Shropshire County Council
Shropshire Council
Chief Executive's Office
Shirehall, Abbey Foregate
Shrewsbury
Shropshire, SY2 6ND

Acton Scott Historic Working Farm Museum

This museum is dedicated to telling the story of the working man in this area of the country, and how lives of ordinary people have changed through history. Filled with interesting pieces of documentation, artefacts and pictures, the museum offers a fascinating social history, which is quite different from the classic top down history that you often receive.

• BISHOPS CASTLE CLICK
• Bishop's Castle Photos
• Images of Bishop's Castle on Shropshire Gallery
• Bishops Castle Group (re proposed power station)
• [http://www.bishopscastlecc.intheteam.com Bishops Castle Cricket Club
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bishop's_Castle
  

Boscobel House & The Royal Oak

Bridgnorth

The Library, Listley Street, Bridgnorth,
Shropshire, WV16 4AW.
Email : Click Here
Open all Year : Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday 9.30am - 5pm In addition April - October Thursday 10am - 1pm and 2pm - 5pm.

The remains of Bridgnoth Castle are set on a cliff by the side of the River Severn. Today the castle is little more than a ruin, comprising of a 70 foot tall, 12th century Norman tower and some other small stonework built in the time of Henry II.The tower leans at an alarming angle of 15 degrees, three times greater than that of the leaning tower of Pisa. This is due to an attempt to blow it up during the Civil War.The castle was founded in 1101 by Robert de Belleme, who is reputed to have been a very nasty character. He tortured men and women and even is reported to have gouged his godson’s eyes out with his bare fingernails. He was the son of the French Earl, Roger de Montgomery, and was also a rich and powerful Norman baron who succeeded his father to become the Earl of Shrewsbury.

The museum at Broseley Pipeworks will make 'Church Wardens' of us all, in the pipe-smoking sense that is. The Broseley Pipeworks were abandoned in 1957 closing the door on 350 years of traditional pipe making skills. The site remained abandoned for many years until it was re-opened in 1996 as a part of the Ironbridge Gorge Museums.  Today visitors will find the traditional tools of the job preserved, lying on benches, just as it would have looked when the workers left and the factory closed all those years ago.  At one time, there were three pipe manufacturers in Broseley, making it one of the largest pipe-making areas in the world.  Broseley is the site of the earliest industrial settlements. The museum here acts as a time capsule, preserving the ancient local industry of making clay pipes and other products.

For over a century Bridgnorth Cliff Railway has been transporting the people of Bridgnorth up and down the 111 ft sandstone cliffs that separate High Town from Low Town and the River Severn. It is first and foremost a working railway; its importance to both the townspeople of Bridgnorth and to visitors to the town is undiminished by age.The railway operates two carriages on parallel tracks. Connected by steel cables, the carriages serve to counterbalance each other - as one rises to the top station, the other runs to the bottom station. The cars are now powered by an electric winding engine, but were originally driven by a system of water balance, each carriage carrying water ballast in a tank beneath the passenger compartment.

Email:-office@bridgnorthcliffrailway.co.uk
BRIDGNORTH CLIFF
RAILWAY CLICK 

Impressive ruins of a Cistercian abbey, including its unusually unaltered 12th-century church, beautiful vaulted and tile-floored chapter house, and recently re-opened crypt chapel. In a wooded Severn-side setting, not far from the Iron Bridge and Wenlock Priory.

• CHURCH STRETTON CLICK

• Church Stretton - Official Town Council website
• Church Stretton - links
• Church Stretton Photos
• Photographs of Church Stretton on Shropshire Gallery
• Annual Arts Festival
• Annual Food Fair
• Extract from A History of the County of Shropshire: Volume 10 (1998)
• Photographs of Church Stretton

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_Stretton

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cleobury_Mortimer

• CLUN CLICK
• Official Local Clun Site
• Clun Green Man Festival
• Clun Photo Gallery

• History of Clun
• Photographs of Clun on Shropshire Gallery
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clun
  

Situated next to the River Clun this dramatic setting is home to the ruins and extensive earthworks of a 13th Century keep, unusually sitting on the side, rather than the top, of its mound. The castle was built as a defence on the Welsh borders and is owned and operated by English Heritage. There are several noticeboards on-site that carry a wealth of information about the history of this area.

