Off the beaten track to some of the loveliest countryside in Britain, the best places to visit in the Welsh Borders, on both sides of Offa’s Dyke
Castles, cathedrals, medieval towns and villages and some of the most beautiful countryside in England. There are so many places to visit in the Welsh Borders, where the west of England meets Wales, and this is our complete guide to the region.
Also known as the Welsh Marches, the region consists of four counties – Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, Shropshire and Cheshire. The counties are all so wonderfully different from each other, and the journey between them is a bit of an underrated epic. You could simply follow the English side of the border, or criss-cross back and forth into Wales.
I’ve visited this part of England many times, and travelled through it on countless occasions, as the main train line between South and North Wales passes through it. I’ll show you all the best places to visit along the way on the English side of the border, and also across the border in Wales. It’s possible to visit most of the places on the English side by train, but driving gets you further. If you’re heading back and forth into Wales, my advice is to drive.
The other way of exploring this captivating part of the country is the slowest way of all – on foot. The Offa’s Dyke Path follows the 8th-century earthwork that marked the border between the kingdom of Mercia and Welsh lands. It runs from near Chepstow 177 miles to the North Wales coast at Prestatyn.
Places to Visit In The Welsh Borders – Gloucestershire
Forest of Dean
The Forest of Dean is the area immediately to the east of the Lower Wye Valley, the southernmost section of the Wales-England border. It’s also bounded by the city of Gloucester to the east and Herefordshire to the north.
It’s an ancient forest, used exclusively for royal hunting before the Norman Conquest of 1066. It’s a haven for wildlife, with deer, wild boar and numerous bird species flourishing there. It is especially beautiful in springtime, particularly when bluebells are in bloom, and in autumn when the fall colours are glorious.
The area also has a long industrial history, having had its resources exploited before Roman times. It had significant iron and coalmining industries, particularly in the 19th century.
The Forest of Dean has never been heavily touristed, with more attention having been devoted to the Wye Valley just to the west. But it’s a great place to visit, whether you’re hiking, mountain biking or horse riding.
Gloucester
Gloucester is worth visiting for its Cathedral alone. One of the most famous cathedrals and landmarks in England, it’s an absolute stunner, with Norman, Gothic and Perpendicular architecture at their very best. The cloisters have doubled as Hogwarts for some of the early Harry Potter movies, but the interior is the most captivating part. The Great East Window is a highlight, and the viewing gallery close to it gives you an incredible close-up view. Look closely and see if you can find the panel with the 14th-century golfer.
There are a few other things to do in Gloucester, with a few beautiful medieval buildings dotted around the city centre. A row of these hosts The Folk of Gloucester, on Westgate Street, which runs character tours of the buildings. Just off Westgate Street, the narrow College Court is a shortcut to the Cathedral, and on the way you’ll find the tiny House of the Tailor of Gloucester, with a small museum dedicated to Beatrix Potter.
I also recommend an hour or so in Gloucester Museum, which gives you the full lowdown on the history of the city. It’s also worth the short walk from there to Gloucester Docks, where the best thing to do is to visit the brilliant National Waterways Museum – a must if you’re planning to visit some of the locations towards the end of this article.
Getting there: Gloucester is on the Cardiff to Birmingham New Street line, and it also has good connections to Bristol and London
Where To Stay: The 4-star Judges Lodging Apartments Gloucester Docks is the best choice near the city centre.
Across to Wales – Monmouthshire
Lower Wye Valley
The Wye Valley is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and a National Landscape, one of a small number of areas in the UK protected for the nation. The area includes the beautiful section at Symonds Yat in Herefordshire, and the section between Monmouth and the estuary near Chepstow where the river Wye itself is the border between England and Wales.
It’s fair to say that the Lower Wye Valley is the birthplace of British tourism. From the mid-18th century onwards, visitors could take a two-day trip by boat along the river from Ross-on-Wye. They appreciated the Picturesque landscape, and would set about capturing it in paintings of locations along the way.
The Wye Valley is beautiful at any time of year, but if you manage strike lucky with a sunny day in late October or early November, it’s one of the best places to visit in Wales in autumn.
Chepstow Castle
Chepstow Castle is one of the greatest castles in South Wales, and one of the oldest in the country. It stands on a cliff on the Welsh side of the river and border, and was built by William Fitz Osbern, a nobleman loyal to William the Conqueror, in 1067 – just a few months after the Norman Duke had seized the English throne after the Battle of Hastings.
It’s the oldest medieval stone castle in the UK, with a substantial part of it complete before the end of the 11th century. It’s also the oldest of the castles in the Welsh Marches, built to defend English territory from the Welsh.
Tintern Abbey
The stunning 14th-century ruined Gothic church was one of the main attractions for the first British tourists, its arches and windows framing the forests around, the roof open to the sky.
It’s one of the most famous landmarks in Wales, and the young William Wordsworth’s 1798 poem Lines Composed A Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey would have helped spread its fame further.
