grrclark Posted September 5, 2014 Report Share Posted September 5, 2014 Hi folks, me and the missus have rented a cottage in Stiperstones village for a fortnight and we are heading down that way on Saturday 13th. It will just be the two of us and the two dogs, (golden retriever and gordon setter), and the plan is to have a relaxing fortnight doing a bit of walking, exploring the area and no doubt eating and drinking far too much. The middle weekend we will take in the Midlands game fair, but other than that we have no hard and fast plans. Shropshire is an area of the country I have never spent any time in so it will all be new. Any recommendations from the PW collective of places to see or things to do in that neck of the woods? Ideally places where the dogs can go too would be great. We are also planning on taking the shotguns so any recommendations on local clay grounds would be good. I was thinking about entering the sporting shoot at the Midlands fair, but have been told it is a long day due to the large number of competitors and lugging around a gun, bag of cart's and two dogs amongst a huge crowd does not for a fun day make. Graham Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malkiserow Posted September 5, 2014 Report Share Posted September 5, 2014 Not sure about the dogs but take a look at Ironbridge and also the Blackcountry Living Museum websites to see if they are your thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fuji Shooter Posted September 5, 2014 Report Share Posted September 5, 2014 I can recommend the Black Country Museum also. Went there for the fist time last week, best fish and chips I have ever had! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chemical Al Posted September 5, 2014 Report Share Posted September 5, 2014 (edited) Ludlow food festival that weekend 12-14th - http://www.foodfestival.co.uk/ Acton Scott Various Castles and English Heritage places nearby Minsterly Ranges - http://www.minsterleyranges.com/ - on your doorstep (not worth going to IMO) not been for a while though may of altered it. Griffin Lloyd - http://www.griffinlloyd.co.uk/ - Very good West Midland Shooting Ground - http://www.wmsg.co.uk - went once they wouldn't let us shoot as we hadn't booked, never been again. Mid Wales Shooting Centre - http://www.midwalesshootingcentre.com/ - nice little ground HTH and enjoy your trip Edited September 5, 2014 by Chemical Al Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grrclark Posted September 5, 2014 Author Report Share Posted September 5, 2014 (edited) Thanks chaps, I knew about Ironbridge gorge being a Unesco heritage site, but will look up the Black Country museum. Thanks Chemical Al, the food festival looks good too Edited September 5, 2014 by grrclark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chemical Al Posted September 5, 2014 Report Share Posted September 5, 2014 Edited post to include some shooting Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stokie Posted September 5, 2014 Report Share Posted September 5, 2014 Some great walks along the canal at Bratch . Or park at Norbury junction and walk to the navigation at High Offley real strange experience it's like walking into someone's living room. You can even hire a day boat if that tickles your fancy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shaun4860 Posted September 5, 2014 Report Share Posted September 5, 2014 You have heard right about queues in the game fairs, It can take up most of your day, You are better off just taking in the fair and shooting somewhere else on a different day Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daystate 177 Posted September 5, 2014 Report Share Posted September 5, 2014 black country museum would be worth it for the fish and chips alone,also the dogs would love cannock chase there is a fair wack of things to do around the midlands Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grrclark Posted September 5, 2014 Author Report Share Posted September 5, 2014 Thanks all for advice so far. I have googled for an idea of what is where, etc, but there is nothing that can really better local advice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dirty Harry Posted September 5, 2014 Report Share Posted September 5, 2014 I have been to the West Midlands shooting ground once and it was a very good day. You will need to book as one of the staff has to go round with you for safety reasons as some of the stands conflict. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrBob Posted September 5, 2014 Report Share Posted September 5, 2014 Drive to Bewdley, on the Severn. Explore this sweet little town and then walk along the river to Arley, a good walk of a few miles with kingfishers and the Severn Valley Railway to see. Arley is a superb little place, nice tea shop, kingfisher at the old ferry site, and one of the best railway stations around, scene of many films. At Arley, get a proper choo choo train back through the Autumn colours to Bewdley and your car. Dogs will love it. Check train times first, I'm sure dogs are allowed on the steam trains. http://www.svr.co.uk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HDAV Posted September 5, 2014 Report Share Posted September 5, 2014 Lots to see and do from stately homes to white knuckle rides! What are you into? Get a train to Birmingham and see the sites (gun quarter) though not much there now. Lots of canals and rivers, some hills (no mountains) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dekaw Posted September 5, 2014 Report Share Posted September 5, 2014 http://www.haimwoodshooting.com is a good clay ground , plenty of good walking around including the stiperstones and rodneys pillar Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grrclark Posted September 5, 2014 Author Report Share Posted September 5, 2014 Some good suggestions there, thanks. Don't think I will venture into Brum though HDAV, have done quite a bit of work there over the years and I like the city, but not for this trip. Looking forward to discovering the area and moving at a slower pace. I know there is a rich industrial heritage so learning about that is good, visiting historical towns or villages, maybe stately homes and gardens and i like the idea of walking along the canal. The cottage we have booked is an old miners cottage well up the hill so walking on Stiperstones is a given really, shall be the morning walk with the dogs. The pub is at the foot of the road so hoping they have some nice ales and i can enjoy a nice pint. