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Castles of the Shropshire Marches

Along the border between England and Wales
 
Discover the heart of the Shropshire Marches on this self-guided walking holiday, with luggage transported. Stay in fine hostelries serving real ales and delicious home-made cuisine, and explore dramatic Norman castles and fascinating Saxon hillforts en route.
Castles of the Shropshire Marches. 4 nights
+44 (0)1653 617001 Call now
Castles of the Shropshire Marches. 4 nights
+44 (0)1653 617001 Call now
 

Holiday information

 

A walking holiday in Shropshire

In the heart of the border Marches, Shropshire is an archetypal English county of great historical importance, from the Saxon hillforts and Norman castles built to defend against Welsh incursion, to the rolling hills and winding river valleys that provided the background to the Industrial Revolution. Today all is calm, and this quiet, unspoiled corner of rural England within a stone’s throw of the Welsh border is a fascinating area to explore.
Leaving historic Bishop's Castle, this walk follows ancient drovers’ trails along the ridgeways, or 'cefns' of the border, linking in with sections of the Shropshire Way as you approach the historic market town of Ludlow. You pass through charming unspoiled villages, explore castles and hillforts, and wander across common pastureland that has not been ploughed for centuries.
 

Book now for autumn 2020 or summer 2021

Our flexible booking arrangements, commitment to safety and financial protection mean that you can book with confidence. We are also keeping our prices the same next year, so you can book for summer 2021 at 2020 prices.

What we’re doing so you can book and travel with confidence >
 
Gallery
 

Itinerary

The key to Inntravel holidays is flexibility. You can start on the day of your choice, and are free to add extra nights.
  • The average maximum daytime temperatures and monthly rainfall relate to the nearest weather station and are intended as a guide only.

    You should always be prepared for wet weather, whichever month you are travelling.
    Average temperatures and rainfall
      Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
    °C 6 6 9 12 16 19 20 20 18 14 9 7
    mm 67 52 60 56 62 60 52 72 61 60 65 75
  • Arrival in Bishop's Castle
    Night 1: at The Castle Hotel (the first of two nights here).
    As your first night’s accommodation is on the day of travel, Day 1 is your first day of walking.
  • Linear walk from Bishop's Castle: 16km (10 miles), 5hrs
    Your first walk begins with a short transfer south to the picturesque riverside village of Clun. After visiting the ruined castle, once an important border fortress, continue east to one of the finest hillforts in England, Bury Ditches. Soak in the spectacular views from the top before making your way back to Bishop's Castle through this unspoiled border country of quiet valleys, shady copses and fertile common land.
    Linear walk from Bishop's Castle: 16km
    Around Bishop's Castle, approaching Bury Ditches
  • Bishop's Castle to Ludlow: 15km (9.5 miles), 5hrs
    Leaving Bishop’s Castle behind, you are transferred to the 13th-century Stokesay Castle, arguably the best fortified manor house in the country. Take time to explore its halls, tower and moat before continuing on foot along the Shropshire Way, passing through gentle and undulating countryside as well as the tiny hamlet of Bromfield, whose unassuming Norman church boasts a remarkable painted ceiling, before crossing Oakly Park and the River Teme to reach Ludlow, where you spend two nights at The Cliffe at Dinham.
    Bishop's Castle to Ludlow: 15km
    Stokesay Castle, en route from Bishop's Castle to Ludlow
  • Explore Ludlow
    Once described as “the most perfect town in England”, Ludlow is an architectural delight of medieval and Tudor half-timbered houses crowned by its impressive Norman castle. The town is also famous for its gastronomy – ranging from its lead in the Slow Food movement, to its many fine restaurants, a bustling farmers’ market, a wide selection of specialist food shops and two annual festivals: the Ludlow Spring Festival in early May which showcases local produce to the tune of local bands; and the Marches Food & Drink Festival (held every September) featuring the famous ‘sausage trail’.

    Circular walk from Ludlow: 9.5km (6 miles), 3hrs
    Or, for a final stretch of the legs, we also provide notes for a short circular walk into the hills south of Ludlow. After crossing the River Teme, your route climbs through the mixed woodland of Mortimer Forest, named for the Norman Lords who once controlled the area, before dropping down into the secluded Mary Knoll Valley and returning to Ludlow via a different path.
    Circular walk from Ludlow: 9.5km
    Ludlow town trail
 

Accommodation

You stay at one inn and one country hotel, both very welcoming and of a high quality.
 

Summer 2021

We are keeping our prices the same, so you can book for summer 2021 at 2020 prices.
 
