SHROPSHIRE MOTORING TRAVEL STORY

Jonathan Crouch takes roads less travelled in the beautiful county of Shropshire

Shropshire. One of Britain's most unspoilt counties. A rewarding short break driving destination. And a place long immortalised in verse:
"Into my heart on air that kills
From yonder far country blows:
What are those blue remembered hills,
What spires, what farms are those?"
A E Housman
'A Shropshire Lad'

Even if you haven't read the poem, you might just recognise the words. 'A Shropshire Lad' was a collection of 63 poems published in 1896 depicting scenes from country life and was particularly popular with English infantryman fighting in the First World War trenches. Essentially, its verses are a piece of escapism - much needed then, just as what Shropshire has to offer the modern tourist in search of a place apart in these crazy times is much-needed now.



The Shropshire Hills, which link the Midlands with the Welsh mountains, look particularly appealing in the strident sunshine of a perfect British summer. The 'Blue Remembered Hills' flow into craggy ridges, home to forts and castles that testify to hundreds of years of struggle between the Welsh and English. And almost nowhere in the UK is more than about half a day's drive away.



So potentially then, the kind of refreshing place you might never previously have considered for a really refreshing long weekend break. Our starting point for our visit wasn't in any of Shropshire's major towns but right out in the county's countryside in the little hamlet of Northwood, about 20 minutes drive no...