Holiday apartments in Shropshire: nature, history and trails

The Shropshire Hills were designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in 1958 and cover almost a quarter of Shropshire: 802 square kilometres. Heathland, grassland, woodland and river habitats are part of this area. Nationally rare species such as merlin, snipe, curlew, whinchat, dipper and emperor moth can be found there.

Nature and landscape

The Stiperstones are also connected with the Shropshire Hills in Shropshire and are considered an outstanding example. Among other species, crowberry and bilberry can be found there. The Stiperstones National Nature Reserve was expanded in 2025 and renamed Stiperstones Landscape National Nature Reserve. As a result, different landscape designations and protected-area designations exist side by side in Shropshire, while the characteristic habitats and plants of the Stiperstones retain their own place.

History and culture

Stokesay Castle consists of 13th-century towers, a great hall and a 17th-century gatehouse. Wroxeter Roman City is an abandoned Roman city with visible public baths and an on-site museum in the Shropshire countryside. Visitors to Wroxeter Roman City can take part in an audio tour and explore the public bathhouse.

Buildwas Abbey preserves an unusually unaltered 12th-century church. The complex also includes a vaulted chapter house with a tiled floor. Wenlock Priory began around 680 AD as an Anglo-Saxon monastery and now offers a World Builder Trail. Ludlow Castle was founded between 1086 and 1094 as part of a chain of castles along the Marches.

In Ludlow, a large parish church dating from the 13th to the 15th century contains medieval misericords, carvings and stained glass. Its tower is open to the public and offers beautiful views. The RAF Museum Midlands is a ten-minute walk from Cosford railway station. The Severn Valley Railway runs along a 16-mile route through the countryside of Worcestershire and Shropshire and operates original steam locomotives as well as historic diesel locomotives. The Engine House in Highley displays locomotives from different eras as well as interactive railway exhibitions.

Trails and activities

The Shropshire Way is a figure-of-eight circular route that starts and ends at the Buzzard Sculpture in Shrewsbury. The route passes through Clun, Ludlow, Ironbridge, Ellesmere and Whitchurch. It also crosses the rugged Stiperstones and the Wrekin, offering varied geology along the route.

Shropshire has more than 5,600 kilometres of public rights of way for outdoor activities. Shropshire promotes routes for walking, cycling and horse riding, including the Shropshire Way and Walking with Offa.

Culinary tradition

The Ludlow Food Festival celebrates the culinary tradition of the Marches and independent local food producers. The programme includes cookery demonstrations, workshops, as well as feasts and banquets.

Other places in Shropshire

Whitchurch, Wem, Sutton Maddock, Shrewsbury, Shifnal, Oswestry, Much Wenlock, Ludlow, Hinton, Halford, Church Stretton, Broseley, Bridgnorth, Alveley, Albrighton, Market Drayton, Alberbury, Worfield, Wroxeter, Pant, Sidbury, Hopesay, Myddle, Craven Arms, Hinstock, Ellesmere, Bucknell, Burlton.

Bishops Castle, Cardeston, Weston Rhyn, Minsterley, Harley, Trefonen, Lydbury North, Llanyblodwel, Hope Bowdler, Highley, Easthope, Cleobury Mortimer, Baschurch, Oreton, Clee Saint Margaret, Bitterley, Saint Martin's, Shawbury, Criggion, Frodesley, Silvington, Culmington, Chetton, Clunbury, Kinton, Clun, Welshampton, Longville.

For the overview of the wider travel region: West Midlands.