Things to see and do in Shropshire and Denbighshire: our top picks

Take a step back in time

The award-winning Ironbridge Gorge Museums in Shropshire mark the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution. Experience the sights, smells and sounds of times gone by. Tuck into traditionally cooked fish and chips; change your money into pounds, shillings and pence; and see at hot metal pouring in the foundry – just don’t get put off by the smell from the friendly pigs at the candle makers!

Festival fever

Some last an hour or two, others for several days, but whatever their duration, festivals in this region are varied and convivial. Shropshire and Denbighshire hosts a must-see action-packed annual schedule with something on the calendar spring, summer, autumn and winter. From the renowned Shrewsbury Flower Show and Llangollen’s International Musical Eisteddfod to Shropshire’s newest addition, the family-friendly Camp Bestival and Rhuddlan Food Festival, there’s something to suit everyone.

Embrace the wilderness

Wading birds and garden birds, badgers and bats, hedgehogs, frogs, butterflies and dragonflies – at nature reserves in Buckley, Connah’s Quay, Prestatyn, St Asaph, Rhuddlan and Ruthin you can spy nature’s wonders. Get ready for your hearts to be lifted.

Visit the land of legends

Search for the Holy Grail in a magical landscape of cliffs and caves peppered with incredible monuments built more than 200 years ago at Hawkstone Park Follies in Shrewsbury. Dramatic sandstone cliffs rise from the Shropshire Plain, as you explore what some believe to be the home and resting place of King Arthur.

Hawkstone Park Follies in Shrewsbury is a must-visit

Visit medieval Ludlow

Take a walk around the wonderful medieval town of Ludlow in Shropshire, which also has a reputation for the very best food and drink around. While you’re here you can enter a world of enchantment at the town’s castle. A ruined medieval fortification overlooking the River Teme, Ludlow Castle was founded after the Norman conquest and was among the first stone castles to be built in England.

Explore beautiful landscapes

Rolling hills are to be seen everywhere in Shropshire, and The Wrekin is one of the county’s most recognisable landmarks. It’s even believed to have been an influence on JRR Tolkien’s vision of Middle Earth in The Lord of the Rings Trilogy. Titterstone Clee is the county’s highest point – so high, in fact, it’s rumoured to have picked up radio transmissions from Russia.

Ahe art of iron

One of Shropshire’s fastest-growing attractions is The British Ironwork Centre & Sculpture Park in Oswestry. This fantastic attraction is the birthplace of the famous Knife Angel, the UK’s national monument against knife crime. You can wander around the Metal Safari Park to admire more than 100 animal sculptures, including farmyard favourites and gorillas.

Marvel at a mansion

Learn about the notorious ‘Ladies of Llangollen’, Lady Eleanor Butler and Miss Sarah Ponsonby who became sirens of Regency society. Their extraordinary home at Plas Newydd is now a popular museum. Alternatively tour the 17th-century Bodrhyddan Hall, near Rhuddlan. The home of Lord Langford, set in several acres of formal gardens, it boasts notable artworks and a 3,000-year-old Egyptian mummy.

Get your boots on

Offa’s Dyke National Trail, the Clwydian Way, Wat’s Dyke path, and Wales Coastal Path all wind through the county of Denbighshire. Make sure to pack your walking boots so you don’t miss out on the chance to soak up their stunning views on foot.

Uncover the past

From ley lines to battle lines, North Wales’ heritage entails heroic freedom fighters and handsome princes, Iron Age hillforts and hidden castles. Some villages once in England are now in Wales and vice versa, making the history a riveting tale of struggle and survival.

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Getting to and around Shropshire

Sport in Shropshire

The best way to spend a weekend in Shropshire and Denbighshire