Shropshire has a long industrial history that is connected with the iron mining industry. This museum and heritage centre is based on the site of a former mine and once would have been a bustling and dirty place of business where the mineral were extracted. The museum celebrates this rich history that has helped to shape the community into what it is today, and affected the social and political progress of the region for decades.

Coalport China Museum houses vast displays of two centuries of china, and is home to National collections of Caughley and Coalport porcelain (housed in the original riverside buildings), which were made in the factory from 1796 until 1926 when production moved to the neighbouring county of Staffordshire.Coalport was once one of the country's largest porcelain manufacturers, with a worldwide reputation for fine china. Today the award-winning museum includes a range of exhibits tracing the history of the factory and the lives and working conditions of its workforce.In the old workshops, china painting, clay modelling and china flower making take place regularly and pre-booked one-day courses are available, with expert tuition and museum entry for the enjoyment of children and adults of all ages .visitors can purchase examples of all the fine china from the museum shop.  The slip room cafe serves a variety of refreshments and has a seating capacity of 70 people.

• SHROPSHIRE HILLS DISCOVERY CENTRE CLICK
• CRAVEN ARMS CLICK
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Craven_Arms
  

Picturesque working water mill with 38ft. cast iron waterwheel producing wholemeal flour traditionally. Family owned for 200 years. Guided tours for all visitors.Daniels Mill is set in the idyllic Shropshire countryside, deep in a wooded valley crossed by a 19th Century viaduct carrying the Severn Valley Railway to Bridgnorth. Visitors are taken back in time when the mill wheel turns and a steam train crosses the viaduct at the same time. See whats being turned into flour by the heavy millstones in the traditional way used for centuries and experience the sight and sounds of yesteryear.There is also an exhibition of old country tools and domestic bygones with conducted tours for all visitors to the mill. A gift shop is open and 100% wholemeal flour is available for sale, during weekends and Bank Holidays, tea, coffee and scones made from our own flour mill are available to mill visitors. We are situated near the Severn Valley Railway half a mile from the junction of the Highley (B4555) and Cleobury Mortimer (B4363) roads out of Bridgnorth.Organised parties and schools are welcome by prior appointment throughout the year. Evening parties accepted between May and end of August. Please allow up to 2 hours to visit. Reductions for parties numbering 20 and over. Light refreshments available by arrangment. DUE TO STORM DAMAGE DANIELS MILL IS NOW CLOSED. RE-OPENING DATE TO BE ADVISED.

At the Darby Houses you'll gain an insight into the gracious lifestyle of the Darby family.Rosehill House, was one of the homes of the Darby family and their decendents during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries and many of the rooms are lavishly decorated with the original furniture. Adjacent to Rosehill House is Dale House, which includes the original wood-panelled study, where the great Quaker Ironmaster Abraham Darby III finalised his preparations and plans for the construction of the worlds first Iron brige. As you wonder around the Darby Houses, you can read extracts from the personal Darby family papers, giving you further insight into the thoughts of this revolutionary family.

 
Frochas, Welshpool, Shropshire, SY21 9JD
From the junction of the A5/A458 (N) Shrewsbury. Take the A458 to Welshpool turn right on to the A490. Turn left to Dingle nurseries (signposted).
Email:- jill@dinglenurseries.co.uk
DINGLE CLICK  

The National Trust acquired this beautiful late 17th Century mansion in 1978. It houses a fascinating series of collections, including Dutch flower paintings and rare ceramics. Important 20th Century sculptures by Henry Moore and Barbara Hepworth can be found at the property, alongside a collection of Lady Laboucheres childhood clothes. The grounds are a pleasant place for walking and soaking up the historic atmosphere.

Email:-dudmaston@nationaltrust.org.uk
  NATIONAL TRUST CLICK

• Maelor Saesneg - The Clwyd-Powys Archaeological Trust
• Ellesmere Photos
• photos of Ellemere and surrounding area on geograph.org.uk
• Ellesmere castle
• BBC panoramic view of mere
• 'The Romance of Fouk le fitz Warine' an epic tale involving Mellett de Ellesmere
• Ellesmere Carnival
• Ellesmere Cricket Club
• British History online - Knights Hospitallers and the preceptory of Halston
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ellesmere,_Shropshire
  

