Medieval market towns, romantic castles and beautiful gardens that make Shropshire one of England’s loveliest counties.
For somewhere so peaceful, Shropshire is astonishingly rich in history and beauty. Here is where to start.
The towns
Shrewsbury is one of England's finest medieval towns: a tangle of timber-framed streets in a loop of the River Severn, with a castle, an abbey and the lovely Quarry park and Dingle gardens at its heart. Ludlow, crowned by its mighty castle, is a Georgian gem and one of the country's great food towns. Bridgnorth climbs a sandstone cliff between its High and Low Towns, linked by England's oldest inland funicular. And the Ironbridge Gorge, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is where the modern world arguably began.
Smaller but no less charming: Much Wenlock with its medieval priory, Oswestry with its huge Iron Age hillfort, and Ellesmere beside its glacial meres.
The castles
Beyond Ludlow, don't miss the fairytale Stokesay Castle near Craven Arms (one of the best-preserved fortified manor houses in England), community-run Whittington Castle near Oswestry, and the romantic ruins of Moreton Corbet.
Abbeys and great houses
Shrewsbury Abbey, the atmospheric ruins of Haughmond Abbey, and the National Trust's beautiful Attingham Park estate are all well worth a visit. For grand days out, Weston Park sits on the county's eastern edge.
Gardens
The Dorothy Clive Garden near Market Drayton and Shrewsbury's own Dingle (in The Quarry) are both stunning, and the wild scenery around Lake Vyrnwy, reached through Oswestry, is unforgettable.
Browse businesses by town to plan your trip.