Places to Visit

see also: [Local Beauty Spots] - [Local Events] - [Shopping] - [where to stay]

[Where to Eat] - [Walking] - [Swimming & Other Activities] - [Ride & Cycle]

* indicates wheelchair accessible

House on Crutches Museum     www.bchrc.co.uk
Opposite Town Hall
High Street
Delightful museum illustrating the life of the town. Much of the collection has been donated or loaned by local inhabitants and paints a lively picture of life in a border town which has had a market since 1128. There are four display rooms in this unique early 16th century building and the stewards are all volunteers who enjoy sharing their enthusiasm with local residents and visitors from far and wide. Because of the nature of the building  there is very limited access for visitors with mobility difficulties. The two ground floor rooms have one step down from street level and two steps up into the second room. The two upper rooms are accessed by a staircase.
Admission: free but donations gratefully accepted.
Open:  Easter to October -Sat & Sun 2.00p.m. - 5.00p.m. Also open on Bank Holidays or at any other time by arrangement.
Contact: Bishop's Castle Heritage Resource Centre Chapel Yard, Church Street, Bishop's Castle SY9 5DE Tel:(01588) 630556 (answer phone)

Bishops Castle Rail & Transport Museum www.bchrc.co.uk *ground floor only
The museum, in School Lane off the High Street, shows the colourful history of the town’ railway which ran from Craven Arms and closed in 1935. It also shows examples of the local road transport during the same period. The museum is run by volunteer members of the Bishop’s Castle Railway Society.
Open: Easter to end of October, Sat and Sun 2.00 p.m. to 5.00 p.m. In addition at all public holidays and local town events. Special opening may be arranged by contacting the curator, Richard Newcombe (01588) 640300 (work) & (01938) 580340 (home) or the archivist
Admission: free but donations welcome.

Bishop’s Castle Heritage Resource Centre, Chapel Yard *
www.bchrc.co.uk
Bishop’s Castle Heritage Resource Centre is a volunteer-run local heritage store and research centre celebrating local history and keeping it within the area for people to use and enjoy.
Open: The Family History Group hold open sessions at the centre on Saturdays from 10.00 a.m. to 12.00 noon to help people wanting to research their ancestors. A thriving House History Research Group is investigating properties in Bishop’s Castle. New volunteers are always welcome! Visits can be arranged at other times.
Admission: Meeting room with good facilities and seating for 12, £6 an hour.
Contact: (01588) 630556 or mail@bchrc.co.uk

The Castle Artists’ exhibitions at The Three Tuns
www.castleartists.co.uk
40 artists in the area come together twice a year to show “affordable art”. Several associated workshops are available during the exhibitions at the Assembly Rooms, the Three Tuns Inn. Dates: Dates: April 23, 24 & 25 and November 26, 27 & 28. Sat & sun 11.00 a.m. to 7.00 p.m. Mon 11a.m. – 4.00 p.m. Castle Artist will also be at Bishop’s Castle Carnival (July 3rd).
Contact: Rosie Read (01588) 630421

St John the Baptist Church has it's own site >>HERE<<
Many of the 27 churches in the Clun Forest Deanery are steeped in the history of the south Shropshire Hills and have their own stories to tell and special features.  This leaflet  will act as a guide >>HERE<<

The Three Tuns Brewery
Salop St., Bishop’s Castle, Shropshire SY9 5BW The oldest brewery in the UK, part 17th century and part 19th century featuring a miniature Victorian tower brewhouse with a gravity process still in use producing fine, traditional beers.
Tours by appointment (cost £80) - a maximum of 16 per tour and the brewery is
unsuitable for people unable to cope with steep staircases.
Contact: Samantha Edwards (01588) 638392
www.threetunsbrewery.co.uk
(see “Where to Eat”)

Music at the Vaults
spitandsawdustproductions.blogspot.com
Live bands perform every Thursday evening at The Crown & Anchor Vaults, High St., Bishop’s Castle with an open mic/jam session on the 1st Thursday hosted by a band. Amps, P.A. and drums are provided. April 29th – May 1st 2 (Bank Holiday) The Mojo Festival: real ale and cider bar and live music in the yard; June 10th – 12th the second Landfest in aid of the Community Land Trust (see special events list) and July 8th- 10th annual Bishop’s Castle Real Ale Festival (see special events list), live music, real ale and cider bar and September 17th & 18th Bishop’s Castle Michaelmas Fair, real ale and cider bar, live band at 9.00 p.m. Saturday night.
Contact: Mandy 07971 213728 or Wayne 07747 877011

Teme SpArC Theatre, Bishop’s Castle
A 142 seat purpose built auditorium, fully accessible and with on site parking available. The adjoining foyer and refreshment area is licensed to sell alcohol. There is a varied seasonal programme of events. The theatre facilities are also regularly hired by groups including dance, exercise, workshops, drama, conferences and training sessions.
For ticket reservations contact: (01588) 630321 from 10.00am to 9.00pm weekdays and 10.am to 12 pm at weekend.
To be kept in touch about events at SpArC: send your e-mail address to c.leach@teme-leisure.co.uk or write to Arts Coordinator at Teme SpArC Centre, Brampton Rd, Bishop's Castle SY9 5AY and you can be included on the SpArC e-mailing list or pick up a programme from reception.
(see “What to Do” section for the SpArC Centre)

Bishop’s Castle Film Society
www.bishopscastlefilmsociety.co.uk
The society shows selected films fortnightly on Wednesday evenings at The Three Tuns Inn from late September to mid April. Drinks and meals are available at the inn prior to the show. Visitors are welcome.
Admission:Wednesday evenings at 8.00 p.m. Admission: guests £3.50, students £1.50.
Contact: Julia Parker (01588) 680440 for a programme. They are also available from Bishop’s Castle Visitor Information Centre.

