Seems like pretty much every week there is some new outcry about some under appreciated corner of the UK, some gorgeous part of our green and pleasant land that is just gagging to be discovered by holidaymakers. Sigh. It’s most irksome. What makes it even more irksome, is that I am now going to add to the list.
By banging on, in rather glowing terms, about the half hidden, blue remembered hills of Shropshire. I do apologise, dear reader. But some things just can’t be helped. It really is rather gorgeous up there.
If you’re wondering why I’m so in love with Shropshire right now, allow me to explain. This quiet and unassuming corner of the land, snuggled down softly between the north, the midlands and wales is very much a thing of beauty all of it’s very own. Every time I go there, I am struck by just how adorable the place looks, feels, and actually is. It probably helps that it’s pretty quiet up there too.
Now obviously, other corners are quiet, Pembrokeshire springs to mind. But as well as being quiet, they also tend to be a bit empty, when it comes to some of the things one looks for in a holiday destination, like cute towns, villages and shops to explore.
But that’s not the case in Shropshire. Not at all. Once you arrive, you can’t move around for more than five minutes without stumbling across some gem of a village, town or marketplace. Each and every one full to the brim with boutique shops, charming cafes and awesome architecture.
Getting There
If you are travelling from the southwest, as we were, my advice is to jump on the M5, head north until you get up to around Gloucester and then cleave off, roaming wild and free cross country.
It isn’t the shortest route, or the quickest way to get there, but it’s a delightful drive. You get to see lots of lovely stuff along the way, which is surely all part and parcel of a lovely little holiday adventure, isn’t it?
Shropshire
One of the many things I enjoy about Shropshire is that you can never really be sure when you get there. The way we went took us through Herefordshire for a while, until the road signs changed into Welsh, only for us to turn a corner and suddenly find ourselves back in England once again.
All this only a mile away from our destination. All most exciting.
Marrington Escapes
We were staying at Marrington Escapes, a top notch collection of farmhouses, mills, cottages and assorted buildings on Marrington estate. All of which have been turned into extremely upmarket holiday accommodation.
The estate itself, which envelopes all these properties, is pretty enormous. With fields full of gently grazing cows, hillsides covered by trees and, running through it all like a thread of woven silk, is the River Camlad.
There is even a walk along it’s length, just right for an adventurous soul with a pair of walking shoes and an interest in admiring the natural world up close.
Marrington Lodge
Our home for the holiday was Marrington Lodge. As the name suggests, it used to be the gateway lodge into the estate, but now has been transformed into a dog friendly, three double bedroom, ultra modern, clean and sparkly pleasure dome. Very nice it is too.
The interior decor was awash with expensive looking fixtures and fittings that could easily have been taken from a rather posh, multi million pound show home.
The dining room had an enormous clock on one wall, overlooking an equally grand table complete with a set of six gold velvet dining chairs, that allowed you to twist and turn to your hearts content.
Looked like the perfect spot for a bunch of James Bond baddies to plot the overthrow of the world. I loved it.
The living room had another giant clock, along with a feature mirror, telly on a tripod and enough acreage of squishy sofas for an army to lay back, close their eyes and snooze away the days in complete comfort. Another big tick from yours truly.
There was a woodburner too. Just right if you fancied snuggling up close and cosy with your nearest and dearest. When we were there, the central heating did such a good job of keeping things toasty, we never got a chance to light a fire. Sigh.
The kitchen was another delight, as were the two bathrooms, one upstairs, one down. Opposite the downstairs bathroom, hidden away behind an unassuming door was a garage space, filled with (of all things) a fussball table.
Sigh. Wish I’d known it was there, would have brought along some of my fussball crazy mates to enjoy a tournament before heading outside to hangout in the piece de resistance, the cherry on the top of the cake.
Hot Tub
I’m talking, of course, about the wonderful wooden hot tub that sat outside the living room door, on the patio next to the fire pit.
To my mind, there really is nothing nicer than ending the day, sitting back in a big, bubblicious bath of steaming hot water, staring up at a starlit sky, wondering why the world is such a wonderful place to be. Which is exactly what we did at the end of every single day of our stay.
Places To Visit Nearby
Chirbury
If you ever get round to leaving the estate, it’s only two minutes drive to Chirbury, the local village. With a 12th century church, bunch of beautiful red barns and a well stocked village stores / cafe. We went there for essential supplies of food and drink. Was really handy to have such a pleasant, old style, village shop on the doorstep. Another monstrously big tick.
Montgomery
A six minute drive from our front door took us to Montgomery. Which is in Montgomeryshire, which is in Wales, obviously. It’s a pinch me perfect little place.
With a couple of cafes, a brace of pubs and plenty of cute buildings to look at whilst you wander around.
Kerryvale Vineyard
We passed a few vineyards on the drive up, presumably something to do with the local climate. Since the local village shop in Chirbury stocked a selection of wines from KerryVale vineyard, we decided to pop over and have a look around.
The vineyard, built on ancient Roman remains, was a modest little affair, a mere 5 acres of assorted vines. But apparently, if you wander up and down each individual row, you’ll cover 8 miles. There was a cafe with a shop and tasting room, which meant we got to try out some of their produce.
After enjoying a few trial sips, we bought a bottle of Shropshire Lady, a lovely dry white wine, along with a bottle of sparkling red, which was definitely a first for my tastebuds.
Bishops Castle
Another first for my tastebuds came the next day, when we took the short drive down to Bishops Castle. It’s a pretty little market town, with a High Street that snakes uphill, filled on both sides with a fascinating collection of weird and wonderful shops.
At the very tiptop of the hill, is The Castle Hotel. A magnificent old pub, built on the site of the old Bishops Castle. More importantly, they do great food, the menu is full of honest and hearty pub grub favourites like fish’n’chips, roast chicken and burgers, along with a few pleasant surprises, like seabass or crispy beef salad.
But what stole my soul away was the dish of faggots, mash and gravy on offer. It’s my favourite meal, and it was done to perfection. Really superb stuff.
Best I’ve ever eaten in a pub. I reckon it’s worth a visit to this charming little town just to have lunch in this friendly place. Definitely recommended.
Conclusion
Exploring this quiet little corner of Shropshire was fab. It’s like wandering over one enormous great picture postcard laid out over the landscape, with lots to look at and enjoy. Marrington Lodge was a perfect escape and place to discover the area from.
If you are ever in the mood for some seriously sweet staycation action, Shropshire has got the lot!
FAQ’s
How Many properties are there at Marrington Escapes?
Marrington Escapes has 8 properties. Sleeping from two to 14.
How much does it cost to stay?
Stays at Marrington Lodge start from £188 per night for up to 6 sharing.