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ESSENTIALS ~ TRANSPORT ~ DESTINATION GUIDES ~ HOSTEL REVIEWS ~ FORUMS |
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Destinations > England > Heart of England > Shropshire
ShropshireLocated between the West Midlands and Wales, Shropshire bills itself as the "nicest of England's quiet counties". Its main attractions include the quaint towns of Ludlow and Shrewsbury. LudlowThis 900-year-old Norman town boasts an 11th century castle and over 500 Georgian and half-timbered Tudor heritage buildings. Practical InformationLudlow Tourist Information CentreCastle Street, LudlowTel (01584) 875053 Website www.ludlow.org.uk Open Jan-Mar Mon-Sat 10am-5pm; Apr-Oct Mon-Sat 10am-5pm, Sun 10.30am-5pm; Nov-Dec Mon-Sat 10am-5pm Coming & GoingThe train is the best way to get to Ludlow. Arriva Trains Wales (website www.arrivatrainswales.co.uk) stops in Ludlow en route between Cardiff and Crewe. There are direct services to Shrewsbury, Hereford and Abergavenny. Change at Crewe for trains to Chester and Manchester and at Shrewsbury for trains to Aberystwyth and Birmingham (New Street). SightsLudlow CastleThis 900-year-old castle has a long history that spans Norman, Medieval and Tudor periods. It was involved in the War of the Roses before becoming a royal palace and the seat of government for Wales and the Border Counties. Tel (01584) 873355Website www.ludlowcastle.com Admission £3.50 Open Jan Sat-Sun 10am-4pm; Feb-Mar 10am-4pm daily; Apr-Jul 10am-5pm daily; Aug 10am-7pm daily; Sep 10am-5pm daily; Oct-Dec 10am-4pm daily ShrewsburyThis lovely town boasts a Norman castle but is best known for its Jacobean and Tudor-style buildings that grace its streetscapes. Practical InformationShrewsbury Tourist Information CentreThe Music Hall, The Square, ShrewsburyTel (01743) 281200 Website www.visitshrewsbury.com Open summer Mon-Sat 9.30am-5.30pm, Sun 10am-4pm; winter Mon-Sat 10am-5pm Coming & GoingBUSNational Express (tel 0870 580 8080; website www.nationalexpress.co.uk) buses go from Shrewsbury to Birmingham and London. TRAINThe train station on Castle Street has trains to Aberystwyth, Birmingham (New Street), Cardiff, Crewe, Hereford and Ludlow. Local TransportArriva (website www.arriva.co.uk) runs Shrewsbury's local buses. A one-day ticket good for unlimited travel on Arriva buses costs £3. For £3.75 you can buy a day ticket valid on all Arriva buses in the Midlands allowing you to travel as far as Derby or Leicester. SightsShrewsbury Castle & the Shropshire Regimental MuseumThe castle was originally built in 1066 with many additions made during the following few hundred years. The castle is home to the Shropshire Regimental Museum, which has a collection of uniforms, medals and weapons from the 18th century to the present day. Tel (01743) 358 516Website www.shrewsburymuseums.com Admission £2 (students free) Open 18 Feb-31 Mar Wed-Sat 10am-4pm; Apr-May Tue-Sat 10am-5pm, Sun 10am-4pm; Jun-Sep Mon 10am-4pm, Tue-Sat 10am-5pm, Sun 10am-4pm Shrewsbury Museum & Art GalleryShrewsbury Museum is housed in a 16th century timber-framed building and an adjoining 17th century stone and brick mansion. It features displays on archaeology, natural history, local history and fine art. Barker Street, ShrewsburyTel (01743) 361 196 Website www.shrewsburymuseums.com Admission free Open Jan-Mar Tue-Sat 10am-4pm; Apr-May Tue-Sat 10am-5pm; May-Sep Mon-Sat 10am-5pm, Sun 10am-4pm Ironbridge GorgeThis picturesque valley south of Telford is famed as the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution. Although originally a hive of activity with factories and belching smokestacks, it is now a quiet place with many interesting museums dedicated to