Places To Visit

Places To Visit in Shropshire

Shrewsbury

Lying within a giant loop of the River Severn and guarded by its castle, Shrewsbury has been called England’s finest Tudor town, and is certainly one of the top places to visit in Shropshire. Black and white buildings are everywhere, as are the ancient “shuts” or passageways which connect them. There are no less than 660 listed buildings in the town.

If you want to stay in a hotel near Shrewsbury , the beautiful county town of Shropshire is less than half an hour from Bishops Castle and you can easily stay at The Castle Hotel and visit it from there

Shrewsbury Museum houses a collection of artefacts from the nearby Roman city of Wroxeter (open to the public), now considered by many historians to be the true site of Arthur’s Camelot. Shrewsbury has a superb abbey and the town has excellent shopping facilities and good parking. You will find a huge variety of shops in Shrewsbury – as well as all the usual high street names, there is an amazing range of unique independent retailers.

Shrewsbury most famous son was a Charles Darwin and there are many exhibitions and events devoted to his works on evolution. You may also choose to relax in beautiful Quarry Park, where the famous Shrewsbury Flower Show is held, or take a boat trip on the River Severn.

To explore Shrewsbury and the surrounding River Severn we highly recommed a Sabrina Boat Tour: “The popular 45-minute cruise departs from Victoria Quay near the Welsh Bridge, gently sails to the English Bridge, and returns back to where you boarded for the end of the trip. We run 7 days a week, 7 trips a day on the hour from 10am with 4pm being the last trip of the day”. Click here to visit their website and to book tickets.

For all your Shrewsbury information needs please visit www.originalshrewsbury.co.uk

You may also choose to relax in beautiful Quarry Park, where the famous Shrewsbury Flower Show is held, or take a boat trip on the River Severn.

Each year a number of major festivals and special events are held:-

June sees one of the country’s top agricultural shows – the West Mid Show.

The annual Arts Festival Shrewsbury Summer Season offers a series of music, visual arts and theatre events running from June through until August.

August bank holiday sees the Shrewsbury Folk Festival, one of the UK’s top folk events.

The town also honours our most famous “son” by organising an annual Darwin Festival in February.

Ludlow

The ancient town of Ludlow is within easy reach of Bishops Castle, and at one stage boosted more Michelin stars than London! The Market town and its castle sit on the steep banks of the River Teme and the streets of the medieval walled town slope downward to the water’s edge. This is perhaps one of Britain’s best-preserved medieval towns and The Bull Ring in the town centre was once the site of bull baiting events in the Middle Ages. With nearly 500 listed buildings including some fine examples of medieval and Tudor-style half-timbered buildings Ludlow paints a striking picture and is well worth a day’s exploring.

If you don’t actually want to stay in Ludlow itself, the town is within easy reach of Bishops Castle, (25 minutes) and you can easily stay at The Castle Hotel and visit this lovely and ancient town at your leisure.

Ludlow and its Castle sit on the steep banks of the River Teme and the streets of the medieval walled town slope downward to the waters edge. This is perhaps one of Britain’s best-preserved medieval towns and The Bull Ring in the town centre was once the site of bull baiting events in the Middle Ages. With nearly 500 listed buildings including some fine examples of medieval and Tudor-style half-timbered buildings, Ludlow paints a striking picture and is well worth a days exploring.

There are antique shops to browse in and walks along the River Teme. The town host several events including the famous Ludlow Food Festival and the Ludlow Food Centre. The churchyard contains the ashes of A E Housman (poet and author of “A Shropshire Lad”).

Ludlow Castle has been described as “the epitome of what a castle ought to be“. Ludlow Castle still plays a vital part today as a venue for festivals and events and open air theatre. The Ludlow Food & Drink Festival is held every September, Ludlow Fringe Festival is held in June/July attracting performers from all over the world. In November the Medieval Christmas Fair is held locally.