Enginuity
Enginuity is the tenth in the series of Ironbridge Gorge Museums and opened in 2002 to acclaim and cries of amazement.Enginuity is a design and technology centre that lets you and your family become apprentice engineers for a while. The museum is split into four 'zones' - Materials, Energy, Design, and Systems & Controls where you can find out how everyday objects by looking inside them. You'll use the latest technology to move a simulated x-ray machine over objects such as an electric guitar, a mobile phone and a teddy bear. You'll experiment with gadgets and gizmos used to design things we see and use everyday. This is your opportnity to fulfil a childhood dream and pull a real 5-ton locomotive. You can even control the flow of water to generate electricity or flood the surrounding villages and you pitch your wits against the speed and accuracy of a robotic arm. The museum also holds an array of weird and wonderful activities throughout the year. Previous events have included puppet designing and constructing and launching rocket-propelled witches! At Enginuity you will discover a wealth of innovative ideas, activities and exhibitions to amuse and challenge all visitors who are young-at-heart.

There have been gardens at Hodnet since the 11^th century when the Heber-Percy family constructed their first house in the parkland, their serious development began in 1921 by the late Brigadier Heber-Percy.  Today, the 60+ acres are renowned as amongst the finest in the country.  Forest trees provide a wonderful backdrop for formal gardens planted to give delight during every season, woodland walks amongst flowering shrubs and a daisy chain of ornamental pools. The Restaurant serves light lunches and afternoon teas.

Special Open Days 12 noon to 5 p.m.

Delightful museum illustrating the life of the town. Much of the collection has been donated or loaned to the museum by the local inhabitants and serves to paint a lively picture of life in a thriving Victorian town which has had a market since 1128. There are four display rooms in this very unique early 15th century building and the stewards are all volunteers who enjoy sharing the delight of visitors from far and wide.Because of the nature of the building itself there is very limited access for visitors with mobility difficulties. The two ground floor rooms, for instance, have one step down from street level and two steps up into the second room - so not totally impossible. The two upper rooms are accessed by a staircase.

• IRONBRIDGE & TOLLHOUSE CLICK
• Ironbridge Visitor Guide
• Ironbridge Archaeology

Ironbridge is a World Heritage Site, chosen for its outstanding character and the historic importance its monuments. The ten Ironbridge Gorge Museums tell this revolutionary story. Most famous is the Iron Bridge built by Abraham Darby in 1779. The Museums catalogue the remarkable innovation and invention which followed. The social history of the managers and men of the Industrial Revolution is brought to life through the illustration and demonstration of their labours - most vividly at Blists Hill Victorian Town, set in a 50 acre woodland site, where you can step back in time. The 19th Century ceramic industry also flourished, and original bottle ovens are the backdrop to the China Museum, where the premier collection of Coalport China is exhibited. The original factory at Jackfield houses a kaleidoscopic collection of tiles and art pottery. Both Museums offer 'hands on' workshops. A Museum of Iron, the Broseley Pipeworks and the Tar Tunnel complete your visit to the 'most extraordinary district in the world'. New for 2003 is Enginuity - it opened August last year and is a hands-on Design Technology Centre. Passport Tickets admit you to all ten Museums in your own time.

Lilleshall Abbey

Lilleshall Abbey offers extensive, evocative and remarkably peaceful remains of the abbey church and cloister buildings, surrounded by lawns and ancient yew trees. It was later a Civil War stronghold but much of the church still survives and it is unusually visible from gallery level.

Llanymynech Rocks
Up until the First World War this area had been mined for almost 2,000 years and is now a designated nature reserve. See the old stone tramways from the mining heyday, or simply take in the view across the Shropshire Plains.

A unique opportunity to discover our industrial past. As one of only 3 remaining Hoffman Kilns in the country, this is a nationally significant industrial heritage area. The site forms part of the limeworks landscape, from rock extraction on the high cliffs of Llanymynech Rocks, down the inclined plains through to the kilns and beyond, transporting the finished lime via the Montgomery Canal and Railway.

This area was a major centre of the lime industry until the beginning of the 1900's and retains a number of important features of industrial archaeology. The impressive 39 metre high chimney of the Hoffman Kiln dominates the site and provides visitors with a focal point to a varied site. Short circular walks (30 mins - 2 hrs) take you past impressive lime kilns, through woodland, along canals and disused railways, and across grazed pasture with views of Llanymynech Rocks, a Shropshire Wildlife Trust reserve.

