National Trust & English Heritage Sites
We are very lucky to have 10 National Trust sites within a 25-mile radius, including Chirk Castle and our favourite, Attingham Park on the outskirts of Shrewsbury, with its beautifully decorated mansion – especially magical at Christmas – and lovely walks amongst its 200 acres, including a stroll through its deer park. There’s also the beautiful Biddulph Grange Garden, seven miles from Stoke, and which have an array of colour throughout the year.
English Heritage also have an array of interesting sites locally, including the haunting ruins of Moreton Corbet Castle, Beeston Castle, Haughmond Abbey and Shrewsbury Flaxmill Maltings.
Gardens
Hodnet Hall Gardens and Wollerton Old Hall Garden are within a 15-minute drive and have been featured on many TV programmes. The Dorothy Clive Garden has lovely wild gardens, whilst the Cholmondeley Castle Gardens has a tranquil lakeside walk, especially wonderful in spring and autumn as the trees have the most lovely shades of colour, whilst the tearoom produces delicious food and drink.
Bridgemere Garden World, one of the largest garden centres in the UK, has show gardens and various retail outlets – including a very good farm shop – so well worth a day out. Trentham Gardens is another great place to visit, especially with the adjoining Monkey Forest – the largest primate habitat in the UK.
Villages, Towns & Cities
Whitchurch is four miles away and is a delightful market town – the oldest in Shropshire. It’s internationally renowned for being the home of JB Joyce & Co., whose history of manufacturing large municipal clocks dates back to the 1600s, with examples of their work found all over the UK including Salisbury Cathedral. Their story is told in the Whitchurch Heritage Centre and their red-brick factory still survives in Station Road.
More recently, the town has gained a reputation for food, with two restaurants – Docket and Wild Shropshire – mentioned in the Michelin Guide. There’s also Etzio, a superb Italian restaurant with fabulous reviews. Oaks Farm Ice Cream is a haven for ice cream lovers wth unique flavours created with fresh ingredients and served with a smile. Stop for a cone whilst on the way to Ellesmere.
Whitchurch has ‘Walkers are Welcome’ accreditation and has 10 circular walks starting from the town centre onto the Sandstone Trail and the Shropshire Way. The walks are gentle with mostly kissing gates en-route and range from three to 15 miles. The Whitchurch Walking Festival is held every May with over 30 walks planned over three days. Just outside the town is Alderford Lake with wild swimming, kayaking, paddleboarding, a lovely tearoom and their Escape Islands – a more extreme type of escape room.
Audlem – a pretty canalside village with tearooms and shops (including two chippies and a very good Indian takeaway) – is a 10-minute drive. There are acclaimed walks along the canal including past the famous Staircase Locks (15 locks in total) en route to the boat marina. Stop for a cool drink at the canalside Shroppy Fly pub and take a trip on the volunteer-run Audlem Lass boat service from the marina back to the village (payment via donation to the RNLI). Just outside Audlem is Dagfields Crafts & Antiques Centre with all sorts to see – so grab a bargain, then head to the pie shop to taste their home-made pies and pasties.
Nantwich is a 25-minute drive and home to beautiful Tudor buildings including the Grade 1-listed Churches Mansion. Take a stroll through time around this lovely town and visit the quaint shops and pubs. Just outside the town are Reaseheath Mini Zoo, Snugburys Ice Cream farm – where 350,000 visitors a year stop at their barn for a cone or a tub – and Cotebrook Shire Horse Centre.
The larger destinations of Chester (54 minutes) and Shrewsbury (46 minutes) are both worth a drive. Chester has the famous Rows (its unique two-tiered timber-framed shopping galleries), cathedral, racecourse, the Roman Gardens, Grosvenor Museum, and Chester Zoo, said to be the best zoo in the UK. Meanwhile, Shrewsbury has its castle, boat rides along the River Severn, the Quarry park, the restored Flax Mill Maltings, and ghost tours at the former prison.
Elsewhere, Bolesworth Castle hosts many events and festivals including car shows and show jumping galas, whilst Oulton Park is famous for its car and superbike racing. The ghostly Hack Green Secret Nuclear Bunker is a must for the war enthusiast and is perfect for a rainy day – although perhaps not for the easily spooked!
Pubs
The Olde Jack Inn in Calverhall is our dog-friendly local village pub and have different food theme nights during the week including a pie night. There is a 20-minute footpath from Ightfield or it’s less than 5 minutes in a car. The community-owned White Lion at Ash is also local to us and was voted ‘Best Country Pub’ in the UK in 2023.
Attractions
Cotebrook Shire Horse Centre and Wildlife park is a horse enthusiasts paradise with stable tours and close ups with the horses and a great tearoom as well.
The British ironworks at Oswestry is fantastic with its many one off sculptures including the Knife Angel and the Spoon Gorilla. There is a lovely walking trail and a superb Tearoom which specialises in Afternoon cream teas.
Blist Hill and the Ironbridge are world famous and steeped in history with its many museums and some lovely walks.
For the animal lover, Chester Zoo and Reaseheath Mini Zoo are a must.
Walking
Whitchurch is a Walkers Welcome Town and has ten circular walks along the canals and the Sandstone Way with tearooms and pubs on route. Some of the walks can be started from Ightfield and Ash or Brown Moss Nature Reserve.
Audlem also has five circular walks along the canals and locks including weekend boat rides.
The Hawkestone Follies is wonderful with its grotto and swinging bridge with miles of scenic trails amongst the sandstone ridges. Wenlock Edge is National Trust and is a wondeful walk as is the Long Myndd.
The hills at Beeston and Peckforton have spectacular views on clear days as well as the woods at Grinsall and Lee hill.
Guests are most welcome to join us on our walking group walks.
We are lucky to be near the Sandstone Trail and the Shropshire Way which has a long-distance path of 190 miles.
Ightfield also has walks from the door which lead to The Olde Jack Inn and The White Lion.
Brown Moss Nature Reserve is only 10 minutes away and well worth a visit. There are woodland walks around the lake.
Ellesmere is a lovely town and is known as little switzerland. Numerous walks around the lakes including the boardwalk around Colemere Lake which is 1.5 miles around and so perfect for the elderly dog.