Like other religious houses in Britain the church and Abbey were subject to Henry VIII’s Dissolution of the Monasteries between 1536 and 1540. The church was stripped of its most saleable assets, including its lead roof, with proceeds going to the Crown.
We’ll be encountering more abbeys as we head north through the Welsh borders.
Where to Stay: The Royal George is a wonderful historic inn a 5-minute walk from Tintern Abbey.
Monmouth
The town of Monmouth (Trefynwy in Welsh) lies very close to the border with England. It’s at the confluence of the River Monnow with the Wye, and home to the superb fortified Monnow Bridge, the only surviving one of its kind in the UK. The 13th-century gatehouse was built for defensive purposes, but was also used as a toll gate.
King Henry V of England was born in the town’s Castle in 1386. There’s not a great deal left of the Castle, but it’s worth a brief look given Henry’s achievements. He was one of the most successful English military leaders of the Middle Ages, having been victorious over French forces at the Battle of Agincourt in 1415. There is also a statue of Henry V on the façade of the Shire hall (now the County Hall offices).
The town has several more associations with famous people. The ancestral home of Charles Rolls – co-founder of the Rolls Royce car manufacturer – is just outside the town, and he is commemorated by a statue outside the Shire Hall.
The achievements of famous British Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson were commemorated with a small monument, the Naval Temple, on the Kymin hill overlooking the town. Nelson visited to see it for himself in 1802, and stayed at the Round House (pictured). The viewpoint, looking northeast towards the Brecon Beacons, is wonderful.
Many famous bands and artists have also recorded at Rockfield Studios, just outside the town. It’s best known as being where Queen recorded Bohemian Rhapsody in the 1970s. And fans of a different vintage may be curious to know that Kim Deal, bassist with the once-legendary Pixies, left the band in the Caffe Nero coffee shop on Monnow Road in the town centre.
Monmouth is also a good jumping-off point for the Three Castles, the closest of which is a few miles away at Skenfrith.
Places To Visit In the Welsh Borders – Herefordshire
Herefordshire is one of the loveliest and least-explored counties in England, and one of the best unexplored regions in Europe. The main city, Hereford, is just a large country town, albeit with one of the most fascinating cathedrals in England.
The county is best known for the cattle named after it, and for its apple orchards and cider. There are also many ‘black and white’ villages, with many half-timbered houses and buildings from the late Middle Ages, painted white with black wooden frames.
There are also many other random treasures, from the glorious Malvern Hills to one of the most beautiful churches in England, in the tiny village of Kilpeck.
Symonds Yat
Symonds Yat is one of the most popular places to visit on the River Wye. Many people stop for the obvious photo opportunity atop Symonds Yat Rock, but you could easily end up spending a full day here.
Symonds Yat is actually two villages – Symonds Yat East and Symonds Yat West. And there are two very different views from the top of the hill, of different sections of the river separated by a long, slow meander to the north. The villages are connected by two hand-pulled ferries which carry foot passengers.
On the east side of the river, you can rent canoes or kayaks, or go stand-up paddle-boarding along a stretch of the river. There are also some great old pubs with accommodation – the 15th-century Ye Old Ferrie Inn, at the northern end of Symonds Yat West, and the centuries-old Saracens Head in Symonds Yat East.
Kilpeck
If you love Romanesque (also called Norman in England) then the church of St Mary and St David in the border village of Kilpeck is worth going well out of your way to see.
The village is in an area of the Welsh Marches that would have been prosperous in medieval times, and local wealth would account for the extraordinary stonework around the church. The south door, from around 1140, is one of the finest in the British Isles, is intricately decorated with carvings of snakes, dragons and a Green Man (with foliage growing out of his mouth).
The church is also known for its 12th-century sheela na gig, one of the best surviving examples in Europe. It’s a bawdy carving of a woman holding open her vulva, which were found throughout western Europe in the early Middle Ages. We don’t know the origin and purpose of them – whether they’re derived from an ancient pagan fertility goddess, or perhaps meant to be a warning against the sin of l;ust.
Kilpeck is just off the A465 Abergavenny to Hereford road, just two miles inside the English border.
Golden Valley
Herefordshire’s Golden Valley runs parallel to the Welsh border and the Llanthony Valley just the other side of the Hatterall Ridge and Offa’s Dyke Path. It’s classic British countryside, with miles of farmland fields eventually rising to the ridge that separates England from Wales. You’ll find one or two Welsh place names in the area, including Pontrilas and Llancillo, a reminder that the border has shifted slightly over the centuries.
The gateway to the Valley is the lovely village of Ewyas Harold, which has the best place to stay in the area, the wonderful Temple Bar Inn. It’s only two miles from there to the village of Abbey Dore, home to Dore Abbey, a fascinating truncated church from a wealthy Cistercian Abbey. It survived Henry VIII’s Dissolution of the Monasteries as it was to be used as a parish church. Some of the Gothic church was lost, but much of what remains was built in the 13th century. If you’re wondering why such a large church is to be found in such an off the beaten track part of the world, it’s because it once held what was reputed to be a relic of part of the True Cross, and attracted many pilgrims until the monastery was closed down.