Castle Street, Ludlow, SY8 1AS

• LUDLOW CLICK
• Geograph - photos of Ludlow and surrounding areas

Ludlow Castle
Construction of Ludlow Castle began in the late 11th Century as the border stronghold of one of the Marcher Lords, Roger De Lacy.Early in the 14th Century it was enlarged into a magnificent palace for Roger Mortimer, then the most powerful man in England. Later, in the 15th Century under the ownership of Richard, Duke of York, the Castle was involved in the Wars of the Roses before becoming a royal palace. In 1472 Edward IV sent the Prince of Wales and his brother (later the 'Princes in the Tower' of Shakespeare fame), to live at the Castle, which was also the seat of Government for Wales and the boarder Counties.

Ludlow Racecourse
Tradition has it that in the fourteenth century soldiers from Ludlow Castle came here to match their horses. There is certainly a record of racing in 1729.The course retains not only its Edwardian character but also a strong club atmosphere. Though now a National Hunt course, jumping did not start until the mid-nineteenth century and even today the hurdles track is for a large part separate and follows for 1 mile of the original flat course.

 

Ludlow Racecourse

Bromfield, ,Ludlow, Shropshire SY8 2BT

 Fax: 01584 856217

Email: mail@ludlowracecourse.co.uk

 LUDLOW RACETRACK CLICK 

Tel: 01584 856221

Fax: 01584 856217

• Market Drayton Council
• The Grove School
• Market Drayton Tigers Junior Football Club
• TF9 Online - Community site for the Market Drayton area
• The Phoenix Badminton Club
• The Platinum Needles - a local punk rock group who enjoyed moderate national acclaim in the early 1980s
• Early 80s Drayton Youth Market Drayton Youth Club activities in the early 1980s
• St. Mary's Church
• Market Drayton Methodist Church
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Market_Drayton
  

Moreton Corbett Castle
is a magnificent and unusual, ornate ruin that is, disturbingly atmospheric. It is one of the most exciting places to visit in Shropshire, with the ruins looking like the setting for the most romantic melodrama.Set within the village of Moreton Corbett near Shawbury, the castle at Moreton Toret, as the site was then known, was built by Bartholomew Torret following the Norman conquest in 1066 in the 11th Century.In approximately 1239 the Corbett family acquired Moreton Toret through marriage and built a stone castle on the site.

The Museum of the Gorge provides an excellent introduction to the valley and its attractions. The museum building was originally a somewhat gothic riverside warehouse where the fine porcelain goods from the Coalbrookdale company began there journey to the rest of the world.The museum houses an impressive 40ft scale model of the town, as it was in 1796 and you can use the latest interactive computer technology to discover the environmental effects of the years of industry have had on the Gorge.The Museum of the Gorge is the ideal place to learn about the history of the severn and it offers its visitors hands-on experiences.

Much Wenlock, earlier known simply as "Wenlock" ("White Place") in Celtic ("Gwyn-loc"), is a small town in central Shropshire, England. It lies in the Bridgnorth district, on the A458 road between Shrewsbury and Bridgnorth. Nearby, to the northeast, is the Ironbridge Gorge. The population of the town's parish, according to the 2001 census, is 2605.The town grew around an abbey or monastery founded in 680 by Merewalh, a son of King Penda of Mercia. King Penda installed his daughter Milburga as Abbess in 682. Milburga of Wenlock was credited with many miraculous works. The abbey flourished until around 874 when a Danish Viking attack occurred. In the 11th Century another religious house was built on the same site by Leofric, Earl of Mercia and Countess Godiva his wife. In the twelfth century this was replaced by the Priory a Cluniac priory, established by Roger de Montgomerie after the Norman Conquest, the ruins of which can still be seen and which is now in the hands of English Heritage. It prospered until the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1539.

The Museum, The Square, Much Wenlock, Shropshire, TF13 6HR.
 Email : Click Here
Open : Daily 10.30 - 13.00, 13.30 - 17.00 April - October.

Much Wenlock Priory

Oswestry (pronounced /ˈɒzwəstɹɪ/) is a town and civil parish in Shropshire, England, very close to the Welsh border. It is at the junction of the A5, A483, and A495 roads. The town is the administrative headquarters of the borough of Oswestry and is the third largest town in Shropshire, following Telford and Shrewsbury. The 2001 Census records the population of the town as 16,660, and a 2008 estimate suggests the population has grown to 17,116.The area has long been settled. Old Oswestry is the site of a large Iron Age hill fort with evidence for occupation dating back to the 550s BC. The Battle of Maserfield is thought to have been fought here in 642, between the Anglo-Saxon kings Penda and Oswald. Oswald was killed in this battle and was dismembered; according to a legend, one of his arms was carried to an ash tree by a bird, an eagle, and miracles were subsequently attributed to the tree (as Oswald was considered a saint). Thus it is believed that the name of the site derived from a reference to "Oswald's Tree". The spring Oswald's Well is supposed to have originated where the bird dropped the arm from the tree. Offa's Dyke runs nearby to the west.