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnphilip Posted September 5, 2014 Report Share Posted September 5, 2014 http://www.haimwoodshooting.com is a good clay ground , plenty of good walking around including the stiperstones and rodneys pillar A very nice grounds, set in woods Mark changes the traps every week. So there is always something new. rochester (spelling) a roman city very nice place. Much wenlock is a beautifull small village shrewsbury is a lovely town to visit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Medic1281 Posted September 6, 2014 Report Share Posted September 6, 2014 I think johnphilip means wroxeter as the roman village, also close to there is attingham park which is worth a walk around, especially if your a member of national trust. There is also powis castle near Welshpool or Erddig near Wrexham. Rattlinghope has a nice little pub, and a walk on the long mynd is always good. Bishops castle is a sleepy little town but has several pubs with micro brewery's and is a nice place to drink, but not much else there and transport home can be tricky. Ludlow is a nice historical town to walk around but gets very busy for the food festival. Hawkstone park has a few nice walks but I think you have to pay to get in, but it's only a couple of miles from West Midlands shooting ground at hodnet. I know shropshire pretty well so if you've any questions then drop me a pm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grrclark Posted September 6, 2014 Author Report Share Posted September 6, 2014 That's excellent, thanks for the info. I will spend a wee bit of time next week doing some internet research around the places mentioned and work out where everything is. Just got to hope the weather plays nicely! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnphilip Posted September 6, 2014 Report Share Posted September 6, 2014 (edited) Yes sorry i spelt it wrong and thanks, i think it is about the 3rd biggest city in the uk you can only see a very small part of it the rest has not been dug. If you watched a programe on tv last year, it was about a squad of modern day builders building a roman villa they could only use the tools the romans would have used in the day, well that is over the road its quite amazing site. My other man hobby is metal detecting, so i enjoyed seeing all the finds that had been found by the arcies. All the fields around the site are a no go area for metal detecting. Edited September 6, 2014 by johnphilip Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OJW Posted September 6, 2014 Report Share Posted September 6, 2014 West Midlands shooting ground is the best shooting ground I've ever shot at (my local ground is Bisley so not short of nice ones) , yer its pretentious you have to book, but its because of safety. If you can get past that and make a booking the guys who take you round are really nice and will actually offer you lots of free advice (or have done when ever they have taken me around). Some really testing traps, I shot the same course as the GB FITASC people shot to qualify the day before because they left it up for their customers to try. If you don't want to book you can go along on a Tuesday evening after 5pm and do a 50 bird sporting round for about £12 I think. Mickley Hall shooting school - Run by a father and son, really top blokes who have both had pretty prestigious shooting careers. Its cheap and cheerful and open Tuesday - Saturday. Double check that though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salop Matt Posted September 8, 2014 Report Share Posted September 8, 2014 Shooting wise we have a few options for clays: West mids shooting ground ( if you want places to eat over this way then: The Bear @ Hodnet or Fox& Hounds @ Shawbury) Mickley Hall Wergs Hilton Park Haimwood Ironbridge is great with the museums as others have mentioned, again eating wise the best places IMO are: The Shakespear, The Woodbridge, The Huntsman (little wenlock). Someone mentioned The ranges at Minsterly(the bog as its known), I wouldnt bother with this place at all. Severn vally railway is good and allows pooches, Bridgnorth is great with lots of nice places to eat and drink. Ludlow castle is nice and worth a visit and a few nice walks on the long mynd also, the three tuns brewery is also a nice visit. If you need any further help am 5 min from Ironbridge if you need help or advice with anything. ATB Matt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grrclark Posted September 8, 2014 Author Report Share Posted September 8, 2014 That's brilliant, thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Shadow Posted September 8, 2014 Report Share Posted September 8, 2014 My brother lived by the Stiperstones for 20 years, knows the place in the dark,,mind i went out many a night rifleing ,didnt know where we had been. As for clay shooting,,the best and hard to beat is Griffin Lloyd,,about 20 double traps set up all the time, collect a counter and take it with you , choose which traps you want to shoot and go,,also there is an olympic ball trap set up,stand in the dry, . Ludlow town is a superb place for a few hours, not far away is Clee Hill,DHustone,, totally open moorland dog freindly and amazing veiws of the countryside. Long Mynd,again open moors, a dogwalkers dream. Take your fly rod,near misterly is a good trout setup.cant recall the name yet. Get a local map,,loads of hills and footpaths. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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