Castles of the Shropshire Marches

Both Clun and Stokesay were delightful places to explore on sunny mornings.

We could never have foreseen that our 50th trip with Inntravel would be in the UK, but it was very enjoyable. We look forward to resuming our walks abroad with you in 2022.

The walks were ideal, the accommodation locations were good. The staff and food at the Castle were excellent, as were the taxi team. The Cliffe was a huge disappointment, both the standard of room and supper although breakfast was good. Equally staff weren't keen to be hospitable.

Ludlow is a great place to amble around as was Bishops Castle with individual interesting shops.

Really beautiful walks and lovely hotels - fabulous food and a very warm welcome. Thoroughly enjoyed a short break and would definitely recommend to anyone looking to explore this area of the country.

We thoroughly enjoyed our Castles of the Shropshire Marches break. The two main walks were challenging for us but we were rewarded with some spectacular views from the higher points. The walking notes were very detailed with lots of interesting information about the area and it's history. Both hotels were great with the food at The Cliffe at Dinham (Ludlow) being a particular highlight.

We can recommend the turmeric, ginger, pine-nut & tahini cake at the Postcard Cafe in Clun (their signature cake). Our meal and the service at The Blue Boar in Ludlow were excellent.

The first day's walk is quite challenging as there is a lot of uphill climbing, though never steep. We are in our late 60s but managed ok. On both of the longer walks there are quite long stretches of walking along lengthy field margins and in one case wading through a maize crop. Bishop's Castle is a lovely town. Of the two hotels we preferred the Cliffe. However the Castle is interesting and the staff hospitable. In Ludlow we ate at Bistro 7, which has a great menu.

Overall we enjoyed the holiday, although on reflection we should have added an extra rest day in Bishop's Castle, between the walks.

A lovely couple of days walking. Paths were well signposted through varied countryside, and the castles were well worth visting. Stokesay Castle in particular was quite magical. Accommodation was excellent throughout.

The variation of the terrain and myriad of stiles, footbridges, gates through fields, tracks, lanes, meadows, streams and woods was marvellous. The wealth of wildlife - birds, horses, fields of sheep, cattle, wild ducks, frogs and toads and the solitude made this a truly memorable holiday.  We loved the fact that some of the pathways had not been used recently and we felt like we had the whole trail to ourselves.

Generally an excellent walking holiday that I really enjoyed.It was marred only by a couple of hiccups in the walks.The instructions were very detailed.The accommodation in The Cliffe at Dinham was disappointing and should be addressed to prevent future customers having the same experience. [Inntravel note: We were sorry to hear that you found the room to be small; we are now recommending that customers upgrade for a more spacious room.]

Bishops Castle and the The Castle Hotel definitely warrant extra time and the hotel garden is utterly delightful.

Excellent hotels are without doubt the highlight of this holiday.

Highlights: Stokesay Castle. Ludlow country walk. All the food provided. Ludlow pubs.

Tips: Wear long trousers and long sleeves for the overgrown paths. 

We really liked the area. Lots to see and do. Bishops Castle is a little gem as so out of space and time. Quirky. Ludlow is an interesting place and a four day break is perfect. Particularly liked Castle Hotel as had a lot of character and great breakfasts. Enjoyed the walks - decent distance and range of countryside and also interesting serious large scale agriculture if you are interested in that area.

A very good introduction to walking in UK after a Covid interrupted year. We were generally impressed by the attention of the hotels to hygiene

We very much enjoyed our holiday. We were interested in exploring places we hadnt been to before and found the Shropshire  countryside beautiful. Ludlow has a fascinating history and your notes enabled us to explore the town and its history in some detail. The food at the Cliffe was a highlight for me! The walks were just about what we expected.

A wonderful short break. Varied walking in beautiful English countryside with two splendid hotels serving excellent food. Shropshire feels deeply rural and remote from urban life. 

After travelling with Inntravel for over 14 years this was our first UK holiday. The quality of the walks, hotels and transfers was to their usual high standards and we will definitely be looking at a UK walk in the spring.

An excellent short break in a part of the country I did not know at all. The background notes on the area were particularly good, I really enjoyed reading about the area before I went and whilst on the holiday. Both hotels were good and I felt very safe.

Both hotels were excellent. You could warn people that if they wish to visit English Heritage sites you should get a visit time on-line beforehand.

The walks are through farmlands and meadows, with plenty of lovely views and historical interest. It can be quite muddy so robust footwear is needed. Locally sourced food is a feature and very welcome.

You need to pre-book online for Stokesay Castle at present and it is best to prebook Ludlow restaurants in advance, although the food is excellent at The Cliffe. The Castle Hotel in Bishop's Castle is full of character, we had a lovely room overlooking the Shropshire hills - very inviting for walking the next day.

We had a good holiday walking in the Shropshire hills. Out of the suggested walks provided by Inntravel the one from Clun to Bishop's Castle was our favourite. The walk from Stokesay Castle to Ludlow was good in parts, through woodland but there was a longish stretch on the road and a lot of plodding along the edge of huge fields. It probably didn't help that it rained for most of the walk. Both hotels were very good although The Castle had a lot more atmosphere than The Cliffe. The food at both was also very good. We'd also recommend The Three Tuns in Bishop's Castle and Bistro No7 in Ludlow. We drove to Shropshire and had a lovely walk at the Stiperstones before going to Bishop's Castle. We also amended our pick up time from The Cliffe to 9:30, picked up our car from Bishop's Castle and then headed to the Carding Mill Valley just outside Church Stretton. The walk we had there was fabulous. I could have almost believed I was in the Alps at points in the walk. The taxi transfers were very good and the driver very helpful.

As usual we found that our pace was a lot slower than suggested for the walks. We had a bit of a moment when one of the routes was blocked by bullocks, and we took a detour above them. There was a lot of mud so we were glad of our walking poles, waterproofs and high boots. Both hotels were in great locations, though the Castle Inn was especially good as the room was spacious and there was a hosepipe to wash our boots. The room in the Cliffe at Dinham was a little small, but I cannot fault the hospitality and the food was outstanding.

We loved the holiday. The hotels and locations are perfect - very comfortable, great food and very good service. The countryside is stunning and the walks cover lots of different terrains.

This was our first UK walk with Inntravel. It was easily up to the standard of the many Inntravel walks we have done on the continent. The organisation and arrangement, as always were first class. The accommodation was excellent, particularly The Castle Hotel in Bishops Castle. We lucked out on the weather and the walking was relaxing and peaceful. Thank you.

Enjoyed the mix of country walking, historic castles and pretty villages. Especially enjoyed visiting Ludlow with its intriguing buildings. Hotels comfortable with very good food at each.

Another wonderful holiday with Inntravel. Shropshire is a beautiful part of the world and the walks were very enjoyable. The hotels were of excellent standard and the food was lovely. I would highly recommend this holiday.

Super walking, fine countryside, & great views, plus it was a treat to start all 3 days with castle visits.  Clun & Stokesay castles were really special, and Ludlow Castle was great to explore, and offered marvelous views over the town. 

An excellent break in a little known part of England (to us at least) - lovely scenery, villages and well chosen hotels. Good opportunities for castle watching as well as plenty of other olde English sites. We were particularly fortunate with the weather but a lovely trip and excellent walking.