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oswestry
  

Oswestry Market

The weekly market in Oswestry was given its charter in 1190, and with over 100 stalls its the largest market in the Welsh borders.The influence of Wales is still strong and as you walk around, you'll hear a distinct fusion of languages. You'll also see it reflected in the unique creativity of the local arts and crafts.Oswestry actually boasts two markets - one in town at the Horse Market & Bailey Head. The other, outside town, is the Oswestry Smithfield livestock auctions. If you fancy fresh farm produce and home-made foodstuff, plus the necessary bargain ofer, you'll enjoy Market Day hugesly.Markets in Oswestry take place on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

 
Cosford, Shifnal, Telford, Shropshire TF11 8UP 

From junction 3 of the M54 take the A41 south towards Wolverhampton.  Follow brown signs to Royal Air Force Museum.
Email:-cosford@rafmuseum.org
RAF COSFORD CLICK 

 
Billingsley  Bridgnorth  Shropshire WV16 6PF

From the juncton of the A5/A458 (S) Shrewsbury take the A458 south towards Bridgnorth. From Bridgnorth take the B4363 south to Billingsley. Pass Billingsley and follow signs to Rays farm.Map
 
Email:- info@raysfarm.com
   RAYS FARM CLICK 

•  SHREWSBURY BUSINESS WEBSITE

• Virtual Shropshire images of Shrewsbury
• Photographs of Shrewsbury
• Grid Photographs of Shrewsbury
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shrewsbury
  

Take a walk in our 25 acres of meadowland. Visit our craft display area where we regularly have different exhibitions. Soak up the geological, historical, archaeological and cultural significance. Beneath the amazing grassy roof is a series of galleries telling the story of the Shropshire Hills, the folk who lived here and the forces which shaped the landscape. Discover the writers, poets and artists who have drawn inspiration from this unique countryside and step inside our simulated hot-air balloon ride for a bird's eye view of those "Blue Remembered Hills".The Secret Hills Discovery Centre in Craven Arms is housed in an extraordinary grass-roofed building designed to echo the hill forts in the surrounding Shropshire countryside. The centre allows the visitor to step inside and discover for themselves just how the Shropshire landscape evolved into what we see today. The exhibition guides the visitor through a geological history of the Shropshire Hills pointing out the key features of the Shropshire landscape. You'll also see the Shropshire Mammoth - surprising perhaps as they haven't walked around Shropshire since the end of the last Ice Age some 13,000 years ago. It is only with modern forensic research that visitors can see exactly what Shropshire looked like when mammoths walked the Shropshire plains.

 
School Road,Craven Arms, Shropshire SY7 9R

Tel:-01588 676000
Email:-secret.hills@shropshire-cc.gov.uk
SHROPSHIRE HILLS DISCOVERY CENTRE CLICK 

Stokesay Castle

We call it “The Story of Drayton”, because that’s exactly what it is.It’s all about the Town.  Everything in the Collection was donated by the people of Market Drayton, used by them, and often manufactured by them.  So the families, lifestyle, events, and stories emerge from all these bits and pieces....  more than 10,000 of them, collected over the course of nearly thirty years.In the Shop we sell the Town - a potted history in five quick chapters, from earliest times to the present.  There’s also the odd diversion and digression.In the House behind we show off our home.... with the trophies on the mantelpiece, china in the dresser, medicine in the bathroom, and so on in kitchen, yard and shed.  Here, as you can imagine, the past often rubs shoulders with the present.The things you can see range from a prehistoric plant stem to a hand-pulled hearse, a bottle collection, horse-drawn seed drill, and Victorian mangles.And you’ll find stories ranging from Clive of India’s Pies to Gingerbread Secrets, the WC War, and Death at the Theatre....  not to mention Arthur Phillips’ vertical take-off aircraft of 1908. At present we’re open all day Wednesday (10.00-16.00), Saturday morning (10.00-13.00), and Sunday afternoon (14.00-17.00), and admission is free.  If you can’t make these times, give us a ring, and we’ll see what we can do.  Our season is normally from April to October.