The Golden Valley is a great place to slow down and wander. You could easily spend a day exploring the backroads, which will take you to Longtown Castle and nearby Snodhill Castle. And you could comfortably combine it with a short visit to the aforementioned church at Kilpeck.
Hereford
Hereford doesn’t feel like a city, rather a country town that happened to have a Cathedral built in it. And what a Cathedral it is, a magnificent Norman and Gothic beauty, home to several priceless treasures.
The Cathedral grew thanks to the cult of St Ethelbert the King, who was killed by the Mercian King Off in 794 AD. He was buried in the original church on the site of the Cathedral, and who was considered responsible for various miracles there. Another saint, Thomas Cantilupe, was Bishop of Hereford in the 13th century, and his restored shrine can be seen in the Cathedral.
While at the Cathedral, don’t miss the outstanding Chained Library and Mappa Mundi exhibition. The Mappa dates from around 1290, and helpfully there’s an English version, showing you how European scholars perceived the extent of the world at the time. The Chained Library is unique in Britain as it’s fully intact. Readers could remove books and manuscripts from shelves to read at tables close by, but the chains meant they couldn’t be removed from the Library.
Hereford also has a couple of great museums. The Black and White House Museum occupies an early 17th-century house, and hosts a great exhibition on this period, with some beautiful Jacobean furniture. If you’re visiting with kids there are some great period costumes to dress up in.
There’s also an excellent Cider Museum, and local cider makers Bulmer’s and Weston’s both contribute to the exhibition. This includes the wonderful cider champagne cellars and the workshops where wooden barrels used to be made.
Getting there: Hereford is on the main Cardiff to Holyhead train line, the stop between Abergavenny and Leominster.
Where To Stay: The Castle House Hotel is the best option in the centre of Hereford.
See Also: 10 Best Things To Do In Hereford England
Black and White Villages
Black and white half-timbered houses are a common sight along the England-Wales border, particularly in Herefordshire. Many moons ago I had a girlfriend from the county, and she once said that it had changed less than any other county in England in centuries. And revisiting Herefordshire recently, I think she had a point.
It’s especially true of the many villages around the county which have a wealth of black and white houses. Many of them are between Hereford and Hay-on-Wye, and include Weobley, Eardisland (both pictured), Eardisley, Pembridge, Dilwyn and Kingsland.
They’re all great places to stop for an hour or two, with medieval churches and pubs to visit, and some beautiful easy countryside walks around them.
Getting around: You really need your own wheels for this, and besides driving, the countryside is fairly flat and ideal for cycling.
Ledbury
Ledbury is one of the most beautiful market towns in England. It’s east of Hereford and west of the Malvern Hills, and is full of wonderful half-timbered houses, mostly dating from the 16th and 17th centuries.
One of the houses – 1 Church Street – has a very rare survival, a series of paintings on the walls of a room dating from the 1560s. Some of the paintings are of floral patterns, and it’s possible that the house was owned by a merchant of some wealth who was trying to decorate his home in a style similar to (but less expensive than) the wallpaper used by nobility and royalty.
The Market House is one of the most impressive half-timbered buildings in the town, and Church Lane, which leads to the church and spire of St Michael and All Angels Church, is one of the most beautiful streets in England.
The church is wonderful, and in 2021 an art historian discovered that a painting of The Last Supper in the church is a product of the workshop of the great Venetian artist Titian. It’s likely that Titian himself produced much of the painting, and that his son completed the unfinished work after his death.
Getting there: Ledbury is on the Hereford to Worcester and Birmingham New Street Line. If you’re driving, it’s on the A438 from Hereford.
Where To Stay: The Feathers Hotel Ledbury is a beautiful hotel in a building dating back to 1564, with some stunning timber-framed rooms, full of late medieval character.
Malvern Hills
The Malvern Hills, on the Herefordshire-Worcestershire border, have long been one of my favourite places to visit in the Welsh Borders. They are a small range of hills – only 8 miles (13 km) north to south, and just 425 metres high at their highest point. But they dominate the landscape for miles around, and on a clear day you can see the mountains of Wales in one direction and Gloucestershire and the Bristol Channel in another.
The hills are famous for their spa water, which led to the growth of Great Malvern as a popular spa in the 19th century. It’s a short but steep climb up from the town to the hills, and once on the summit ridge it’s a fairly easy undulating walk. I recommend the walk south to British Camp, a hill topped by an enormous Iron Age earthwork.
As well as walking, the Malvern Hills make a wonderful location for paragliding, especially off the west side of the range.
The Hills have also been a great inspiration to several British cultural figures, including composer Edward Elgar, poet W H Auden and Lord of the Rings author J R R Tolkien.
Getting there: The A449 runs to Great Malvern, as does the Hereford to Birmingham New Street train line via Ledbury.
Where To Stay: The Malvern Hills Hotel – beautiful country hotel close to the British Camp hillfort
Leominster
Leominster – pronounced Lem-ster – is a market town in northern Herefordshire, midway between Hereford and Ludlow by road or train. You could see the town in half a day, covering Leominster Priory Church, The Grange, a gorgeous 17th-century half-timbered house with gardens, and the town museum. The town centre is lovely, with plenty more late medieval houses and other buildings to see.
