Things To Do For Free in Shropshire

Things to do that don’t cost the earth in Shropshire

With the first official day of Spring just around the corner, the days getting longer and a little bit of sunshine, you might be thinking of venturing out and about a bit more. However, whether you already live in this beautiful part of the world or whether you are taking a holiday in Shropshire it seems that sometimes you can end up spending a lot of money on activities, especially if you have children! Given the cost-of-living crisis and the fact that more and more of us are having to tighten our belts when it comes to budgeting, in this week’s blog article, we will be focusing on what you can do for free in Shropshire. So whether you are staying at St Milburga Chapel holiday cottages, are renting an Airbnb, enjoying a weekend break in a hotel in Ludlow or are lucky enough to live in the beautiful Shropshire Hills, read on:

Starting with the obvious, going on a walk doesn’t cost anything and if you are out for the day and take a picnic with you, it can be a very cheap activity especially if you’ve made the picnic yourself! However, driving to a starting point of a walk, not to mention parking costs when you get there can start to add up and there isn’t always reliable public transport to help save on motoring costs especially in rural areas. Luckily, if you are staying at St Milbury Chapel holiday cottage for your Shropshire holiday there are plenty of walks for all abilities starting from the door so you don’t need to drive anywhere. We have a selection of walking books and maps at St Milburga Chapel (including a specially commissioned OS map with St Milburga Chapel in the centre of it) so it’s easy to plan a route. A popular walk is to head up the road and across the moor to Nordy Bank Hill Fort to take in the fantastic views across the Clee Hills. It’s also possible to walk up to the top of Titterstone Clee or Brown Clee starting from St Milburga Chapel if you want a longer walk and have a reasonable level of fitness.

If you need something less energetic or because your kids refuse point blank to walk anywhere, what else can you do? Many museums across the UK offer free entry and Shropshire is no exception. Shrewsbury Museum and Art Gallery based in the town square is completely free. It has an ever-changing programme of events including children’s workshops and even drop-in sessions for babies and their carers.

Much Wenlock Museum on the high street of this popular and historic town, is also free to visitors. With exhibitions on the geology of Wenlock Edge, history of Much Wenlock and Shropshire and currently the history of the modern Olympic games there is something for everyone. They also host a regular story time for pre-school children.

For airplane enthusiasts of all ages, what about a visit to the Royal Air Force Museum Midlands. With an extensive display of aircraft, exhibitions and an outdoor playground this is a fun day out for all the family and is completely free. Open daily from 10.00 am, the museum is located in Cosford and is about a 50 minute drive across the Shropshire countryside from St Milburga Chapel.

Fo more information and to find out what’s on visit: https://www.shropshiremuseums.org.uk/

Acton Burnell Castle about 8 miles from Shrewsbury was the medieval home of Edward 1’s Lord Chancellor. It was abandoned 600 years ago and left to ruin. Now under the care of English Heritage, the shell of this former castle if open all year round and free to visit. There are no facilities on the site but plenty of grassy areas for a picnic. See: https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/acton-burnell-castle/ for further details and directions.

Situated near the village of Uffington near Shrewsbury, Haughmond Abbey is another free to visit English Heritage site. These extensive ruins were once an Augustinian abbey. Information panels now help you to interpret what you are seeing. Again, there are no facilities on site but it does have a large picnic area and free parking.

The whole of the town of Ironbridge is classed as a UNESCO World Heritage site given the importance of it’s industrial past. Although, its many museums are not free, the famous bridge made of iron (the world’s first iron bridge) is free to visit and the town is also worth exploring for its industrial heritage.

Clun Castle in the pretty town of Clun about a 40 minute drive from St Milburga Chapel, was built to protect the Welsh borders. Managed by English Heritage, the ruins situated on the top of a steep sided mound, are free to visit. After visiting the castle, it’s worth having a wander around the quaint Shropshire town and either call in one of its coffee shops for refreshments or have a picnic by the riverside.

It’s worth remembering that in September of each year both English Heritage and the National Trust run Heritage Open Days during which the properties and sites that they manage that would normally charge an admission are free to enter. Details for 2025 have not been published yet but likely there will be more information to come later in the year.

Shropshire is blessed with many historic towns and villages waiting to be explored. The large towns of Shrewsbury, Bridgenorth, Ironbridge and Ludlow are full of historic buildings, narrow streets and cobbled alleyways for wandering around as well as parks and riversides for chilling in when the weather warms up. Also, worth mentioning are the smaller towns of Bishops Castle, Clun and Church Stretton, again all good for spending a couple of hours looking around. It’s always worth heading for the tourist information centres to find out what’s on in terms of free exhibitions or children’s activities. Why not combine a trip to one of Shropshire’s towns with a visit to one of the free heritage sites mentioned above?

If you are staying at St Milburga Chapel, have a wander around the village of Stoke St Milborough while you are on your Shropshire holiday. Stoke St Milborough has over 20 listed buildings. St Milburga Church is a short 5 minute walk from St Milburga Chapel holiday cottage and worth a look. You can also take in the historic St Milburga’s Well on the way to the church.

5.Enjoy a country park or park

Shrewsbury has a large, beautiful riverside park with a playground a short walk from the town centre. Named The Quarry it covers 29 acres and includes an area called The Dingle cultivated by the well know gardener, Percy Thrower. Ludlow is also situated on the river and has a large park with playground, picnic areas and riverside walks. The ruins of Bridgenorth castle are situated in large grounds and the walk up to the castle from the river is worth it for the beautiful views across the Shropshire Hills.

The Severn Valley Country Park covers 126 acres of Shropshire countryside and is situated near Highley, around a 40 minute drive from Stoke St Milborough. It has a visitor’s centre, café, a newly renovated children’s playground for Spring 2025, picnic areas, nature trails and way-marked walking and cycling routes of varying lengths. For a downloadable map and to find out more including directions, head to: https://www.shropshiresgreatoutdoors.co.uk/site/severn-valley-country-park/

Stanmore Country Park near Bridgnorth is about a 30 minute drive from St Milburga Chapel. Covering 100 acres of woodland and meadows, this is a level site developed from an old RAF camp and is therefore wheelchair accessible or suitable for people who find slopes difficult to manage.

Finally, the Shropshire Hills Discovery Centre in Craven Arms, just a 20 minute drive from Stoke St Milborough, is a visitors centre and café with 30 acres of meadowland to explore alongside the River Onny. The site has a mix of level, surfaced paths suitable for wheelchairs and pushchairs with further non-surfaced paths trailing across the site. There is also an exhibition in the visitor’s centre with the famous Shropshire Mammoth on display but there is a small admission charge to go in so not strictly free. However, the rest of the site is free to access other than a small charge for parking.