The Tar tunnel is another remarkable and interesting feature of the Ironbridge Gorge.Located along the banks of the River Severn in the Village of Coalport, the tunnel starts near the foot of the Hay Inclined Plane and runs under the hill for at least 1000 yards.The Tar tunnel was dug from the hillside in 1787 - probably in connection with the nearby coal workings. The miners struck a gushing underground spring of thick, treacle-like natural bitumen that was one of the great curiosities of the eighteenth century and still oozes from the walls today.It was used to treat ropes and for caulking ships however small amounts of the bitumen was processed, bottled and packaged as 'Betton's British Oil'. It was sold as a remedy for 'rheumatic and scorbutic affections'.

Telford (pronunciation (help·info); IPA: /ˈtɛlfɚd/) is a large new town in the borough of Telford and Wrekin and ceremonial county of Shropshire, England, approximately 13 miles (21 km) east of Shrewsbury, and 30 miles (48 km) west of Birmingham.[1] With a population of 138,241 people (2001 census), and a projected population growth within the next 20 years to over 200,000,  Telford is by far the largest town in Shropshire, and one of the fastest growing towns in the United Kingdom.  It is named after Thomas Telford, the famous civil engineer. The town was built in the 1960s and 1970s as a new town on previously industrial and agricultural land. Similarly to other planned towns of the era, Telford was created from the merger of other, smaller settlements, most notably the towns of Wellington, Oakengates, Madeley and Dawley. Telford Shopping Centre, a modern shopping mall, was constructed at the new town's geographical centre, along with an extensive Town Park. The M54 motorway was completed in 1983, connecting the town with the West Midlands conurbation, and vastly improving the transport infrastructure between Telford's component settlements. Telford also incorporates the northern half of Ironbridge Gorge, a scenic tourist destination and UNESCO World Heritage Site. The town advertises itself as "The Birthplace of Industry", due to its proximity to Coalbrookdale, and its own activity during the Industrial Revolution as part of the Shropshire Coalfield. The River Severn flows along its southernmost boundary.

• Official Wem Town Web Site - history, events, information
• Wem Carnival photos
• The Haunting of Wem Town Hall
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wem
  

Weston Park is a house and gardens that is overseen by a charitable foundation. The interior of the house contains a wealth of treasures, ranging from the French Gobelin Tapestries to the Oriental ceramics and royal makers Morel and Hughes. Other exhibits include paintings by masters such as Van Dyck, Gainsborough and John Constable. The grounds offer a fantastic place to walk and enjoy pastoral splendour.

•  WHITCHURCH CLICK
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whitchurch,_Shropshire
  

Whiteladies Priory

Built on the grounds of a medieval nunnery, it was to White Ladies that Charles II then a Prince was first taken, after fleeing from Worcester. He arrived at White Ladies Priory on Thursday 4th September 1651 after riding throughout the night and was admitted by a servant of the house named George Penderel.The name 'White Ladies' refers to the nuns who lived there who wore white (undyed) habits.Whilst the large timber-framed nunnery has now gone, the remains of the nunneries medieval church, and the nineteenth boundary wall of the small graveyard still remain.In 1535 White Ladies Priory was valued at having an annual income of less than £17 and, owing to an Act of Parliament in 1536 it was shut as its annual value was less than the £200 needed to keep the Priory open.The Priory is located close to Boscobel House (which grounds include the famous Royal Oak), which is about a mile up the road, where Charles II briefly stayed.The Priory is also rumoured to be where Queen Guinevere retired to after the death of King Arthur.

Looking at the remains of this once extensive Marches Castle one wonders why this particular site was chosen. In most cases castles had natural defensive features to prevent easy access for attacking forces, such as a river, steep cliffs or deep moat. The highest land in the village, Pen-y-bryn, would have given excellent views towards Offa's Dyke, over which the Welsh raiders frequently invaded English territory. It was protection provided by the treacherous marshlands surrounding the site which was the decisive factor in its choice for the first earthworks and wooden Castle. William Peverel built the Norman Motte and Bailey castle after the demolition of the previous stronghold built at the time of King Offa, probably of wood with a stockade of sharp posts. William Peverel had no male heir so his eldest daughter Mellet inherited the castle. The victor of a tournament for her hand in marriage was Warin de Metz of Lorraine who founded a long line of Fitzwarines. They held the castle until 1420.Much of the remains of the keep which can be reached by climbing the iron circular stairs date from a rebuilding in 1222. The outer gatehouse with two towers had a 42 foot long drawbridge leading to the drier land to the East.During the civil war it was loyal to the Royalists until Oliver Cromwell's Roundheads took it by force in 1643. At the time of Queen Mary II ownership of the castle was granted to Fitz-Alan, Earl of Arundel. Later it was sold to Francis William Albany Esq, a London merchant whose Manor and Estate was Fernhill. When his granddaughter Sarah married Thomas Lloyd Esq of Aston the two estates were united.So to the present time, when the joint owners Mrs A Hamilton-Hill and the Lady Newborough are of the Lloyd lineage.