The town is also a good base for exploring the surrounding countryside. It’s close to some of the Black and White Villages (Eardisland, Dilwyn and Kingsland). And it’s within a few miles of three very different country houses – the Georgian Berrington Hall, rebuilt Gothic Croft Castle and Hampton Court Castle – not to be confused with Henry VIII’s Palace on the outskirts of London.
Across to Wales – Powys
Llanthony Valley and Priory
Parallel to the Golden Valley, the remote Llanthony Valley in the Black Mountains is one of the most beautiful places to visit in Wales. It’s a narrower, steeper valley than the Golden Valley, with the Hatterall Ridge – along which Offa’s Dyke Path runs – on the eastern side. It also forms most of the Churches in The Black Mountains itinerary I’ve written about elsewhere on the site.
A single narrow minor road runs along the floor of the Valley, taking you back centuries. The road climbs to Bwlch yr Efengyl – Gospel Pass – between Hay Bluff and Lord Hereford’s Knob, where you are greeted with an astounding view over the patchwork of fields of Mid Wales and the Welsh Borders.
The highlight of the drive through the valley is Llanthony Priory, a 12th-century Augustinian foundation with a ruined Gothic church open to the elements for almost 500 years. A row of pointed Gothic arches frames the high Hatterall Ridge behind, and it’s one of the most beautiful sights in Wales, a definite for your Wales bucket list.
There are other fascinating churches in the valley. St Martin’s Church in Cwmyoy is comically crooked, each part of the church poking out and pointing in a different direction. And the tiny church in Capel-y-Ffin, a few miles north of Llanthony, is one of the simplest but loveliest churches in Wales. Check out my Churches of the Black Mountains Itinerary for much more information.
Hay-on-Wye
Hay-on-Wye (Y Gelli Gandryll in Welsh) is just inside Wales, despite its postal address frequently including ‘Hereford’. This small market town was transformed in the 1960s by local entrepreneur Richard Booth, who turned it into the second-hand bookshop capital of the world.
In its heyday (apologies…) there were over 50 bookshops I the tiny town, whereas now there are closer to 15. That’s still a lot, especially when some are as vast as Booth’s Bookshop near the town clock tower.
The town becomes the centre of the literary world for ten days in late May and early June when it hosts the Hay Festival of Literature, one of the biggest and best in the world.
Hay has also diversified considerably over the years, with far more (and better) places to eat than when I first began visiting in the mid-1990s. The Three Tuns is a great gastropub, and Tomatitos serves up the best tapas for a great many miles around.
Where To Stay: The Old Black Lion – 4-star rooms above a traditional medieval pub
See Also: 8 Best Things To Do In Hay-on-Wye
Upper Wye Valley
The landscape of the Wye Valley changes dramatically after you head into Wales. For a few miles after Hay, the river flows through gentle countryside, but a few miles west, where the A438 road branches off to the A470, it’s quite different.
The village of Llyswen is the gateway to the Upper Wye Valley. By the time you reach Erwood, the river is winding through a narrow gap between the hills, and as you continue north beyond Builth Wells towards Rhayader, the valley becomes narrower still, and the hills either side become mountains.
The last you see of the Wye is the stretch between Rhayader and Llangurig, with the wild, empty Cambrian Mountains off to the west. The river rises in a bog on the slopes of Plynlimon, half an hour further away via the A44 to Aberystwyth.
See Also: A470 Road Trip – The Epic Coast-to-Coast Journey Through Wales
Knighton and Offa’s Dyke Path
Knighton, in the peaceful Teme Valley, is one of the best places to stay if you’re tackling the long-distance Offa’s Dyle Path, and its Welsh name, Tref-y-Clawdd – the Town on the Dyke – only confirms it.
It’s a low-key mecca for long-distance walkers, as it’s also the starting point of another National Long Distance Trail, Glyndwr’s Way, which explores the quieter corners of Mid Wales and the Cambrian Mountains on its 135-mile route to Welshpool. The Offa’s Dyke route to the same town is a whole lot quicker!
There’s not a great deal to see in the town. The Offa’s Dyke Centre is the obvious place to stop, especially if you’re walking some of the way. There’s a clock tower from the 19th century which is very similar to the one in Hay-on-Wye, and several 17th-century houses along and around the main street in the town.
For somewhere to stay and / or eat, I recommend the tiny, intimate Horse and Jockey pub near the train station, which has some great accommodation upstairs. I’ve also stayed at the George and Dragon Inn, another beautiful centuries-old pub with rooms.
One of the most scenic stretches of the Offa’s Dyke Path is around two miles south of Knighton, on Hawthorn Hill. The Dyke is in an excellent state of preservation along the ridge, and there are superb views of the Radnorshire hills to the west.
