Say hi to farmyard friends at Ray’s Farm Country Matters, bring nursery rhymes to life at Wonderland or head into North Wales to trampoline in an enormous underground net adventure at Bounce Below. Or visit sister site, Zip World, to brave the world’s fastest zip wire and ride the quarry karts.
Head out to the South Shropshire Hills to search for the wild stallions that live on top of Long Mynd. Solve a few tricky bouldering problems at Climbing Hut. Meet pelicans, octopuses and sharks at Blue Planet Aquarium. Or hawks, falcons and owls at Battlefield Falconry Centre.
Discover one of the cornerstones of the Industrial Revolution at the Ironbridge Gorge Museums. Tackle trails on two wheels with the Shropshire Hills Mountain Bike Centre. Paint your own pots at Doodle Alley. Or discover how things work at fun science museum Engenuity in Telford.
See town life exactly the way the Victorians did, at the outdoor Blists Hill Victorian Town. Jump, spin and turn your way around Telford Ice Rink. Conquer the 85-metre slope at Telford Snowboard and Ski Centre. Zap your mates with lasers at Quasar Shrewsbury. Or head to Bridgnorth to ride the cliff railway.
Keep your fitness going at The Quarry Swimming and Fitness Centre, complete with air-conditioned gym, four swimming pools and a workout classes. Don’t let your tennis get rusty, either: keep your forehand sharp at The Shrewsbury Club. Or paddle the River Severn with a canoe, kayak or paddleboard with Hire a Canoe.
Celebrating? Make it all the more special with estate vintages from Tanner’s Wine Merchants. Or visit Henstone Distillery, a totally independent English distillery producing whisky, gin, vodka, rum, a ‘bourbon equivalent’ they call Old Dog Corn Liquor, and a ‘calvados equivalent’ named Nonpareil.
Shake off the muzzy head and play 18 holes at Shrewsbury Golf Club, offering mature parkland with tree-lined fairways and fast greens with subtle borrows. Enjoy a boat picnic or a boat tour of the River Severn on the Sabrina passenger boat. Or discover a fantasy landscape full of bridges, towers and caves at Hawkstone Park Follies.
Stay on site to fly-fish our own river meadows or wild-swim from the riverbank. Head out to Chirk Fishery to fish the two lakes and bait pool for rainbow, brown, brook, golden, blue and tiger trout. Or head back into history at Chester Cathedral, Shrewsbury Abbey, and the ruins of Haughmond Abbey.
Groups love a hot tub and the six-seater at Harecroft Cottages won’t disappoint. Out on the terrace by the fence, it’s a magnet for curious horses. Elsewhere outside, copious outdoor seating, a coal barbecue and a firepit should ensure plenty of smooth socialising. Head indoors for smart-TV movies and table football.
Out and about, the West Midlands Shooting Ground offers individually tailored clay shooting. Head to the hills to shoot paint and ride the rage buggies at Commando Paintballing and Border Quadtrekking. Or hire an 18-speed hybrid bike from Max Bikes and ride a traffic-free ten miles along the Severn.
Invite Sunita over to Harecroft Cottages for massages and beauty treatments. Or get out to Fishmore Hall for spa facilities that include a sauna, steam room, outdoor hot tub and revitalising treatments such as facials, body wraps and scalp massages. Add a light lunch or a luxury full-afternoon tea.
Game for a laugh? Enjoy a twist on the beautiful game with zorb football at Liam’s Bouncy Castles, plus a bunch of bubble-based mini-games including skittles, bulldog, and queen and king of the hill. Or learn how to make classic cocktails, then create your own at Ten and Six Bar.