Prices & travel options
All prices are in £ sterling (GBP). If you'd like to see what they equate to in your currency, use the converter. For general information on pricing, see the 'your holiday price explained' page.
Currency converter

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  • 4 nights: 01 August 2020 - 31 October 2020 & 09 April 2021 - 31 October 2021

    Start any day | End by latest date(s) shown above

    Starting Price Single room
    1 Aug - 30 Sep 2020 # £495 £210
    1 - 27 Oct 2020 £475 £195
    9 - 30 Apr 2021 £475 £195
    1 May - 30 Sep 2021 # £495 £210
    1 - 27 Oct 2021 £475 £195
    3rd & 4th person discount -£35
    Single traveller supplement £35
    # Add £20pp/n (£55pn in a single) if staying in Ludlow Friday or Saturday 1 Aug-30 Sep 2020 & 9 Apr-27 Oct 2021

    Please note: this holiday is not available to children under 12 years, nor are dogs permitted on Inntravel holidays

    Included travel: transfer Ludlow-Bishop's Castle to collect car OR from/to Craven Arms or Ludlow railway stations

  • Room upgrades (£ per person per night)

    The Castle Hotel, Bishop's Castle
    'Master': 01 Aug - 31 Oct 2020 £17
    'Master': 09 Apr - 31 Oct 2021 £17
    The Cliffe at Dinham, Ludlow
    'Premium': 01 Aug - 31 Oct 2020 £20
    'Premium': 09 Apr - 31 Oct 2021 £20
    Standard plus: 01 Aug - 31 Oct 2020 £8
    Standard plus: 09 Apr - 31 Oct 2021 £8
    Superior: 01 Aug - 31 Oct 2020 £25
    Superior: 09 Apr - 31 Oct 2021 £25

    Extra nights (£ per person per night) in a double or single room

    The Castle Hotel, Bishop's Castle (B&B) Double room Single room
    01 Aug - 31 Oct 2020 £86 £126
    09 Apr - 31 Oct 2021 £86 £126
    The Cliffe at Dinham, Ludlow (B&B) Double room Single room
    01 Aug - 31 Oct 2020 £58 £110
    09 Apr - 31 Oct 2021 £58 £110
    Add £20pp/n (£55pn in a single) if staying in Ludlow Friday or Saturday 1 May-30 Sep 2020
  • Prices below are based on 2 people travelling together. If you are travelling solo or as a party of 3 or more and our arrangements include a taxi, please contact us for prices; additional passengers often pay less.

    Connecting travel options - via Craven Arms station

    Outward route Price per person Latest train
    arrival time
    taxi Craven Arms station to hotel (0h20) included flexible
    Homeward route Price per person Earliest flight
    departure time
    taxi hotel to Craven Arms station (0h10) included flexible

    Connecting travel options - via Ludlow station

    Outward route Price per person Latest train
    arrival time
    taxi Ludlow station to hotel (0h30) included flexible
    Homeward route Price per person Earliest train
    departure time
    taxi hotel to Ludlow station (0h10) included flexible
What is included
  • 4 nights
  • 1 dinner
    2 picnics
    4 breakfasts
  • luggage transported
  • route notes and maps
  • taxi to/from local railway stations or to collect car
 
Reviews

If you've experienced this holiday first hand, why not write a review?

We are keen for as many customers as possible to review their holiday. To make it easier to do so, we include a specific review section on our post-holiday questionnaire, and this is what we publish here, unedited. Read our full review policy >

All 13 reviews
  • Keen Walker, Sheffield
    01 September 2020

    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.

  • Ms M Hodkinson
    Ireland
    22 October 2019

    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.

  • Mrs J Cunningham, Harrogate
    17 September 2019

    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.

  • Mr J Quigley
    London
    01 September 2019

    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.

  • D McLean
    25 August 2019

    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.

  • Anon
    26 July 2019

    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.

  • Mrs P Schaeffer
    USA
    04 July 2019

    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. 

  • Mr K Walsh
    Bishop's Stortford
    03 July 2019

    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.

  • Dr M Hickey
    Emsworth
    02 July 2018

    Very good walking in an unspoilt and picturesque region (surprisingly few other people walking in the area).

  • Mr S Pooley
    USA
    16 May 2018

    Walking through rolling green hills and fields is pretty lyrical, punctuated by two really cool castles. The mileage, combined with the hills, isn’t trivial though!  Inntravel is a pretty remarkable company: we’ve never had any problems with our arrangements (Switzerland, Italy, and now England).

  • Mr T Spybey
    Ashbourne
    26 April 2018

    Shropshire is a wonderful county for walking and has the advantage of few walkers as compared for instance with my home territory, the Peak District. Also it is full of interest and history: castles of all varieties, hill forts galore, ancient cottages and churches, etc. From a walker's point of view it was virtually dry after one of the wettest winters I have known.

