Things To Do

Where do I start, there really is so much to see and do in just a short distance away from Sambrook Manor Holiday Cottages. Fishing, horse riding and golf are all available close by, as well as countryside walks and cycle rides which can be enjoyed from the door step.

Things To Do

Shrewsbury

The birth place of Charles Darwin, a beautiful town with lots of historical places to visit as well as lots of independent shops, cafes & restaurants. Explore the Narrow streets and Tudor buildings, visit the Castle or Abbey two of Shrewsbury's oldest landmarks or take a boat trip down the river Severn. Relax with a picnic in the quarry where you can walk along the River Severn or visit the formal gardens created by Percy Thrower.

Where do I start, there really is so much to see and do in just a short distance away from Sambrook Manor Holiday Cottages. Fishing, horse riding and golf are all available close by, as well as countryside walks and cycle rides which can be enjoyed from the door step.

National Trust

For a day out to visit places of historic interest or natural beauty then a visit to one of the many National Trust properties in the area is a must.  Some of the closest places to us include the house of Sunnycroft, Benthall Hall, Cronkhill and Moseley Old HallAttingham Park and Shugborough are both estates which have mansions, walled gardens, farms, play areas and county walks, spot the deer at Attingham or can you see the are small pearl bordered fritillary butterfly at Shugborough.
More National Trust places a little further away include Dudmaston, Wilderhope Manor, Kinver Edge & Rock Houses, Powis Castle and Carding Mill Valley and the Long Mynd.

English Heritage

There are many English Heritage sites near to Sambrook Manor Holiday Cottages. Lilleshall Abbey and Haughmond Abbey are great places to take a picnic and soak up the story that they tell. Take a visit to Britain’s 4th largest Roman city at Wroxeter where an audio tour will give you a fascinating insight into the daily lives of the romans who once lived there. Boscobel House and the Royal Oak, King Charles II's famous hiding place along with Wenlock PrioryBuildwas Abbey and Acton Burnell Castle are all great places to visit.

World Heritage Sites

We feel extremely lucky to live close to two of the thirty-two UNESCO world heritage sites in the UK –
Ironbridge – otherwise known as the birth place of the Industrial revolution is the closest just 20 minutes from our holiday cottages.  A visit to the Ironbridge Gorge tells the story of the Darby family and how Abraham Darby I developed the production technique of smelting iron with coke and there began the great 18th century industrial revolution.  There are 10 award-winning hands-on attractions to visit where you can a taste of what life was like back then.   At Blist Hill Victorian town you can meet some almost real Victorians and visit their shops and cottages, explore the Victorian pharmacy, school, candle maker and post office see what a trip to the dentist would have been like.  Enginuity is full of interactive exhibits, paint a tile at the Jackfield tile museum or visit the Darby family homes to see how the other half lived during the 18th & 19th centuries.  Don’t forget to take a walk across the world-famous Ironbridge built in 1779 by Abraham Darby III and spans the river Severn.
Pontcysyllte Aqueduct  -  Just an hour’s drive away you will find one of the most remarkable achievements of the industrial revolution.  You may want to hold your breath as you take a walk or canal boat ride across the UK’s longest & highest aqueduct.  Pontcysyllte is a pioneering masterpiece of Thomas Telford and William Jessop.  The eighteen arched stone and cast-iron structure carries the Llangollen canal across the river Dee, don’t forget your camera as you will want to capture the amazing views.

Farms & animals

Hoo Farm Animal Kingdom – At Hoo Farm you will find a wide selection of animals from reptiles, farm animals and the more exotic, here you can meet, feed, and even cuddle some of the animals.  There is also a café, gift shop and play area.
Food Hall Organic Farm Has a great story to tell and was England’s first community owned farm with over 8000 landlords. Today there are farm trails, picnic area, animals, shop, café, restaurant, and various events are also held throughout the year.
Shropshire Falconry – If you want a personal and bespoke bird of prey experience then look no further than Shropshire Falconry they can offer an indoor flying arena,  training room, owl experiences, Hawk walks and talks and half day falconry experiences.
Red Lion Farm - A small family business which makes delicious ice cream from their herd of Jersey cows , there is a tea room and a variety of animals including horses, alpacas, goats, sheep, chickens, rabbits & guinea pigs to have a look around.
Trentham Monkey Forest - A unique day out where you can walk amongst the 140 free roaming barbary macaques, get to see them up close as they wander around and learn about the conservation of this endangered species, hourly feeding talks and helpful guides as well as picnic areas, play areas, shop and café make it an enjoyable day out.
A little further afield and within an hour’s drive of Sambrook Manor Holiday Cottages you can also visit –
Chester Zoo – One of England largest and most impressive zoos.
Park Hall Countryside Experience – Lots of activities including farm animals, tractor rides, indoor & outdoor play areas.
Acton Scott Historic Working Farm – Daily activities and special events where you can see 19th century farm life unfold.
West Midland Safari Park – Take a drive through some of the worlds most beautiful and endangered exotic animals, feed the giraffes and deer as they come right up to your vehicle.
National sea life centre Birmingham – Get close to over 2000 sea creatures.

