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 |  | Travel Reviews : Shropshire |
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Shropshire really is the forgotten part of Old England. There is so much to see and do in the area,and it borders some of the most beautiful parts of the Welsh border country.
Things to do in the area:
Offas Dyke is the Welsh equivelant to Hadrians Wall.
It was built by King Offa of Wales in Medievel times to keep the English out,and it runs from the North Wales border and finishes at Hay on Wye.
Ramblers will love the scenery and more information is available on http://www.offas-dyke.co.uk/
The Historic Town of Shrewsbury is a real treat with some of the most Stunning 16th Century architecture on it`s High street,making shopping a real treat. More information is available on http://www.shrewsburyguide.info/
A real treat awaits you in Llangollen (just over the Welsh border) There is so much to see and do there. The adventurous can go White Water Rafting / Canooeing and Rock climbing and a real family favourite is a trip on a canal boat that culminates in a ride over the Pontycyslat bridge 130 feet of sheer drop over the river Dee
To see more go to http://www.llangollen.org.uk/
These are just some of Shropshires offerings. So why not book a Holiday in the Area, you will be surprised how fantastic this special part of England/Wales is.
A dirty weekend in the country
When it comes to green holidays the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers (BTCV) has impeccable credentials.
Each year, 4,000 Brits sign up for its working breaks in isolated outposts of the British Isles, to put their backs into countryside projects.
The trust is also the proud recipient of British Airways' Tourism for Tomorrow Environmental Experience award for 2000. So what's the appeal?
No one could accuse the BTCV of glossing over truth in its brochures.
Holiday information is plainly boxed, with a one-word description for accommodation. For 'simple' read village hall, caravan or cabin, foam mattresses on the floor and sporadic washing opportunities.
'Standard' means a youth hostel with showers, while volunteers in 'superior' digs stay in hotels or similar.
The old, white BTCV minibus rumbled up to greet our small band of volunteers at Shrewsbury train station.
It looked battle-worn - a wing mirror had been ripped off in a close call with a ditch. It hadn't been cleaned in a while and was hardly zippy.
Team leader Jackie Cornish apologised for the van's condition and bundled us in for the 30-minute ride to Hawkstone Park, where we'd work for two days.
After a cold night's sleep on foam mattresses on the floor of Weston-under-Redcastle's village hall (winner of Best Kept Village 1958 as a faded, framed certificate told us) and a cereal and toast breakfast, our 10-man team headed out for Hawkstone Park.
The BBC used the park and its follies - a ruined, hilltop arch and underground grotto caves - as a setting for its Chronicles Of Narnia series.
Imposing sandstone cliffs and 400 acres of parkland circled our BTCV work site by narrow Swiss Bridge. Less than a foot wide in places and 60ft above ground, it had been shut for two years.
Our task was to hack back rhododendron and repair fences for its reopening.
Travel guide: Shropshire
FA Cup heaven by the Severn
Every three months a wonderful magazine flops through my letterbox and I nearly break my neck running to grab it.
It's called Groundtastic and it's devoted to football grounds - from Old Trafford to the field which the Dog and Duck play on.
My wife refers to Groundtastic as the pornography of corrugated iron sheds, but she's wrong: it's a bible for the true football romantic.
And that's why I'm here in Shrewsbury at their Gay Meadow ground ('gaye' is old English for an area of land) because this was the venue for a fixture for all true Groundtastic addicts: Shrewsbury versus Chelsea.
I wanted to find out more about Shrewsbury the town, too.
So I'm walking up Fish Street with Martin Wood, the town crier. At 7ft 2in, with a long beard and big voice, the world's tallest town crier is full of information for the tourist.
'There used to be a man in a coracle on the River Severn who was there to catch the balls kicked out of Gay Meadow.
When he died his son took over, and one day he chased a ball all the way down to the weir, but when he grabbed it, it was a swan's head. Turned out he'd been chasing a swan.'
Shrewsbury is eccentric, unusual, trying hard not to be a typical market town.
'It was invited to be the Welsh capital in the 1700s,' booms Martin, 'but they declined the offer.'
Martin throws out facts about Shrewsbury like a Mastermind contestant as we walk to Milk Street and Butcher Row.
Travel guide: Shropshire
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| | | | Hungry work at Hawkstone Park
The BTCV is big on health and safety. Each day at Hawkstone began with a tools talk. Loppers and bowsaws were staples for rhododendron clearing.
Fence building required a little more thought and a strong arm to bash in posts with a heavy, mallet-like mell.
One man in the group was an old hand at such skills and led the way. Jobs could be swapped for variety - a blessing for tired "rhody" cutters.
Hauling endless armfuls of bush uphill to a bonfire was dirty, hungry work and lunch on the two-day break at Hawkstone was eagerly awaited.
Food was simple but plentiful. Potatoes and sausages cooked on the fire, crisps and fruit, biscuits and hot drinks for afters were standard.
Dinner was a one-pot meal made by the group. Kitchen duties were shared and we showered once at a nearby golf club.