The Community College, Bishop’s Castle *
www.cocobc.org
The College runs a full arts programme throughout the year. This includes theatre, concerts, talks and lectures.
Contact: Contact the college (01588) 638257

Bishop’s Castle Library *
www.shropshire.gov.uk/library.nsf
The library has new, larger premises at Enterprise House in Station Street. It has a good local reference section with books and maps and visitors tickets are also available, upon proof of identity, for fiction and non-fiction books to take away, also videos, dvds & spoken word tapes. The Library is open on Mondays 10.00 a.m. - 2.00 p.m., Tuesdays and Fridays 10.00 a.m. - 1.00 p.m. 2.00 p.m - 5.00 p.m., 5.30 p.m. - 7.30 p.m., and Saturdays 9.30 a.m. to 1.00 p.m. A mobile library serves the villages.
Contact: the library during opening hours (01588) 638215 and Church Stretton library at other times (01694) 722535.

Walcot Hall & Arboretum
Lydbury North, Shropshire SY7 8AZ
www.walcothall.com
The Hall is the historic home of Lord Clive of India who commissioned Sir William Chambers to re-design the house and stable block in 1763. It has been slightly reduced in size to suit present day requirements but its aspect remains a perfect, Georgian elevation with parapet walls and sash windows. Clive’s son Edward added a free standing ballroom around c. 1800 which is now available for weddings, concerts and parties. He was much interested in gardening and arboriculture and 30 acres have been developed into an arboretum with winding walks and a variety of magnificent specimen trees. Walcot hall remained in the Clive family for 170 years, during which time large sums of money were spent on maintaining and improving the grounds. A mile long lake stretches in front of the hall which was enlarged by French prisoners of war during the Napoleonic Wars.
Open: Walcot Hall on Sun and Mon May 29th & 30th from 1.30 p.m. - 5.30 p.m. under the National Gardens Scheme open days with teas served in the ballroom. By appointment only at any other time.
Arboretum from April to October - 12 noon - 4.00 p.m. every day but Saturday.
Admission to Arboretum: £3.50, children (under 15 years) free. Collect tickets from box adjacent to the car park.
Contact: Walcot Hall Office (01588) 680570.
e-mail: enquiries@walcothall.com

Snailbeach Lead Mine www.snailbeachmine.org.uk
www.pulverbatch.org.uk for village information.
www.shropshirecmc.org.uk for the Shropshire Caving and Mining Club
www.shropshiremines.org.uk for the Shropshire Mines Trust
Amongst the wooded slopes and moorland above the Snailbeach valley are the relics of a once thriving lead mining industry. The South West Shropshire orefields were originally worked in Roman times and became the most productive in Europe. Mining finally ceased in the 1950s and the site is now a scheduled ancient monument with 20 fine buildings, the best set of preserved lead mine buildings in the UK. It is open on Sundays and Bank Holiday Mondays throughout the summer, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. from from April 24th to September 25th. The Visitor Centre, entry free, has an audio visual presentation of the mine’s history. You can walk round the site with a self-led trail leaflet and see the Locomotive Shed and the Blacksmith’s Shop. Visitors can go underground into Day Level, charges £2 adult and £1 child, with an experienced guide. Helmets and lights are provided and warm clothes and suitable footwear recommended. On certain days, May 8th, June 5th, July 3rd & Oct 9th - longer underground tours at 10 a.m. can be booked in advance and private tours for groups can be arranged. The village of Snailbeach is 2 miles south of Minsterley off the A488 road from Shrewsbury to Bishops Castle. Park at the Village Hall car park where there are public toilets. The Shropshire Hills Shuttle Buses (Stiperstones Route) stop at Snailbeach village and it is a short stroll up to the mine site. Entrance to the mines is free but donations are welcome.
Contact: Andy Wood (01743) 718668 or to book longer tours Mike Moore (01952) 405105.

The Bog Visitor Centre, Stiperstones www. bogcentre.co.uk *
A former Victorian village school, the centre is open as a visitor centre with full information, toilets, home-made refreshments and disabled access and facilities. Dogs welcome. The volunteers who run it have extensive knowledge of the area and can advise on walks. Local craft and artwork is on display and for sale.
Open: April 2nd to Oct 30th (but daily during all school holidays and Bank holidays) 10.00 a.m. - 5.00 p.m. (4.00 p.m. in October). Shuttle Bus Stop.
Contact: (01743) 792747 e-mail: bogcentre@hotmail.co.uk

Clun
www.clun.org

Clun Castle
Built in stone in 1195 on the site of an original motte and bailey. Now a ruin and under the care of English Heritage.

Clun Museum
The museum is on two floors of the Town Hall in the Square, an ancient monument, and once and once an open jail. It has many wondrous things including local flints, Civil War helmets and Clun chairs.
Open: Tuesday & Saturday 2.00 - 5.00 p.m.

Trinity Hospital, Clun
A group of almshouses built in 1614 by the Earl of Northampton. The gardens and grounds are open to the public.