Gardens & estates

Dorothy Clive Garden has formal and informal gardens to explore. A network of paths leads you to discover the intimacy and tranquillity of this charitable garden trust set up by Colonel Harry Clive as a place of rest and continued horticultural education for the public.
David Austin Roses a renowned breeder of beautiful English roses, David Austin Roses is a still a family business which now breeds over 200 rose varieties, often many petal, repeat flowering blooms. Visit the home of the beautiful English roses where expert staff are always on hand to help and advise.
Trentham Estate lots of beautiful award-winning gardens to explore, including the Italian gardens, rivers of grass and floral Labyrinth. Stroll around the mile-long capability Brown designed Trentham Lake and see if you can spot the lovely stainless-steel wire fairies hiding there. Lots for the whole family to do here with an adventure playground, zip wire, maze, sandpits, and shopping village providing a great day out.
Weston Park An opulent 17th century mansion with fine art and Capability Brown landscaping set in 1000 acres of park. See inside the historic house which contains a world class collection of fine and decorative art. For the younger ones there is an adventure playground with miniature railway.
National Memorial Arboretum (Alrewas Staffordshire) The British site of national remembrance to honour the fallen, nestled amongst the woodland landscape is a collection of more than 300 memorials each with a story. The Millennium Chapel of peace is the only UK site which observes the daily act of remembrance.
Bridgemere Garden Centre Six acres of award-winning show gardens to explore, wildlife, trails, shops & café.
Black Birches of Hadnall  Set in beautiful grounds of the 12th century Black Birches House, here you will find over 600 varieties of roses in the rose nursery, there is also a tea room and children’s play area.

Adventures & thrills

For an action-packed fun day out, we have a number of places within driving distance of our holiday cottages.
Drayton Manor Theme Park – Here you will find a variety of  exciting roller coasters and attractions for all ages, also the home of Thomas land where the younger ones can enjoy the thrills of a roller coaster and enjoy the shows.  If you have enough of the rides there is also a zoo with over 100 animals including red pandas, monkeys and Sumatran tigers.
Waterworld – A water theme park located in Stoke-On-Trent with over 30 rides for all different ages and abilities or have a splashing time in the wave pool or just relax in the jacuzzi.
Hawkstone park & Follies -  An 18th century theme park and a great day out, you won’t find any roller coasters here instead you will find awesome caves to explore, gullies, towers & bridges.  Climb the 150-step spiral staircase to get some great views, 13 counties can be seen on a clear day.  Take a picnic or eat in the glass house tea rooms.  Prepare to come back to the cottages exhausted.
Wonderland, Telford  An Adventure for little ones where they can take a walk around the woodland paths to find fairy-tale characters and their houses, rides suitable for children only up to the height of 4ft, soft play area, maze &  dinosaur valley to keep small ones entertained.
West Midlands Safari & Leisure Park As well as a drive through safari park there is also an adventure theme park with rides suitable for various heights and a tiny tots theme park especially for little explorers.  Daily shows include the sea lion show, reptiles talk, hippo feeing, penguin feeding and lemur talk.
Escape Rooms - Get locked in a room and have 60 minutes to find clues and by using your skills, teamwork and logical thinking can you get out on time?  Escape rooms is located in Shrewsbury and there is also Xscape Now and Adventure Vault in Telford.
Cadbury World - A fun chocolate filled day out where you can learn all about this delicious chocolate in a self-guided tour which had a 4D cinema, children’s playground, museum and factory tour with free chocolate testing.
Climbing the Walls (Shrewsbury) - Huge indoor climbing space with 25 fun climbing activities to challenge your brain, balance and motor skills.  Action walls, bouldering and 12-meter high tall walls all available to test your skill or just wear the kids out, all inside and great for a rainy day.
Alton Towers - Just an hour away is the UK’s biggest theme park and waterpark.  With over 40 rides and attractions there is something for everyone to enjoy.  Also CBeebies Land with rides, attractions and live shows.

Trains & planes

Severn Valley Railway - Climb aboard one of the SVR heritage locomotives and enjoy the stunning 16 mile full size standard gauge railway line running from Bridgnorth to Kidderminster.  Passengers can hop on & off to explore the six historic stations, also visitor centre, tea room, collection of full-sized locomotives, mail sorting room and miniature railway.  Special events and experiences are available at various times throughout the season.
Bridgnorth Cliff Railway - The country’s oldest & steepest inland electric cliff railway has been transporting residents from Bridgnorth high & low town since 1892, fully accessible to someone with limited mobility.  In Bridgnorth you can enjoy interesting shops, gardens, historic castle grounds, stunning views and a stroll along the River Severn.
RAF Museum Cosford - Award winning RAF Cosford houses one of the largestv aviation collections in the UK and also includes the national cold war exhibition.  Cosford is the only place in the UK where you can see Britain’s V Bombers: the Vulcan, Victor and Valiant.  Free entry and a brilliant day out for all to explore, packed with hands on activities and lots of stories of the RAF servicemen and women who have helped shape the world we live in today.

Newport

A small Market town just 5 miles from our cottages, Newport has an excellent selection of independent shops, café’s, and tea rooms many of which are set in the towns beautiful historic building. There is an indoor market on a Friday & Saturday. Lovely canal walks and free parking.

Stoke-On-Trent or The Potteries

As it is affectionately known due to its history as the centre of the British pottery industry in the 18th century, today there are still many pottery factories & museums to explore including –
World of Wedgwood which houses one of the most important industrial collections in existence also factory tour, creative studio, tea room, restaurant, Wedgewood shop and factory outlet.
Gladstone Pottery Museum - The only complete Victorian pottery factory offering a fascinating insight into what life was like for men, women and children working in a typical pot bank Get hands on with daily pot throwing, bone china flower making and pottery decorating workshops.
Emma Bridgwater - Take an award winning tour of the factory or create a masterpiece all of your own in the decorating studio, visit the factory or gift shop then relax for lunch or afternoon tea in the café.
Middleport Pottery home of Burleigh pottery which has been created here using traditional methods since 1889. Take a look inside a huge grade II listed bottle kiln. Friendly volunteers are on hand to answer any questions. Book a factory tour and see Burleigh pottery being made using the same handicraft methods as in the 1880’s also on site is a shop & tea room.

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