Getting there: You can get to Knighton by train. It’s on the beautiful Heart of Wales Line, a single carriage train which runs from Swansea, through Carmarthenshire and Powys to the border and on to Shrewsbury.
Shropshire
Ludlow
If you’re travelling Wales by train, you’ll call at Ludlow at some point on your journey. It’s around ten miles from the Welsh border, and one of the finest Welsh Marcher towns, with a superb Castle and some of the best half-timbered medieval houses in this part of England. The town grew rich from the wool trade in the 15th century, and 600 years on, it still shows.
Ludlow Castle is the most obvious landmark in the town, a great border fortress begun in the late 11th century, and still being added to four centuries later. It’s perhaps the most impressive of the Marcher Castles, and for some years in the late 15th century most of Wales was effectively ruled from it.
The other landmark on the Ludlow skyline is the tower of St Laurence’s Church, which was also begun towards the end of the 11th century. However, most of the body of the church and the belltower were rebuilt in the 15th century in the contemporary English Perpendicular style.
Where to Stay: There are some amazing hotels and guesthouses in gorgeous late medieval buildings, with rooms full of character. My pick of these are the Feathers Hotel and The Townhouse Ludlow.
Getting there: The A49 passes through Ludlow, following a similar route to the railway.
Bishop’s Castle and Clun
I’ve only had the pleasure of driving through the area around Bishop’s Castle and Clun a few times, but they’ve left me wanting much more. The countryside, close to the Montgomeryshire border, (and the Welsh town of Montgomery) is gorgeous, perfect for easy to moderate level hiking in the hills.
Both towns are ancient, with a millennium of history under their belts. The most notable sight in Clun is its Marcher Castle, founded early in the reign of William the Conqueror by nobleman Robert de Say. It was one of the most important border fortresses guarding against incursions from Wales. It was attacked by Owain Glyndwr early in the 15th century, but its significance declined as the threat receded.
Bishop’s Castle is another picturesque town, full of medieval houses. The most remarkable of these is the House on Crutches Museum, a 16th-century half-timbered house supported on one side only by wooden pillars. It’s home to an excellent museum on the social history of the region.
Getting there: The A488 connects the two towns, and is the main road through this area of Shropshire. As for public transport, Clun gets two buses a week (Monday and Friday) from Ludlow, and the 553 service runs five times daily between Shrewsbury and Bishop’s Castle.
Where to Stay: The Castle Hotel is a handsome 18th-century townhouse in Bishop’s Castle, a perfect base for exploring Shropshire.
Stokesay Castle
Stokesay Castle, a mile south of Craven Arms, is one of the most picturesque castles in England. It looks more imposing than it really is – it’s more of a fortified manor house, able to withstand a few small skirmishes, but not a sustained, prolonged siege.
It was built in the 13th century on a moated island by wealthy local wool merchant Laurence of Ludlow. The complex also includes the parish church of St John the Baptist, which was begun in the 12th century and largely rebuilt 500 years later after being damaged in the English Civil War.
The countryside setting, the moat and the half-timbered buildings – unusual in castles in Britain – are what makes this Castle so beautiful. The striking 17th-century yellow timber-beamed gatehouse was the only part of the Castle added after Laurence of Ludlow’s time. But the most intriguing part of the Castle, for me, is the North Tower, which you ascend via an original 13th-century staircase.
There is also a lovely walled garden and tearoom where dogs are welcome.
If you’re travelling by train from the south, you’ll spot the Castle on your right a mile before Craven Arms station. It’s well worth two or three hours of your time.
Getting there: The A49 passes right next to the Castle. The train stops close by at Craven Arms station.
Long Mynd
The countryside north of Ludlow and Craven Arms is breathtaking. Much of it is included in the Shropshire Hills National Landscape, which is also still commonly called an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
The name Long Mynd is a Marcher mixture of English and Welsh, with ‘Mynd’ a shortening or corruption of the Welsh ‘mynydd’, meaning ‘mountain’.
Its name gives you an idea of what to expect – the Long Mynd is an upland plateau with steep hills and valleys. It’s to the southwest of Church Stretton, the next stop up the railway line from Craven Arms, and the National Trust-owned Cardingley Mill Valley and the nearby Bur Way Viewpoint walk are a popular hike from the station.
It takes longer to explore of all of Long Mynd than it does Stiperstones (See next section) as the massif is around six miles long and three miles wide, but even if you just do this one hike, you will be well rewarded.
The best time to hike the Shropshire Hills is high summer – late July to late August, and sometimes early September. This is when the purple-pink heather blooms all over the hillsides – an absolutely magnificent sight.
Stiperstones
The Stipertones is a single mountain (though many would prefer to get technical and call it a hill) to the northwest of Church Stretton, and it’s also part of the Shropshire Hills National Landscape.
Known as Carneddau Teon in Welsh, the Stiperstones is markedly different from Long Mynd. It’s characterized by a series of quartzite rock outcrops, and some have acquired nicknames like the Devil’s Chair, Manstone Rock and Cranberry Rock.