the various items that were produced in the gorge. There is no real town centre and Ironbridge Gorge is more a string of small villages clustered in the valley between Coalbrookdale and Coalport. These include Coalbrookdale where you'll find the Enginuity science museum, the Museum of Iron and the Coalbrookdale YHA (groups only); Ironbridge with the Museum of the Gorge and the famous Iron Bridge; Jackfield and the Jackfield Tile Museum; Madeley and Blists Hill Victorian Village and Coalport, which is home to the China Museum, Tar Tunnel and the Coalport YHA. Practical InformationTourist Information CentreThe Wharfage, IronbridgeTel (01952) 884391 Website www.ironbridge.org.uk Open Mon-Fri 9am-5pm, Sat-Sun 10am-5pm Coming & GoingIronbridge is 8km south of Telford and it is a relatively difficult place to get to without a car. The easiest way to get here is to take a train from Birmingham or Shrewsbury to Telford Central and then take a connecting bus to the gorge. Telford Travelink (tel (01952) 200 005) can give you up-to-date information about bus services between Telford and Ironbridge. Local TransportOn weekends there is a shuttle bus (tel (01952) 200 005) that runs between the Ironbridge museums. AccommodationCoalport YHAJohn Rose Building, High Street, Coalport, IronbridgeBus 895/9 Tel (01952) 588 755  
SightsIf you plan on visiting several of the museums your best bet is the passport ticket, which costs £13.25 (£8.75 students) and allows admission to all the museums in Ironbridge Gorge. Blists Hill Victorian TownThis open-air museum features restored cottages, factories and shops depicting life during Victorian times. MadeleyTel (01952) 583 003 Website www.ironbridge.org.uk Admission £8.50 (£5.30 students) Open 10am-5pm daily Clay Tobacco Pipe MuseumThe Broseley Pipeworks closed its doors in 1957 and has now been reopened as museum showcasing 350 years of pipemaking. Church Street, BroseleyWebsite www.ironbridge.org.uk Admission £3.10 (£1.70 students) Open Apr-Oct 1pm-5pm daily Coalport China MuseumLocated next to the Coalport YHA hostel, this former china factory shows how fine bone china was produced and features exhibitions about tableware and changes in dining etiquette. High Street, CoalportWebsite www.ironbridge.org.uk Admission £4.50 (£2.70 students) Open 10am-5pm daily EnginuityThis science museum has interactive exhibits that illustrate the engineering and technology behind the machines that powered the Industrial Revolution. CoalbrookdaleWebsite www.ironbridge.org.uk Admission £5.30 (£3.70 students) Open 10am-5pm daily Iron Bridge & TollhouseIronbridge's namesake is the world's first iron bridge that was cast in 1779 by Abraham Darby III and is still considered a great engineering feat. Website www.ironbridge.org.ukOpen 10am-5pm daily Jackfield Tile MuseumThis former tile factory shows how decorative tiles were produced in the 1870 and 1880s. JackfieldWebsite www.ironbridge.org.uk Admission £4.50 (£2.70 students) Open 10am-5pm daily Museum of the GorgeThis museum in a former warehouse houses a scale model of how the gorge appeared in 1796 and it is a good starting point for exploring Ironbridge Gorge. IronbridgeWebsite www.ironbridge.org.uk Admission £2.20 (£1.15 students) Open 10am-5pm daily Museum of IronThe pioneering Darby family operated a furnace at Coalbrookdale that produced iron that was used by railways and the world's first iron bridge. The adjoining museum features exhibits on the history of iron with displays showing how iron was produced. CoalbrookdaleWebsite www.ironbridge.org.uk Admission £4.50 (£2.70 students); including Darby Houses £5.30 (£3.40 students) Open 10am-5pm daily |
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