Walkers Welcome

The Castle Hotel, located in Bishops Castle, Shropshire, has been honored with the Good Hotel Guide’s César Award for “Best Hotel for Walking in 2025.” This prestigious accolade recognizes the hotel’s exceptional commitment to providing outstanding experiences for walking enthusiasts.

Nestled in the picturesque market town of Bishops Castle, the Castle Hotel serves as an ideal base for exploring the natural beauty of Shropshire. The surrounding area boasts a variety of walking trails that cater to different skill levels, offering guests the opportunity to immerse themselves in the serene landscapes of the region.

In celebration of their César Award, the Castle Hotel has introduced special packages tailored for walkers. These packages include guided walks, detailed maps, and recommendations for local routes, ensuring guests can fully enjoy the scenic countryside. After a day of exploration, visitors can relax in the hotel’s comfortable accommodations and savor delicious meals prepared with locally sourced ingredients.

The Good Hotel Guide’s César Awards are esteemed accolades in the hospitality industry, highlighting establishments that consistently deliver exceptional service and unique experiences. The Castle Hotel’s recognition as the “Best Hotel for Walking in 2025” underscores its dedication to promoting outdoor activities and providing guests with memorable stays amidst the natural beauty of Shropshire.

A Variety of walking routes suitable for all levels.

Planning Your Walk

Visitor Information: The Town Hall in Bishop’s Castle serves as the Visitor Information Centre, offering maps and guides.
Online Resources: Websites like Shropshire Great Outdoors and Walking in England provide downloadable maps and user reviews.
Slow Ways Network: Connects Bishop’s Castle to neighbouring towns via verified walking routes.

Before setting out, ensure you have the appropriate maps and check the weather conditions.

Whether you’re seeking a gentle walk or a challenging hike, Bishop’s Castle offers a range of options to suit your preferences. If you have specific interests or need further information, feel free to ask!

Find Out More

1. Stunning Scenery

Located in the Shropshire Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), the area offers rolling hills, patchwork fields, and breathtaking views—perfect for photographers, nature lovers, or anyone craving peace and space.

2. Peaceful, Unspoiled Landscape

Unlike more tourist-heavy areas, Bishop’s Castle remains a tranquil place to walk. You’ll often find yourself alone on the trail, immersed in nature and history without crowds.

3. Rich History and Culture

From ancient drovers’ roads and castles to local legends and Offa’s Dyke, the area is steeped in history. Walking lets you explore old lanes, quaint villages, and historic buildings firsthand.

4. Local Charm

The town itself is vibrant and quirky, with independent shops, local pubs (including two breweries), and community events. It’s a lovely place to rest after a day’s walk.

5. Variety of Routes

Whether you’re after a short countryside loop or a multi-day challenge, there’s a route for you—many well-marked and supported by local guides and maps.

6. Short Walks Around Town

For leisurely strolls:

The Wintles Hillside Walk: A gentle loop starting from the town center, offering scenic views and passing through The Pines path.
Short Walks Leaflet: Provides several easy routes around Bishop’s Castle, ideal for a relaxed exploration.

Moderate to Challenging Routes

For more adventurous hikes:

Bishop’s Castle to Clun: A 10-mile route along ancient drovers’ paths and Offa’s Dyke, offering panoramic views and historical sites.
Blakeridge Wood Loop: An 11 km trail through woodlands and open countryside, suitable for moderate hikers.
Bishop’s Castle Ring Circular Walk: A 60-mile loop divided into stages, showcasing the diverse landscapes around the town.

These routes provide a deeper immersion into the natural beauty and history of the area.

The Bishops Castle Annual Walking Festival

The Shropshire Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is recognised as one of Britain’s finest landscapes. With hundreds of miles of public footpaths, the countryside around Bishop’s Castle is a walker’s dream. Our Festival offers nine days of guided walks – and some tough unguided challenge walking. With the Shropshire Way, Offa’s Dyke and the Kerry Ridgeway all at hand and featuring in our program, there’s a lot of choice from wide, open hilltops to narrow, winding valleys, and fantastic views.

Bishop’s Castle is a friendly and welcoming market town with two breweries, six pubs, interesting independent shops and a well-established program of festivals, music and arts.

For full details of our Festival visit: Bishops Castle Walking Festival

The Shropshire Way

When we say you can walk out onto The Shropshire way right from the Castle Hotel door step, we really mean it. The moment you step off the hotel front door steps you are on The Shropshire Way.

The Shropshire Way Main Route is a long distance path of some 200 miles, covering not only the wonderful Shropshire Hills in the South but also some of the historic towns and unique natural features in the North of the county.

The Southern Main Route of the Shropshire Way follows much of the original path as conceived by Ramblers in 1980. The path links Shrewsbury with the historic towns and villages of Bishop’s Castle, Clun, Ludlow, Much Wenlock, Ironbridge and Wellington.
Walking the Shropshire Way will reveal to you some of England’s best kept secrets. You will discover the stark rocky crags of the Stiperstones with its unique landscape. Walking through ancient hill forts, Mediaeval towns and villages, wander through beautiful woodland and climb many a hill for a spectacular views.

Whether it’s a short break or a walking holiday Shropshire is a treasure chest of interest and delight.

The Shropshire Way from Bridges to Bishop’s Castle will take you along paths and lanes travelled for thousands of years. This stage of the route is distinguished by rugged moorland and rough pastures providing panoramic views of the renowned Shropshire Hills.

For more details visit here:

https://shropshireway.org.uk/

Offa’s Dyke

The Castle Hotel is located just a few short miles from Offa’s Dyke. Just pop along the intersecting Kerry Ridgeway and down into Bishop’s Castle. It is an ideal landing spot for enjoying a break away to explore Offa’s Dyke and its surrounding borderlands and unspoilt countryside in Shropshire.

