Shropshire itinerary help
 

I will have three full days in Shropshire this coming May, and of course have found too many things to do. As a result, I’d like some input from those of you familiar with the area. Here is my proposed itinerary.

Day 1

AM: Shrewsbury and its Abbey

PM: Dorothy Clive Garden and Hodnet Hall Gardens (both near Market Drayton)

Day 2:

AM: Wroxeter Roman City or Wenlock Priory, Much Wenlock (I don’t think I can do both); I would also like to look at Ironbridge, though I don’t have much interest in the various museums there.

PM: Benthall Hall, Broseley; Dudmaston Hall (near Bridgnorth)

Day 3:

AM: Ludlow and its Castle

PM: Stokesay Castle, Craven Arms; Shipton Hall, Much Wenlock

I will be staying at Cardington, and I will have a car. I probably won’t reserve much time for walking, since immediately prior to this stay I will spend seven days walking half of the Offa’s Dyke Path. I also plan of fitting in a few church visits. Any help would be much appreciated.

ttt

If you are into food & drink, Ludlow is wonderful. Hibiscus (2 Michelin stars) is my very favourite restaurant; Mr Underhill's (1 star) isn't bad either & has quite cool rooms in a lovely location. For a town its size it has a remarkable number of good small food shops including 4 proper butchers & 2 cheese shops. It also has a market. It's a very pretty town & also has loads of great pubs. If this interests you, stay there instead !

I've spent 2 x 1 week there, staying in a rented cottage over the period of the food & drink festival (Sept) & love it.

The Dorothy Clive gardens will be lovely in May - full of rhododendrons and azaleas. There is a nice tea room there, if the weather is good, you can sit and have tea and cakes on the lawn.

Another garden not too far away is Wollerton Old Hall. Lovely old fashoined English garden, divided into "rooms" with beautiful herbaceous borders. This also has a nice tea room.

http://www.wollertonoldhallgarden.co.uk/

Tracey,

Stokesay Castle and Benthall Hall are both excellent.

Much Wenlock and Priory are pleasant enough but missable.

Wroxeter is impressive if you use your imagination as to how big it used to be but perhaps has limited amount to see. Depends how much you are into Romans.

The iron bridge itself is impressive and worth a look if passing.

As a town Shrewsbury has some good medieval buildings but is otherwise unattractive to me. The Abbey, St Chad and St Mary are good.

Re other churches. Ludlow's is superb. Also good (in very different ways) are Heath, Acton Burnell, Claverley, Langley, Leebotwood, Melverley, Minsterley.

Michael

If you like flowers, the garden center at Bridgemere really amazed us in its breadth and its displays. And Ludlow is not far from Tintern Abbey, which was quite impressive.

Thanks, folks, for the input. Maria, I looked at the Wollerton Old Hall website, but it looks like I won't be able to go since it is only open on days that I won't be in Shropshire. Too bad - it looks lovely. Wasleys, I will definitely check out some, if not all, of those churches - I actually have a book on Shropshire parish churches, and have now looked them all up. Maybe I will do that rather than Much Wenlock. And tomboy, I will be staying near Tintern on my first night before I begin the Offa's Dyke Walk, which will take me past the Abbey, I believe. Anyway, thanks for the input - this was exactly what I was looking for.