Places to Visit

(also see [Local Beauty Spots] - [Local Events] - [Shopping] - [Where to Eat])

NOTE: (The information on this site should be used for guidance only - opening times, prices and other detail MUST be verified with the individual providers)

The House on Crutches Museum
Housed in half timbered, 16th century house over hanging The Cobbles at the top of the High Street, This volunteer-run museum offers a changing range of exhibitions covering the history of Bishop's Castle, town trades, fairs & markets, farming life and the surrounding countryside, costume and changing approaches to cooking and the kitchen. Admission: free but we depend on donations and groups, societies and schools which visit usually make a donation of about £1 per head.
Open: Easter to Michaelmas - Sat & Sun, Bank Holidays inc. Good Friday 2.00 p.m.. - 5.00 p.m.. or at any other time by arrangement with curators Sally Chappell and Anne Lawrence (01588 630007).

Bishops Castle Rail & Transport Museum
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 Ken Lucas (01588) 638446. Admission: free but donations welcome.

Bishop's Castle Heritage Resource Centre, Chapel lane
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.
The Family History Group hold free 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. 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.
40 artists in the area come together twice a year to show "affordable art".
Dates: April 24, 25 & 26 and November 27, 28 & 29. 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 4th).
Contact: Rosie Read (01588) 630421

The Three Tuns Brewery
Salop St., Bishop's Castle, Shropshire SY9 5BW
The oldest brewery in the HK, 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 - 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

SpArC Theatre
A 135 seater, purpose built auditorium, fully accessible and with on site parking available. The adjoining foyer and refreshment area is licensed to sell alcohol.
The current season of evening productions includes internationally toured drama, dance, a wildlife presentation and a physical performance and runs from February to the end of April. Alongside the live theatre is SpArC Screen, showing in the late afternoon popular films suitable teenagers and a Decks and VJing live set.
The theatre facilities are also regularly hired by groups including dance, exercise, workshops, drama, conferences and training sessions.
For ticket reservations and enquiries: 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 m.love@teme-leisure.co.uk or write to Maggie Love at SpArC Centre,

Music at the Vaults
spitandsawdustproductions.blogspot.com

Bishop's Castle Film Society
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: rponomarenko@hotmail.com Programmes available from Bishop's Castle Tourist Information Office.

Bishop's Castle Library
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.

Enterprise House, (01588) 638038 Station Street, Bishop's Castle
Drop-in IT Centre with internet access and office services. Online Centre. Hands-on beginners courses, bespoke training and PC and Apple Mac support. Open 9-5pm Monday - Friday. Late nights Tuesday & Friday to 7.30pm. Saturday 10am - 1 pm. Closed for lunch 1-1.30pm. The Public Library and Dial-a-Ride service share the same building. www.bishopscastle.co.uk/IT

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
On the ground floor of the Town Hall in the Square, an ancient monument, and once and 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.

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 30th and 31st 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: Administration Office at Walcot Hall (01588) 680570.

Walcot Wood
Owned by the National Trust, the wood is a remnant of ancient pasture woodland, once part of a large Elizabethan deer park. It is dominated by unusually shaped 400 year old veteran oak trees which are home to rare lichens and beetles.
The wood, which lies in a small valley below Bury Ditches Hill Fort and is protected from extreme weather and pollution, is now under active management after years of neglect. Bluebell, primrose, violet and sorrel carpet the wood in springtime and it is a haven for much wildlife. It is off the lane which runs between the villages of Brockton and Clunton and the Shropshire Way runs through it.
(download walking leaflet No5 <<HERE>>
Contact: The National Trust, Cardingmill Valley, Church Stretton, telephone (01694) 723068.

Chirbury
The seat of Lord Herbert of Chirbury, now the Earl of Powis, is a small, border village where many of the houses are timber framed with red brick facades. It is two miles from Offal's Dyke on the Montgomery road and within easy reach of Mitchells s Fold Stone Circle above Priest Weston (see Beauty Spots). The School House is a typical black and white timber framed building with a Victorian wing. It was founded by local vicar Edward Lewis in 1675 and is still in use. There was once an ancient priory and the church, which has two rows of leaning pillars inside, retains many of its building materials. The Herbert Arms serves food and there is a local Post Office, shop and tourist information point which stocks a local leaflet. T.I. open Mon - Fri 9.00 a.m.. - 5.30 p.m.. Sat 9.00 a.m.. - 1.00 p.m., and Sun 10.00 a.m.. - 12.00 noon.

Visitor Centre at The Bog, Stiperstones
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: Wed - Sun (but daily during all school holidays and Bank holidays) from Easter to end of October 10.00 a.m. - 5.00 p.m. (4.00pm in October). Shuttle bus stop.
www.bogcentre.co.uk  E-mail: bogcentre@hotmail.co.uk

Snailbeach Lead Mine
It is open on Sundays and Bank Holiday Mondays, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. from May 2nd to October 31st and also on Easter Sunday and Monday (April 4 & 5). from and visitors can see and 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 longer underground tours 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. .
Contact: Andy Wood (01743) 718668 www.snailbeachmine.org.uk

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