  • Mrs Jane Moore
    Eye
    16 April 2018

    A very enjoyable holiday. Definitely bring walking poles to assist up and down steep hills! Good food, lovely rooms and warm welcome at both hotels

  • Anon
    16 April 2018

    Inntravel deliver again! The quality of the accommodation selected (the best in the area) is always spot on and accurately described.  Walking notes are almost entirely accurate and clear (and where they aren't I know Inntravel take note and adjust - nature has a habit of changing the environment!).  Logistics of hotels and taxi transfers always work brilliantly (have used Inntravel several times) - I'll be booking again for my next walking holiday!
 

FAQs

If you have any questions relating to this or any other Inntravel holiday, our friendly travel experts will be happy to help. You might also find our General FAQs section helpful.
  • We sincerely hope that your holiday experience will be as enjoyable as it would have been before the pandemic – walking holidays are ideal in these times of social distancing, and we’re not operating holidays if the key highlights can no longer be delivered – but, naturally, there will be some changes to ensure your and other people’s safety.
    Your holiday experience: what to expect >
    Safety measures being taken by hoteliers & others >
  • We’ll send you route notes and maps 2-3 weeks before your holiday. The route notes not only contain directions to get from hotel to hotel, but also include practical information about places of interest and eateries along each route, plus cultural information about the area. If/when you are moving between hotels, you leave your luggage in reception as you leave, and it will be transferred ahead to your next accommodation, meaning that all you need to take with you are a camera, sun cream, drinks, food and waterproofs.

    For more detailed information, see our walking holidays in Europe page.
  • Yes, absolutely. Over the years, we have arranged a great many walking holidays in the UK for customers living in the USA, Canada, Australia and beyond.

    If you've never travelled with us before, it's worth reading the web pages which explain how we can cater for customers who live outside the UK. The main thing to bear in mind is that our tour operator's licence doesn't allow us to book flights that originate outside the UK, and nor are we able to book rail travel in the UK, so we can't make travel arrangements for you, other than pre-arranging taxis between the local railway station and the accommodation – see the ‘prices & travel options’ section for the options available.

    As regards entry requirements, it is your responsibility to ensure that you have the correct travel documents, with the correct validity. Our essential travel information page provides links to websites where you can find out about the applicable requirements, along with general official travel advice.
  • Since our holidays are self-guided, we recommend calling us for a chat about your plans before making a booking, especially if it’s the first time you’ve booked with us.
    The price panel shows the supplement for a single room and also the single traveller charge (this covers (luggage) transfers and other costs which are usually shared between two people).
  • Once you’ve decided on your exact itinerary (our travel experts will be happy to offer advice), you need to provide us with your party’s details, either by phone or via our booking form. At this point we also ask you to pay a deposit so that we can secure a room for you immediately on confirming availability with the hotel(s). If it turns out that we can’t secure the accommodation for the holiday you’ve requested, or offer an acceptable alternative, we’ll refund your deposit promptly and in full. After booking your accommodation and other key elements, we'll then book your travel (or you can do so if you’re making your own arrangements) and send you a Booking Confirmation and Invoice.

    More information about the booking process >
    Information about accommodation, general practicalities and more >
    Booking conditions >
  • Yes, it’s something we insist on, even for holidays in the UK. The vast majority of holidays go smoothly, but when things go wrong, it can be expensive to put them right. Buying a new pair of walking boots after your suitcase is stolen mightn’t seem so bad, but the bill for being airlifted down from a mountain with a broken leg or flown home while still recovering from an illness or accident can cost tens of thousands of pounds.

    You don’t have to buy our travel insurance policy (if you live outside Europe you’ll definitely need to make your own arrangements, as the policy is only for UK and EU residents), but you do need to make sure that you’re covered for medical emergencies – including falling ill with Covid-19 while on holiday – and repatriation. We also recommend that you are covered for other eventualities, such as cancellation and loss of luggage and passports.

    We'll ask you for the details of your alternative policy (insurer, policy number and medical emergency phone number) so that we can help out if the worst happens while you are on holiday. It's up to you, though, to check that your policy covers the activities you'll be doing on holiday and that it is adequate for your own individual needs; we don't check alternative policies.
  • We are happy to take bookings for families of teenagers if they walk regularly, love the outdoors and are comfortable with the distances and ascent/descent involved, but please note that the bedrooms at most of the accommodation we use will normally only sleep a maximum of 3 people, and sometimes only 2.

    At the request of some of the accommodation providers on this holiday, we are unable to accept bookings for children aged under 12.
  • Unfortunately not. The Inntravel team includes many dog owners, but the extra considerations – such as whether taxi firms accept dogs for transfers to the start of walks, whether routes cross private land on which dogs are not allowed, and proximity to a vet’s – would add another layer of complexity to what are already quite complex holidays.
Last fetch time is : 9/19/2020 9:23:34 AM