Live like a local...
1 THE WATERSIDE PUBS
AT ERBISTOCK ON THE RIVER DEE, THE BORDER WITH WALES, THE BOAT (THEBOATAT ERBISTOCK.CO.UK) OFFERS A MENU SHOWCASING LOCAL INGREDIENTS AND ALLOWS DOGS (PICTURED). UP THE HILL, THE CROSS FOXES (BRUNNINGANDPRICE. CO.UK/CROSSFOXES) IS AN 18TH-CENTURY PUB WITH EXPOSED BEAMS, OPEN FIREPLACE AND RIVERSIDE GARDEN.
2 THE PATISSERIE
OSWESTRY (20 MINUTES BY CAR) SEEMS AN UNLIKELY PLACE FOR A PARISIANGRADE PATISSERIE, BUT HERE IT IS AT NICHE PATISSERIE ON SALOP ROAD, WITH PASTRIES BY ADAM CLEAL, Bake Off: The Professionals SEMI-FINALIST.
3 THE FARM SHOPS
NEAR SHREWSBURY, THERE’S BATTLEFIELD 1403 (BATTLEFIELD1403. COM) AND CHURNCOTE (CHURNCOTE.COM). WORTH THE DETOUR ARE MOOR FARM (MOOR FARMSHOP.CO.UK), OUTSIDE BASCHURCH, AND LLYNCLYS HALL (LLYNCLYSHALL.CO.UK), ON THE WAY TO WELSHPOOL.
4 THE LANDMARK
WITH NO HEAD FOR HEIGHTS, I AVOID
THE 126-FOOT-HIGH PONTCYSYLLTE AQUEDUCT (PONTCYSYLLTEAQUEDUCT.CO.UK), BUILT BY THOMAS TELFORD ACROSS THE DEE, BUT IT HAS A FOOTPATH AND IS OPEN TO NARROWBOATS (HIRE FROM BLACKWATER MEADOW AT ELLESMERE, BLACKWATERMEADOW. COM). WALK THE 11-MILE STRETCH OF UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE LLANGOLLEN CANAL WITH PONTCYSYLLTE IN THE MIDDLE (PRONOUNCED PONT-KER-SULTH-TAY).
5 THE CASTLES
NEARBY WHITTINGTON STILL HAS THE ROUNDTOWERED OUTER BAILEY OF ITS 12TH-CENTURY CASTLE (WHITTINGTON CASTLE.CO.UK). THERE’S A MOAT WITH SWANS, A CAFÉ AND PLANT SALES. THE CASTLE OF DINAS BRÂN, ABOVE LLLANGOLLEN IN WALES, IS IN RUINS BUT MAKES A GREAT FOCUS FOR A WALK, WHILE CHIRK (NATIONALTRUST.ORG.UK/ CHIRK-CASTLE) IS A TEXTBOOK MEDIEVAL FORTRESS AND WORTH A VISIT FOR ITS BEAUTIFUL PARKLAND ALONE.
6 THE AUCTION HOUSE
TREVANION AUCTIONEERS & VALUERS (TREVANION.COM) IS RUN BY TV ANTIQUES EXPERT CHRISTINA TREVANION IN WHITCHURCH (20 MINUTES BY CAR). THE MONTHLY AUCTIONS WELCOME BOTH BUYERS AND BROWSERS.