Review by Review by visitor
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 R
afting / 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. ...
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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. ...
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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 t
he 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. ...
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