Volunteers were evenly split between men and women aged 19 and up. Backgrounds were mixed but all relished working outdoors.
Web designer Liz Cadd, 27, was on her fifth break with the trust. "At the end you feel like you've had a really long break. There's no TV and in the evening you make your own entertainment."
Projects cover everything from dry stone walling to clearing lakes.
The Hawkstone Park 'Natural Break' costs £32. All meals and minibus collection to and from Shrewsbury station are included.
Warm sleeping bags, a pillow and thermals for the night are vital for winter holidays in simple accommodation, as well as layers of old work clothes and waterproofs.
BTCV runs holidays here and abroad. Call 01491 839646 for a brochure or go to www.btcv.org
Hawkstone Park website: www.hawkstone.co.uk
Almost an island
In a few short yards I learn that in the 14th Century the town had 574 pubs, that Charles Darwin and the poet Sir Philip Sidney were born here, that in the 1700s the River Severn was the second busiest river in Europe, and that outside the railway station is the largest levered signal box in the country.
In summer Shrewsbury is full of tourists, often on their way somewhere else: To Wales, the Midlands or the South-West. But people should stay longer because there's such a lot to see.
The town is almost an island, built on land surrounded by a loop of the River Severn. It contains a wealth of black and white buildings, mainly created by wealthy wool merchants of the 15th and 16th Centuries.
It also boasts the first iron-framed building in Britain and, according to Martin, the most historical McDonald's in the country. Remains of the city walls were found in the cellar of the McDonald's building.
Dotted around the pavements are metal footprints which are part of the Cadfael Trail.
The books featuring Cadfael, the medieval detective created by Ellis Peters, are mainly set in a fictional Shrewsbury and the trail takes you around sites connected with the plots.
Martin points one out, recalling: 'I had some Americans here and I was telling them about Cadfael. I pointed out the metal footprints and told one Texan that they activated a video screen set into the wall! We all left him pressing it and staring at some blank bricks.'
Shrewsbury is a beautiful town in a gorgeous setting, and from the castle, adapted from an older building in local red sandstone by Thomas Telford in the 18th Century, you can see it's a town in a bowl surrounded by hills.
Martin points out various landmarks on this lovely clear day. 'There's the Wrekin, the Long Mynd, Wales is over there, Ludlow over there and that hill there is the Brown Clee, the highest point between here and Russia.' Apart from you, Martin.
Staying in the Prince Rupert Hotel with my wife and son, I tell them a few things, courtesy of Martin, as we play snooker in the dark basement.
I tell them that the statue we saw on the way in is of Lord Hill, second in command at Waterloo, and that the church of St Mary the Virgin is, at 212ft 3in, the third highest single-spanned church in the country.
'Shut up and read your Groundtastic,' my wife says, as she pots the black.
What I didn't tell them was that Martin also did ghost tours, and he said that the Prince Rupert was one of the most haunted buildings in the town. I didn't tell them that until much later.
So, although Shrewsbury lost their FA Cup match, I'll be back, because there's so much more to learn, - so much more to see.
TRAVEL DETAILS:For more information, contact Shrewsbury Tourist Information (tel: 01743 281200). Prince Rupert Hotel (tel: 01743 499955)/ Groundtastic magazine: www.groundtastic.ukgateway.net.
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| | Destination Guide : Shropshire |
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| | | Unspoilt countryside |  | Why go on holiday to Shropshire?
Beautiful, peaceful and uncrowded - Shropshire rolls over the hills between Birmingham and the Welsh border.
The "blue remembered hills" of A E Houseman's Shropshire Lad in the south, including Wenlock Edge, the Long Mynd and the Stiperstones, offer excellent open walking country.
With its attractive capital Shrewsbury and historic Ironbridge, you'll also find plenty of interesting sights to see and museums to visit.
How much does it cost?
The Shrewsbury Youth Hostel costs from £8, B&Bs from £15, hotels from £50. Meals in Shrewsbury cost from £5 for a snack, to £15 for main evening meal. A pint of beer costs about £2.
Country house visits cost around £5 for adults, £2-3 for kids/concessions where offered. Ironbridge Youth Hostel is around a tenner a night, camping at Severn Gorge Caravan Park is around £5 for two adults and a tent.
Prices can vary greatly especially according to season and you should always check exact prices.
How do I get there?
By train: usually via Birmingham or Wolverhampton.
By coach: Get the useful Shropshire Bus & Train Map from the Tourist Information Centre to find out all the bus routes around the county.
By air: Flights to Birmingham or Manchester airports. Both are around 60 miles from Shrewsbury and also on train routes to the town.
By car: Shrewsbury is 150 miles from London. Take the A5/A5M extension M54 off M6 68 from Manchester A49, 43 from Chester A49/A41 and 27 from Ludlow A49.
When should I go?
Bear in mind the classic British weather and expect rain all year round. Summer is the obvious choice as it may be a bit warmer (if you're lucky) and it will be very luscious and green.
Autumn shows off its glamorous golds and in winter some of the hill walks are suitably eerie, with few other walkers.
