dining experiences. As with much of England, this part of England can be identified as agricultural with fresh fruit available throughout the year.
Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury stands out among English county towns as an exception: it has preserved much of its past with timber-framed buildings, a castle and an intricate medieval street plan surviving virtually unchanged from centuries past. Although an important market town during World War II, Shrewsbury managed to escape industrialisation while maintaining a mostly medieval character without suffering heavy bombing damage.
Start off your visit at Shrewsbury Museum and Art Gallery, which boasts changing exhibitions. Additionally, there’s a permanent history exhibit, as well as an impressive selection of paintings and sculptures to admire.
The town of Shrewsbury’s other major attraction is its 13th century castle, now owned by the National Trust and offering spectacular clifftop views over its surroundings. There are also several parks such as Shrewsbury Park and Severn Park which offer great opportunities to relax while taking in nature’s sights.
Shrewsbury Abbey is an attractive Roman Catholic church situated near the town walls. Designed by Edward Pugin after his father passed away and completed in 1856, its striking architecture makes it worth seeing even if you aren’t religious.
Shrewsbury is home to numerous prestigious colleges and universities. Shrewsbury College stands out among them due to its focus on science and medical studies courses, and Shrewsbury Library boasts over 180,000 books!
Shrewsbury is an outstanding cultural city, featuring numerous galleries and theatres as well as an active music scene encompassing musicals and concerts. Additionally, Shrewsbury boasts many shops, bars and restaurants for shopping or dining out, an extensive bus and rail network (the railway station being in the heart of town making travel simple) as well as easy bus and rail services that allow residents to navigate freely throughout their town.
Telford
Telford is Shropshire’s largest New Town and home to 138,241 residents according to the 2011 census. Telford was designed as part of post-war reconstruction efforts that sought to alleviate overcrowding from congested cities and market towns such as Shrewsbury. Built on an elevated plateau dotted by deep incised valleys from which rivers drain southward to join up with either Severn or Worfe; nearby Long Mynd rises north of Telford reaching 1,335 feet (407 metres); finally Long Mynd’s highest point (Wrekin) can be seen just north of Telford!
The Wrekin is also home to one of Shropshire’s most significant moments in its history: the 1821 miners’ uprising. Mine owners in Dawley coalfields agreed to collectively reduce wages, sparking an uprising which culminated in bloody confrontation on vast slag heaps known as Cinder Hills – commonly referred to as “Shropshire’s Peterloo.” A community group in Telford hopes to restore this incident’s significance through education initiatives.
Culture is an integral component of town, and its residents take great pride in participating in arts activities. The local authority offers a Culture and Leisure Service which promotes arts for young people in particular and offers many opportunities for them to experience different cultural activities that build confidence, raise aspirations levels and give a sense of pride for their town.
This area boasts numerous parks and open spaces, along with an active sporting history. Golf courses such as Church Stretton are located along the slopes of Long Mynd. In addition, motorsports circuit Hawkstone Park Hillclimb and horse racing racecourse Shrewsbury Huntingdon exist for motorsport enthusiasts to use.
Ludlow
Ludlow is one of England’s most picturesque main towns, boasting many grade I and II listed buildings that include medieval- and Tudor-style half-timbered houses, medieval- and Tudor-style half-timbered houses, a town hall with clock tower, the old Dinham Bridge across River Teme, Grade II listed Feathers Hotel and Ludlow Assembly Rooms – among many others. St Laurence Church (where A.E Housman’s remains are interred), numerous vantage points where visitors can see for miles across Shropshire hills as landmarks of this town are all landmarks worth seeing – landmarks that visitors won’t miss!
De Lacy family established the town in 1086 when they constructed its impressive castle as part of a series of fortified towns on Welsh Marches to defend against and subdue local Anglo-Saxon population. By 1372 it had 12 trade guilds including metalworkers, shoemakers, butchers, drapers, mercers and cooks.
As wealth declined in a town during the 16th and 17th centuries, new buildings became less likely to be constructed, while its medieval centre retained its character. Its central grid pattern was adapted to suit its topography with wide streets intersected by narrower ones.
Today, Ludlow is a bustling market town serving a rural area, with tourism playing an integral role in its economy. Agriculture plays an equally key role; food processing industries especially are important contributors.
Ludlow is well-known for its high-quality food, having attracted several celebrity chefs and offering an excellent variety of pubs, restaurants, and cafes. Visitors are invited to experience Ludlow’s culture and heritage which can be experienced through festivals, exhibitions, events, historic buildings and celebrations such as festivals. Public libraries provide resources on local history and genealogy including transcripts of parish records census birth marriage death wills transcripts etc… Additionally there are historic churches chapels as well as its castle making for an outstanding historic town center conservation area!
Bishop’s Castle
Bishop’s Castle has perfected its art of entertaining itself for centuries near Wales’ border. This picturesque town bustles with independent shops, cafes and pubs. There are two microbreweries here, museums of rural life and railways as well as weekly markets and an annual walking festival; visitors are even welcome at Shropshire Way and Offa’s Dyke both passing through it! Plus there is plenty of hillwalking country close by along with high quality B&B and hostel accommodation!
The Grade II* listed Town Hall stands out on a steep High Street and has long been at the centre of town’s civic, social and economic life for more than 250 years. Though altered and repaired many times over its existence, its iconic soaring arches remain. Restored to serve as a cultural centre in 2010, its walls contain some of England’s earliest known graffiti, with names of notable visitors listed alongside an poem by John Betjeman adorning them as decoration.
Behind the Town Hall lies an idyllic square filled with period buildings. Over 160 “listed” houses line its streets, some featuring quirky painted facades. Additionally, there are several small and specialist galleries located in the Town Hall as well as an excellent library, museum and heritage trail nearby.
Bishop’s Castle made its first bold steps toward democracy during the 16th Century when Elizabeth 1 granted Bishop’s Castle its independence through a royal charter signed by her. This freed it from bishops’ rule and gave executive authority to a Bailiff and 15 Capital Burgesses – marking a groundbreaking move!
In 1989, local enthusiasts came together to establish a museum dedicated to commemorating their town’s railway history. A vast collection of tickets and even items from the line existed here until 2000 when disaster struck – fire gutted part of the building, damaging three quarters of what once existed there. Since then, however, restoration work has taken place and today it serves as home to the Railway Heritage Centre.
Bishop’s Castle is an ideal destination for foodies, with several excellent restaurants and the award-winning Castle Hotel to choose from. There is also an abundance of B&Bs, self-catering properties and caravan sites to stay at in Bishop’s Castle – not forgetting numerous festivals and events like Michaelmas Fair with steam traction engines, vintage cars and live music performances!
