Walking holidays in the Shropshire Hills
It’s easy to see why the Shropshire Hills have been awarded National Landscape status. Walk for any length of time here and you’ll encounter ruined castles folded into the hillsides, rare wildlife roaming the upland heaths, and a selection of charming market towns and villages perched on the River Severn.
Take on the Stretton Hills
Our Shropshire walking holidays tick-off some of England’s most photographed spots. Top of the list in the scenery stakes is Shropshire’s favourite walking trilogy, The Three Stretton Hills – a trail that lets you conquer a trio of peaks in a single day.
The ascent up Ragleth Hill is all bracken-lined tracks and broad, grassy paths that open out above charming Church Stretton. Hope Bowdler Hill enjoys north-south views across the county and puts Caer Caradoc in sight – the final instalment of this blockbuster walking route.
Like a balcony built by nature, this shapely hill provides knockout views over the Carding Mill Valley and the Long Mynd – a heather-clad plateau that’s been home to grazing ponies and bleating sheep for centuries. You’ll also find the outline of an Iron Age fort said to be the site of King Caractacus’ last stand against the Roman Empire and their conquest of ancient Britain.
Head deep into the Marches
The rocky, mineral-rich landscapes of the Marches helped make it a powerhouse of Britain’s mining industry. Our walks will take you through a roughhewn region steeped in mining history that still bears the scars of being the Industrial Revolution’s engine room.
Dig deep into the past at the Bog Visitor Centre – a former mining village turned heritage museum – and see how this part of Shropshire was shaped by miners with a trek along the quartz ridges of Stiperstones hill.
And don’t miss Mitchell’s Fold, a Bronze Age stone circle where local legend says King Arthur pulled the sword from the stone.
Spend time in Shropshire’s towns and villages
While the walks here steal all the limelight, Shropshire’s chocolate-box market towns are equally visit-worthy.
Boasting a mighty namesake bridge that spans the River Severn, Ironbridge sits in the UNESCO-listed Ironbridge Gorge – birthplace of the Industrial Revolution. It’s got a cluster of museums to check out and riverbanks for strolling along.
Elsewhere, castle-crowned Ludlow’s good looks are matched by its old-world charm, and Church Stretton’s traditional timber-framed tearooms and pubs welcome you in after a long day’s walking.