There are loads of flower and agricultural shows throughout spring and summer.
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| | | Attractive English towns | | What should I do when I'm there?
Start off in Shrewsbury. It's one of the finest Tudor towns in Britain, with half-timbered buildings and winding medieval streets.
See the Market Hall, Ireland's Mansion, St Alkmund's church and Bear Steps Hall as well as St. Mary's Shut and the Rowley's House Museum.
In Shrewsbury Abbey see the great west window and then wander through Quarry Park. Nearby, visit Attingham Park with its magnificent state rooms, decorated ceilings and Regency silver, and Hawkstone Park, a 100-acre 18th-century fantasyland of follies.
Sounds very pleasant. Where next?
The World Heritage Site at Ironbridge Gorge, where 300 years ago Abraham Darby pioneered iron smelting. The Ironbridge Gorge Museum is the best industrial museum in the UK.
Spread along the attractive gorge, its seven museums and several smaller sites centre on the beautiful old iron bridge itself. The museums cover everything from iron production to 19th-century home life.
There's even a whole village called Blists Hill stuck in the 1890s (you have to use old money), and a Coalport museum with examples of the decorative chinaware made there.
Where can I get away from it all?
Head to Wenlock Edge to experience unspoilt and uncrowded scenery. The 15-mile long, steep escarpment has superb views across to Long Mynd.
You can stay at the YHS in Wilderhope Manor on the southern slopes and from there walk along several trails including one along the top of Wenlock Edge itself.
Long Mynd is the best-known of Shropshire's hills and the best for walking.
From the village of Church Stretton you can get to The Portway - an ancient track running the full length of Long Mynd - and the Carding Mill Valley Trail for views of the Stiperstones to the east.
What about cute villages with tearooms?
Not to be missed is Ludlow, with its black and white buildings, rambling ruined castle and twisty streets - making it one of the most attractive towns in England.
Clun has a wonderful ruined castle and good walking country nearby, including the National Trail on the ancient Offa's Dyke.
Bishop's Castle is another good base for walking - only eight miles south of the rocky ridges of the Stiperstones with their Devil's Chair.
Quaint little Bridgnorth, on a steep hill and split in two by the Severn, has a hair-raising Cliff Railway to take you from the High to the Low Town, plus a castle.
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| | | Browse for bargain antiques | | Where's good for nightlife?
In Shrewsbury, Castle Vaults and Lion & Pheasant are two pubs worth a visit for their Tudor architecture alone. Owens Cafe Bar has a good range of wines, bottled and draught beers and interesting food.
Also try Old Lion Tap or Henry's Restaurant & Bar, both in 14th-century half-timbered buildings. In Ironbridge, Blists Hill village museum has an old-style Victorian pub and the Coalbrookdale Inn - which serves real ale.
Bishop's Castle has a pub, The Three Tuns, that still brews its own beer and whose bustling beamed rooms have a lively atmosphere and a good mixed crowd.
What's the food like?
In Shrewsbury, for quick snacks there are several cafes between Castle St and Shoplatch where tearooms abound. Try Armoury on Victoria Quay for views, real ales and bistro-style food.
Ironbridge has cafes at Museum of Iron, Blists Hill and Rosehill House, as well as in the centre of Ironbridge.
For snacks try Eley's Butchers for truly excellent real pork pie; Oliver's Vegetarian Bistro for non-meat alternatives; and the nearby Central Cafe is cheap and cheerful and chips-with-everything.
Ludlow's Merchant House is pricey but good or Olive Branch offers cheaper inventive vegetarian snacks. Ludlow has several fine, high-quality restaurants.
What should I buy?
Bishop's Castle has good curiosity shops. Purchase stoneground flour from the Cleobury Mortimer restored watermill. Pim Hill Farm offers good-quality farm produce at reasonable prices.
Maws Craft Centre in Ironbridge has 26 workshops selling diverse crafts from pottery to puzzles and pictures. Ludlow has lots of antique shops to browse for bargains.
In Whitchurch at the Rocking Horse Workshop you can place an order for a traditional wooden horse. Wroxeter Roman Vineyard produces wines, lavender and lavender-based products.
Shrewsbury's St Julian's Craft Centre in a 12th-century church has a bustling craft fair every Saturday.
What is there for children to do?
Rays Farm Country Matters has sculpture gardens, ancient woodland walks, fast-flowing streams, picnic sites and a farm with llamas, rabbits, deer, goats and owls.
They'll like the Costume and Childhood Museum, Bridgnorth, the nearby Midland Motor Museum and the Severn Valley Railway - for standard-gauge steam railway at its best.
The Shropshire Hills Discovery Centre in Craven Arms has a virtual balloon ride over hills, model mammoth skeleton and craft workshops. In Ironbridge little ones will love the Teddy Bear Museum.
Tourist office
Shrewsbury Tourist Information Centre, The Music Hall, The Square, Shrewsbury SY1 1LH. Tel. 01743 281200.
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| | Available rental properties in Shropshire |
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