Its summit ridge is around five miles long, and accessible from two car parks – one at Knolls and another at The Bog Mine, a mile south of the village of Pennerley. You could visit from several bases across the border in Wales, including Montgomery and Welshpool, or from Shrewsbury, Ludlow or Hereford.
Weekend shuttle buses also run from Church Stretton station around Long Mynd and the Stipertones. These operate between early May and late September – check for more information here.
Again, the best time to visit is in the July to September heather window.
Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury (Yr Amwythig in Welsh) is one of the most beautiful country towns in England. It’s the county town of Shropshire, and somewhere you’d pass through whether travelling by car or train when exploring the Welsh Borders. It’s on the River Severn, and a boat cruise on the Sabrina is a great introduction to the town.
If travelling by train, one of the first buildings you see in Shrewsbury is the imposing Castle, originally built during the reign of Wiliam the Conqueror in the late 11th century. It’s now home to the Soldiers of Shropshire Museum. Entry to the grounds is free, and the Museum is paid.
It has the largest old town anywhere in the Welsh Borders, and you could easily spend a day or more wandering the narrow lanes lined with late medieval timber-framed houses.
Shrewsbury also has an impressive skyline of church towers and spires. The most beautiful of these churches in Shrewsbury is the sadly redundant St Mary’s. Fortunately it’s still open for visitors, and the carved wooden roof and stained glass are superb. It’s also worth seeking out Shrewsbury Abbey, which is a survival from Henry VIII’s destruction in the 1530s. Part of the Abbey Church was spared as it was to be used as a parish church, but Henry’s wreckers still destroyed the shrine of St Winefride.
The more recent St Chad’s Church, built to replace an older church which collapsed, is a curious circular church near the Quarry Park. It was built in the late 18th century in a mixture of Palladian and Neoclassical styles, and it’s where Charles Darwin, the most famous Salopian, was baptized in 1809.
If you’re completely overdosed on half-timbered houses, there’s always Shrewsbury Prison. The present grim red-brick Victorian jail was built over an earlier Georgian prison, and there has been a prison on the site since the Middle Ages. It’s said to be one of the most haunted prisons in the world, and as well as guided tours, you can also ‘do the time without the crime’ and sleep over. Rather you than me!
Getting there: Shrewsbury is the region’s main transport hub. The A5, A458, A49 and A53 all lead to Shrewsbury, so there are great road links from London and the nearby West Midlands.
Where to Stay:
**** – Lion & Pheasant Hotel – 16th-century charm and modern styling in the historic heart of Shrewsbury
*** – Darwin’s Townhouse – boutique B&B in an 18th-century Georgian townhouse
** – Abbots Mead Hotel – highly-rated 2-star hotel in a historic house in the town centre
Ironbridge Gorge
One of the places that claims to be the cradle of the Industrial Revolution in Britain, the Ironbridge Gorge is one seven miles from Shrewsbury, just south of the town of Telford.
It was there that the world’s first coke-powered blast furnace was built, and in 1779, the world’s first iron bridge (hence the name!) was constructed.
There are ten museums and attractions in the immediate area, and it’s one of the best historic industrial sites in Europe to visit.
Powys
Newtown
Newtown – Y Drenewydd in Welsh – is the largest town in Powys, and there isn’t a great deal to see there. Although it was home to the world’s first mail order company and the first branch of the recently departed WH Smith high street newsagency chain.
I’ve included it here as it’s the area’s main transport hub, with long-distance buses to Cardiff and Wrexham, and train connections to Shrewsbury, Aberystwyth and the Cambrian Coast.
Montgomery
Montgomery (Trefaldwyn) is one of the loveliest towns in Wales, a cosy country town close to the border with a fine Marcher Castle and many lovely half-timbered houses and cottages.
It has more of a feel of a village, except for its market square on Broad Street, lined with hotels, independent shops and the area’s standout restaurant, The Checkers. It’s somewhere you could easily linger for a day or three, and the late medieval Dragon Hotel is a great place to stay for as long as you desire.
While there, take half an hour or so to explore the Old Bell Museum, a delightful local history museum. And a few metres from there, you’ll find a plaque dedicated to Hungarian poet Janos Arany. He wrote a poem about a legend in which English King Edward I massacred many Welsh poets at Montgomery Castle because they refused to pay homage to him.
Getting there: Bus T12 from Newtown stops in the town.
Berriew
Berriew (Aberriw) is one of the prettiest villages in Wales, with a multitude of black and white cottages and houses. It’s also beautifully kept, always full of flower baskets whenever I’ve passed through. Many of the houses were built in the 19th century by architect Thomas Penson.
The village is notable for being the reputed birthplace of St Beuno, one of the most important Welsh saints of the 5th and 6th centuries AD. He founded the monastery at church at Clynnog Fawr on the Llyn Peninsula to the west, a major stop on the pilgrimage route to Bardsey Island.
The village is also home to the Andrew Logan Museum of Sculpture, which showcases some of his wonderfully exuberant work. There are two beautiful country houses with gardens near the village – Glansevern Hall and Garthmyl Hall – but both are now only used as wedding venues.