One of Ludlow’s strengths is its wide and varied range of shops, mostly independently owned, including traditional family businesses where shopping for food, clothing, ironmongery, gifts, antiques, books and many specialist products is an enjoyable experience. There are also plenty of bookshops, antique shops, art galleries and craft shops that are well worth a visit.

Wales

Wales and the Welsh mountains are just three miles away, and as you head west from Bishops Castle, which is in the Welsh Borders near Welshpool, the character of the country becomes increasingly mountainous. The Castle Hotel is an ideal place from which to start exploring the Welsh countryside.

The opportunities for hill walkers are endless. Many of our guests will visit Lake Vyrnwy and at least one of the castles nearby such as Powis Castle (National Trust) and Montgomery Castle, which both formed part of a chain of Welsh border fortifications. Powis Castle now houses the magnificent Clive of India treasures and has one of Prince Charles’ favourite gardens(and ours). Montgomery Castle was built in 1223 by Henry the third, and sacked and burned in 1402 by the Welsh forces of Owain Glyndwr. But the magnificent remains still stand, and Montgomery is a charming small Welsh market town in itself. Don’t miss Bunners, probably the best and most unmodernised hardware store in the land!

And the hotel itself is built from the remains of the original Bishop of Hereford’s castle, so history is beneath our feet – the hotel was once owned by Clive of India. Some act to follow!

Snowdonia

Snowdonia National Park in Wales is within easy reach for a day-trip, so cross over the border into Wales and explore the beautiful little towns like Betws-y-coed, or tackle one of the high mountains. Highly recommended are Snowdon, Tryfan or Moel Siabod.

Shropshire

Shropshire was recently designated as one of England´s three remaining rural idylls. The delightful scenery of the county depends almost entirely on what lies beneath. For aeons Shropshire was the setting for violent upheaval and, as the land mass slowly moved from south, the mineral rich Stiperstones and the Long Mynd just above Bishops Castle came into being.

Shropshire may be one of the countries quietest counties but don’t be deceived- there’s still plenty of things to do in Shropshire. The county has over 90 places to visit – historic houses and castles with beautiful gardens, the famous Ironbridge Gorge, and several National Trust properties nearby, including Powis Castle and Attingham Hall.

The county town of Shrewsbury is a tourist attraction in itself, with it´s numerous Tudor “black-and-white” buildings and excellent shopping facilities. Nearby Ludlow has been described as England’s finest town, with Michelin gourmet restaurants to match! Bishops Castle itself is an almost perfect little town, with facilities ranging from teashops and art galleries to it’s own proud little hospital. The Castle is an acclaimed Shropshire hotel in the small market town of Bishops Castle, promising comfortable accommodation for the visitor, and is recommended by the Good Hotel Guide.

There is also fabulous walking in Shropshire, especially in the encircling South Shropshire Hills, and Offa´s Dyke is just down the road. The hills around Bishops Castle are a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).

Montgomery

Often described as one of Britain’s most unspoilt towns, Montgomery is well worth a visit, with its mix of timber framed buildings and grand Georgian and Victorian houses. Montgomery grew up around the hill-top castle in the early 13th century. Tea and cake in the Castle Kitchen is always a good decision after a stroll around the town, and don’t forget to make a trip to Bunners, one of the best traditional hardware stores in the land!

Ironbridge

It was here, in the dramatic gorge of the River Severn, that Ironmaster Abraham Derby first perfected the art of smelting iron with coke. The area is the site of ten extraordinary “hands-on” museums telling the story of the industrial revolution and it is now designated a World Heritage Site. Blists Hill is an entire Victorian town recreated here complete with “spit and sawdust” pub, Victorian sweet shops and a working foundry. The Coalport China Museum is also located here. A whole day out!

Welshpool

Welshpool is within easy striking distance. Set in rolling borderland, Welshpool’s major attraction to the visitor is the 13th Century Powis Castle.

You can also visit the Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway – a narrow gauge steam train operating throughout the summer months. It was originally built to take local people to market with their sheep and cattle. It runs on an 8 mile journey from Raven Square and operates between Easter and early October.

“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