The Wrekin

Seek the spiritual heart of Shropshire and you’ll find the Wrekin. The Wrekin plays an important role in Shropshire folk-lore. To us it represents home, and we love it.Visitors, pilgrims, honoured guests – we give you the Shropshire toast.The Wrekin is perhaps Shropshire’s best known landmark, a curious legendary hill that, from this way it looks like a mountain, and that way, it crouches low. From the top you can see fifteen counties. It was also the inspiration for Tolkien's Middle Earth in the acclaimed series of books - The Lord of The Rings. Tolkien used to live nearby and drew inspiration from the magnificent Shropshire landscape.It dominates the view of Telford and Ironbridge being 1335 ft tall and who would have guessed that Shropshire folk-lore tells us it was built by a giant who took a dislike to Shrewsbury.The Giant in question was a Welshman who dug a spadeful of soil and planned to dump it into the river severn, flooding the town. However, whilst slogging across the Shropshire hills, this giant lost his bearings and having only got as far as Wellington stopped for a rest. Sitting on the roadside he called out to a passing cobbler trying to find the direction to Shrewsbury. He told the cobbler he was going to flood the town.The cobbler, a quick thinking business man, thought for a moment and realized if the giant flooded Shrewsbury, he’d lose all his customers.The cobbler quickly emptied his sack of worn out shoes onto the roadside and told the giant that he’d worn these shoes out himself coming from Shrewsbury.The giant, thinking better of his plan then decided to forget about Shrewsbury and go home instead. The Giant dumped his spadeful of soil on the roadside, and then scraped his boots clean with his spade.The mound of earth became the Wrekin and the smaller hill where he scraped his boots became the Ercall

Need Someone to Visit Mercia With?

Why stop at booking flights and hotels online?    These days, you can find travel companions too

• Vicky Baker
• guardian.co.uk, Saturday November 15 2008 00.01 GMT
• The Guardian, Saturday November 15 2008

Safety tips from companions2travel

• Do not provide personal contact details or any other personal information until you have corresponded via the site a few times.

• Phone the person before you meet.

• Meet in a public place, possibly accompanied, and let someone else know where you are going and when you expect to be back.

• Use your common sense and your intuition. If you do not feel comfortable about meeting in person when it comes to it, then follow your instincts - don't.

• Consider meeting up as part of a group.

April

• Green Man Festival

May

• 0800 Reverse Boarding Academy
• Arbor Tree Day
• Ludlow Carnival
• Ludlow Green Festival
• Ludlow May Fair
• Marches Transport Festival

June

• Bishops Castle Folk weekend
• Bishops Castle Walking Festival
• Ludlow Fringe Festival
• Much Wenlock Festival
• Shrewsbury Town Carnival
• Shropshire & West Mid Show

July

• Church Stretton & South Shropshire Arts Festival
• International Large Model Aircraft Rally
• Ludlow Festival
• Roman Festival
• Shrewsbury Abbey Summer Fair
• Shrewsbury Green Festival
• Shrewsbury Local Food & Drink Fair
• Shrewsbury Medieval Weekend
• Wenlock Olympian Games

August

• Burwarton Show
• Clun Carnival
• County of Salop Steam Rally
• Farmer Phil's Festival
• Minsterley Show
• Oswestry Show
• Shrewsbury Flower Show
• Shrewsbury Folk Festival
• V Festival

September

• Bishops Castle Michaelmas Fair
• Ludlow Marches Food and Drink Festival
• Shrewsbury Carriage Parade
• Shrewsbury International Street Theatre Festival
• Shrewsbury Real Ale Festival

November

• Bonfire Night
• Ludlow Medieval Christmas Fayre

December

• Christmas & New Year Festival
• Ludlow Festival of Christmas