With its selection of luxury cottages Shropshire is the ideal location for an indulgent short break. Tucked away on the English and Welsh border yet just over an hour's drive from Birmingham, two from Manchester and three from London, if you love unspoilt countryside, visiting historic towns, experiencing a sense of the past, enjoy good food then Shropshire is for you.
There is such a surprising variety of landscapes in Shropshire, from the rocky hilltops of the Stiperstones and the plateau of the Long Mynd to wetlands of the Meres and Mosses, from the craggy volcanic Stretton Hills and Wrekin to the long wooded scarp of Wenlock Edge, all have their own distinctive beauty.
There is a wealth of historic towns to visit in Shropshire. Its capital, Shrewsbury, almost an island on the River Severn, is one of England's finest medieval market towns. Further downstream is Bridgnorth (pictured above); perched on a cliff above the river, its famous funicular railway links its 'high' and 'low' towns. Much Wenlock is a quintessentially English town at the northern end of Wenlock Edge - and yes one of the 2012 Olympic mascots is named after this sleepy town which has a strong claim to be the home of the modern Olympics.
In the north of the county, the vibrant market town of Oswestry sits between the patchwork plains of Shropshire and the hill country of the Welsh borders, while in the south, Ludlow likes to portray itself as the small town with the large reputation for good food and drink. It's not just at festival time (in September if you're interested) that Ludlow attracts food-lovers. The town has a lively market and several speciality food shops and restaurants.
Ironbridge is situated on the River Severn and is the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution. What happened along this spectacular stretch of the river changed the world and as a result it has been designated a World Heritage Site. Although nature has now softened the landscape and reclaimed her riverbanks, it still seems faintly shocking that so beautiful - so quiet - a county should have given birth to all things industrial in the world. But it was here, within the dramatic gorge of the River Severn, that the great Ironmaster Abraham Darby perfected the secret of smelting iron with cheap and plentiful coke, instead of expensive and less efficient charcoal. Britain, and the world, would never be the same again.
Our luxury holiday cottages in Shropshire offer the perfect base to explore this undiscovered corner of England, offering unexpected delights around every corner. So, if you like the idea of one of our luxury cottages in Shropshire, why not browse my selection to find something that catches your eye?