Welshpool and Powis Castle
Welshpool (Y Trallwng) is one of the main Welsh border towns, a market town that had something of a heyday in the 18th century. There are many brick Georgian houses along the High Street, including an extremely rare survival, a cock-fighting ring from the period.
Welshpool is also the starting (or finishing) point of the Montgomery Canal and Glyndwr’s Way National Trail. You can also take a trip back to yesteryear on the Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway, on a steam train to the nearby village of Llanfair Caereinion.
But the main reason for stopping by is Powis Castle and Garden, a mile west of the town. The red stone building has been in continuous use since the 13th century, and for me is the most impressive historic house in Wales. It is partly fortified, but over time evolved into more of a stately home.
Inside, there’s an excellent art collection, including A View of Verona by Bernardo Bellotto, the Italian court painter who used his uncle Canaletto’s name to get work. He is also famous for his historic veduti depictions of Dresden, Pirna and Warsaw. The Clive Collection consists of several hundred artefacts from across southern Asia, assembled by Robert Clive (better known as Clive of India) and his son.
Powis Castle’s terraced Garden was begun in the 17th century, and was strongly influenced by Italian Renaissance designs. It’s most famous feature is the yew hedge, which was originally planted in the 18th century. The trees were allowed to grow unchecked before the continuous clipping and pruning began again in the 19th century.
Getting there: Welshpool is on the Shrewsbury to Machynlleth line, where trains split to Aberystwyth and Pwllheli. If you’re driving, it’s on the A458 from Shrewsbury.
Where to Stay: The Royal Oak Hotel – beautiful Georgian building in a central location just off the High Street
Llanfyllin
Llanfyllin is a small market town close to the Berwyn Mountains. It’s worth a brief stop if you’re heading towards the Berwyns or Lake Vyrnwy, with a few notable buildings. As well as a few half-timbered houses, there’s an interesting red-brick church built in the early 18th century, a real rarity in Wales.
And there’s a later, unique survival in the town – the Llanfyllin Union Workhouse, the only one left intact in Wales. Workhouses were built during the 19th century for people who were too poor to afford anywhere to live, and they lived in very basic conditions, working very long hours, with just enough food and nutrition to keep them alive.
The buildings and courtyards are used to host various events throughout the year, and the exhibition on life there is a confronting introduction to the cruelty and lack of compassion our Victorian ancestors had for those less fortunate than themselves.
North Shropshire
If you’re driving, you may well pass through the border village of Llanymynech. The countryside around it is spectacular, with superb views towards the Berwyn Mountains from higher ground. The England-Wales border runs through the village and the hilltop golf course – the latter has a unique selling point as it’s one of the few places in the world where you can play a round in two different countries.
You soon reach Oswestry (Croesoswallt) a few miles to the north. There are a few things to see in and around the town, including some lovely timbered houses in the centre, St Oswald’s Church and nearby Whittington Castle. The Castle is reputed to have been a hiding place for the Holy Grail, the cup used by Jesus at the Last Supper. It is not the only place to make such a claim, shall we say!
Getting there: The main A483 passes the edge of town, and there’s a mainline train station at Gobowen, just to the north of Oswestry.
Across To Wales – Wrexham County and Denbighshire
Whether you’re driving on the A5 or travelling by train, the main routes soon take you into North East Wales. The first place you reach is Chirk (Y Waun), home toone of the great Welsh Marcher Castles, and stunning surrounding gardens. If you’re travelling by train, keep looking west for the magnificent view up the Dee Valley towards Llangollen and the ruins of Dinas Bran Castle on a hill just outside the town.
Pontcysyllte Aqueduct
Pontcysyllte Aqueduct carries the Llangollen Canal 38 metres (136 feet) above the Dee Valley. It’s an amazing feat of engineering, the work of Thomas Telford, the civil engineer known as the ‘Colossus of Roads’.
It’s also one of the most famous landmarks in Wales, and one of four UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the country. You can either cross the Aqueduct in a narrowboat or walk across. The footpath is protected by a high railing, while the other side is open to the elements. It’s a straight drop from there, so if you’re thinking about crossing on a boat, it would be very tough for a vertigo sufferer.
Llangollen and the Dee Valley
Llangollen is a gorgeous country town in the Dee Valley, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty along with the nearby Clwydian Range. It’s located next to a series of rapids on the Dee, below the romantic ruin of Dinas Bran Castle, on a conical hilltop high above the town.
There are easily enough things to do in Llangollen to fill a whole weekend, perhaps even more. Dinas Bran is close to Eglwyseg Rocks and one of the most exhilarating sections of the whole Offa’s Dyke Path route. There are also plenty of canal walks and narrowboat rides, including to the Aqueduct and back. History lovers should head for the beautiful ruin of Valle Crucis Abbey, two miles out of town off the A542 Horseshoe Pass road.
I also recommend a visit to Plas Newydd, a gorgeous old house with superb carvings, once owned by the Ladies of Llangollen. This 18th-century couple were famous in their day, attracting visits from the likes of Lord Byron, Shelley, Wordsworth and the Duke of Wellington.
