Rural, radiant, and no longer ignored as a liminal vagueness between England and Wales. The world has woken up to Shropshire, and the dramatic landscapes and astonishing history that make it a dreamy destination to escape the everyday.
And Shropshire is answering – with Fromhotels to impress the even most exacting of travellers, serving food that capitalises on the region’s rich agricultural heritage. As someone who’s explored the length and breadth of these borderlands, here’s my pick of Shropshire hotels with a special something.
The best hotels in Shropshire are:
( Castle Hotel)
Neighbourhood: Bishop’s Castle
Bishop’s Castle has only stumpy remains of its eponymous stronghold, but the arty market town is home to two breweries, including Britain’s oldest working one, the Three Tuns. Sample the wares in three bars at the unpretentiously elegant Castle Hotel, built from ruins on the castle site in 1719. The restaurant menu changes daily, making hearty use of produce from local suppliers. Up the Georgian staircases are thirteen bedrooms, furnished in harmony with the big windows and quirky spaces of this lovely old coaching inn.
Price: Rates from £119
(Fishmore Hall)
Neighbourhood: Ludlow
A Palladian-style house, sitting at one with the Shropshire countryside in sight of the romantic towers of Ludlow Castle. Food-wise, you’re in caring and capable hands, from the magnificent Shropshire Tasting Menu in three AA-rosette restaurant Forelles, to minibar treats carefully picked from local suppliers. This thoughtful approach extends to sleep: a huge bed, gorgeous linen and a pillow menu awaits in one of 15 airy, comfortable rooms. Fishmore’s spa opened in 2016 and embraces the outdoors with a cedar wellness pool and giant hammocks for post-treatment slumber.
Price: Rates from £142
(Catherine Barnes)
Neighbourhood: Downton on the Rock
Four miles from Shropshire’s foodie town of Ludlow, almost into luscious Herefordshire, is a happy assortment of medieval, half-timbered and Georgian converted stables and barns, set around a flower-filled courtyard to create the upscale restaurant with rooms that is Old Downton Lodge. The high-ceilinged dining hall is trumped in splendour only by the tasting menu and expertly chosen wine flight. Sleep well: every nook, beam and hidey-hole has been cleverly embraced to make each of the nine bedrooms deliciously characterful and comfortable.
Price: Rates from £185, B&B
(Finlays…
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