THE DRIVES OF YOUR LIFE: SHROPSHIRE
Spectacular walks, medieval castles, wild ponies, river-rafting, foodie pubs… just some of the reasons to explore Shropshire, says Susan Ward Davies
Explore the delights of this picturesque county
THE ROUTE Shropshire loop, 243km
‘How did I not know about Shropshire?’ I kept thinking, as I drove around some of the country’s prettiest villages through a landscape of wild moorland, green valleys and lush rolling hills. Sandwiched between Wales, Herefordshire, Worcestershire, Staffordshire and Cheshire, Shropshire is England’s largest inland (and possibly most overlooked) county. In 2016, the Office for National Statistics declared it one of the UK’S happiest places to live, but many people would struggle to find it on a map.
The A49 bisects Shropshire from north to south, making that the obvious route, but there are many scenic detours to enjoy along the way. Start in style at the impressive Hawkstone Hall in Weston, northern Shropshire; then follow a clockwise loop through Wroxeter, Ironbridge (birthplace of the Industrial Revolution), the medieval village of Much Wenlock, over Wenlock Edge to Church Stretton and down to Ludlow.
After Ludlow, retrace your steps back through the villages of Craven Arms and Church Stretton. From here, if you’re brave, take the dramatic – if sometimes hair-raising – drive west up and along the Burway and the Portway over the Long Mynd, 54 square km of moorland, steep valleys and escarpments where wild ponies roam, towards Asterton and Bishop’s Castle. This spectacular, one-car-width track has some alarming sheer drops; don’t attempt it in bad weather, or at busy weekends, as passing other cars can be nerve-shredding. After Bishop’s Castle, stop at the Bog Mine for access to the magnificent Stiperstones Walk, before continuing to Shrewsbury. Then head north to Whitchurch to end the trip at historic Combermere Abbey.