And the Llangollen Steam Railway makes a great day out, a steam train chugging you up the scenic Dee Valley to the town of Corwen and back.
Wrexham
Wrexham has suddenly been catapulted to fame across the world. It’s all on the back of Wrexham Football Club’s acquisition a few years ago by Hollywood actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhinney, and a Netflix series about them. Since they bought the club, they have been promoted back into the English Football League (after a long absence), and been promoted twice more in the last two years.
It’s the most recent of the seven cities in Wales to acquire its status. Wrexham is a workaday place with a few things to see, including an outstanding Perpendicular church (St Giles) with another American connection – Elihu Yale, founder of Yale University, is buried in the churchyard, just below the tower.
Close by, Erddig is a fine stately home with gardens owned by the National Trust, and the Clywedog Valley Trail, which takes you through Wrexham’s industrial past, including the Minera Lead Mines and Bersham Ironworks.
A Welsh football museum is also being developed at the time of writing – I’d go well out of my way to see that when it opens in 2026.
Where To Stay: The best place to stay in Wrexham is the Ramada Plaza Wrexham, on the outskirts of the city, half a mile from Wrexham General station and the Racecourse football stadium.
See Also: 15 Best Things To Do In Wrexham
Cheshire
Chester
Chester is one of the most beautiful cities in England, and one of the best border cities in Europe to visit. Known to the Romans as Deva Victrix and Caer (‘fortress’) in Welsh, it’s still surrounded by its ancient walls, and its core of medieval streets are home to the unique Chester Rows, a series of covered passageways above the street filled with small shops, cafes and restaurants.
Chester Cathedral is another highlight, a wonderful late Gothic gem with traces of a much earlier church dating back to Norman (11th-century) times. It’s dedicated to the Anglo-Saxon St Werburgh, whose shrine in the church was restored in the 19th century. The Cathedral also has exceptional 14th-century carved wooden choir stalls, including some amazing misericords (sculptures on the underside of seats).
There are plenty more things to do in Chester, including the nearby 13th-century Castle, from where English King Edward I planned his conquest of North Wales. The excellent nearby Grosvenor Museum gives the full lowdown on Chester’s history, and there are so many wonderful half-timbered buildings from the Middle Ages, including several pubs, to discover.
There are also many great day trips from Chester, including to North Wales and nearby Liverpool and Manchester.
Where To Stay: The 5-star Chester Grosvenor is one of the best hotels in the Welsh Borders and North West England.
Wales – Flintshire
The northernmost border county in Wales is Flintshire, and you barely notice that you’re crossing the border if travelling on the A55 through the industrial estates of Deeside. But there are several places well worth seeking out in this corner of North East Wales.
Mold
Mold (Yr Wyddgrug in Welsh) is a lovely small market town well worth a stop for an hour or two. The centre of town has a great street market on Wednesdays and Saturdays, and just up the hill from there, St Mary’s Church is one of the finest Perpendicular (late Gothic, 15th-16th centuries) churches in a region rich in them. Prominent Welsh painter Richard Wilson is buried in the churchyard, just beyond the east wall of the church.
Mold is a good base if you’re exploring the North Wales Borderlands. It’s close to one of the most magnificent stately homes in Wales, Plas Teg. It has been open sporadically over the last twenty years or so, but is currently closed at the time of writing. It was built during the reign of King James I (1603-25). Hopefully it will be opened again for visitors in the not too distant future.
It’s also one of the gateways to the Clwydian Range, a series of hills overlooking the Vale of Clwyd, with astonishing views to Snowdonia in clear weather. The best time to visit the Clwydian Hills is in summer when they are carpeted with pink and purple heather. The route along the summits, which were fortified during the Iron Age, is one of the most enjoyable sections of the entire Offa’s Dyke Path National Trail.
Flint Castle
The first castle built by Edward I in North Wales was at Flint, a few miles northeast of Chester. It was therefore the first component of his Iron Ring of castles in North Wales, which includes the four World Heritage Castles at Conwy, Caernarfon, Beaumaris and Harlech.
It’s in a very evocative site, next to the vast empty space of the Dee estuary, and it’s also close to the official start / end point of the Wales Coast Path. It’s a very impressive piece of work, the first that master military architect James of St George undertook for Edward I. The outer keep walls are an incredible seven metres thick, so it’s no surprise that much of it has survived.
After the subjugation of the Welsh in the 1280s, the Castle was the scene of a meeting between Richard II and Henry Bolingbroke, later Henry IV. The Castle also withstood a 3-month siege during the Civil War, eventually succumbing to Parliamentarian forces.
Best Places To Visit In The Welsh Borders – Final Thoughts
I hope you’ve enjoyed this guide to the Welsh Borders. It’s a wondrous part of the UK, and one that often gets overlooked. It’s somewhere you could stop by for longer if you’re heading from England to Wales, or you could make it your trip destination. It’s also somewhere you could dip in and out of if you live nearby in the UK.
Here are some more places to visit near the Welsh Borders:
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