Shropshire is one of England's undiscovered gems. The 'blue remembered hills' of Houseman are still as pretty, and towns such as Ludlow, Church Stretton and Much Wenlock are great to explore. The high country can be surprisingly rugged - Wenlock Edge and the Clee Hills feel much higher than they actually are.

[IMAGE] Ironbridge - the home of the Industrial Revolution is only an hour away. It's a really pretty place to visit, and the complex of museums tell the amazing story of how the world went from fields to furnaces.
Ironbridge was a tourist destination in the 19^th century, as people flocked from all over Europe to see the 'new sciences' of steam and metal working. Today, it's a quiet river valley, left behind by progress that changed the world.