Bishops Castle itself is a tiny vibrant Market Town on the Welsh/English border and is a perfect stop over in this wonderful corner of England. The Castle Hotel is a unique 300 year old historic coaching Inn and has access top some of the best walking trails and areas in the land. Including The Kerry Ridgeway, The Shropshire Way, Offa’s Dyke, The Stiper Stones, The Long Mynd, Cordon Hill and The Clun valley are all available right from the hotel front door steps.

For more details visit here:

https://shropshireway.org.uk/

Carding Mill Valley – National Trust

Carding Mill Valley is a National Trust owned 2000 hectare valley and upper moor land area with expectational views out over The Shropshire Hills and surrounding borderlands. It is an extremely important environment for local wildlife, ecology and geology.

With many miles of paths, trails and open land for walking and cycling it is a very popular tourist destination. There is a wonderful cafe and information centre on the Church Stretton side with access to streams, lakes and waterfalls. The reservoir also provides an excellent wild swimming spot.

Semi wild ponies graze on the steep banks of the valley which gradually transform you in to a huge area of unspoilt upper moorlands with spectacular panoramic views.

Large car parking is free with a national trust membership card. Visit their website here

The Kerry Ridgeway – Bishop’s Castle to Newtown ancient drovers trail

The Kerry Ridgeway is one of the oldest routes in Wales and was used by drovers to drive livestock out of Wales into England. As the name suggests it maintains high ground for its duration offering wonderful views over the surrounding border countryside as it links Powys with Shropshire.

This ancient path is 15 miles long, journeying from Cider House Farm, near the village of Kerry to Bishop’s Castle in England. It holds a long tradition as a trade and drovers’ route from Wales to the lowland English markets.

The route follows a ridgetop overlooking Wales on the one side and England on the other. It never dips below 1000 feet above sea level, resulting in remarkable views in all directions, up to 70 miles on a clear day.

The ancient pathway forges a route through heather moors, woodlands and bilberry rich heaths.

Corndon Hill & Mitchel’s Fold

Take a short drive from Bishops Castle (10 minutes) and head to Corndon Hill, the tallest and most imposing hill in this little corner of English borderland.

Park at Mitchell’s Fold, an ancient and mysterious stone circle (read more here) with its local legend: It is said that during a time of famine, a fairy gave a magic cow that provided an endless supply of milk. One night an evil witch milked her into a sieve. When the cow realised the trick, she disappeared. The witch was turned to stone and a circle of stones was erected around her, to ensure that she could not escape.

Walks of all lengths can be made from this area but we recommend heading up the short, direct and steep route up to the top of Corndon Hill to take in the full panoramic views out over both England and Wales.

Address: Priest Weston, Montgomery, Shropshire, SY15 6DE

Walker Friendly Information

Overnight clothes drying facility available. External hose and brushes to clean boots at front right hand side of the hotel and boot brushes available at rear entry of hotel. (Ask a member of staff for details.)

Packed lunch & early breakfast available if ordered the night before. Country side code available from behind reception.

Please ask a member of staff to recommended any other Walker friendly/Walkers are Welcome accommodation for the next leg of your journey along well known long distance walking routes in the area.

All up to date weather information is printed each morning on the “breakfast” sheets which are provided every morning, and long distance weather forecast can be found at www.ukweather.com A large number of walking routes, guided walks, OS maps, bus timetables, taxi numbers, walking leaflets and other useful information is provided at the information point in front of reception.

The nearest outdoor clothing shop is located 1200m at the bottom of the high street on the right hand side. Gwyther & Son; 33 Church Street, Bishops Castle, Shropshire, SY9 5AD. Tel:01588 638 273 The nearest all night chemist is located at Tesco in Welshpool. The nearest tourist information point is based at Bishops Castle Town Hall www.bishopscastletownhall.co.uk on Bishops Castle High Street about 50m down the hill on the right hand side. Telephone: 01588 630023. Open 10am – 4pm, Monday to Saturday.

“Highly recommended by friends the Hotel did not disappoint. charming and helpful staff, delicious food and drink and comfortable room made this a very pleasant overnight stay on our Journey.”

A. Person — Trip Advisor

This is a wonderful place to enjoy if you’re in Bishop’s Castle. We called in for coffee and cake on the Saturday and returned for Sunday lunch the next day. Fantastic service, excellent food and drink and a really nice atmosphere.

Keith G
1 August 2026
We had 2 specifications a walk in shower and a large bed bigger than a double! The Castle Hotel could meet both requirements! The room was large and well ventilated ,it was very hot, not anyone s fault. What there was an outside seating area close to our room.
The hotel is very dog friendly which we didn t mind but may not suit everyone.
The hotel is very old, lots of changes of level and very atmospheric. The Dining Room has wooden panelling , I expected Mrs Bennett to appear.
The cooking is excellent . We drank excellent local wine from the nearby winery, local beer was available. I suspect the ice cream was also local.
A daily what s on sheet was provided at breakfast , a nice touch to encourage local visits.

ahs1956
1 August 2026
The Castle Hotel is a very well managed hotel. Staff are well trained (and really pleasant and helpful) and everything was very efficient. This was a one night stay as we were cycle touring ; our bikes were safely stored and we were upgraded to a better room which was spacious and comfortable and really tastefully decorated. The only minor disadvantage was the proximity of the Town Hall clock which strikes every 15 minutes night and day - we had to close the window. The food in the restaurant is good, and well
priced, although for us the portions were too large. Breakfast was fine. Check in and checkout times are generous (3pm and 11am respectively) The garden is a very pretty and relaxing space and there is a guest terrace.
We would have no hesitation in returning.

Dajtrav
1 August 2026