A staycation in the idyllic county of Shropshire feels like taking a journey back in time, its panorama of lush green hills and sweeping valleys stretching as far as the eye can see. From our chic farmhouse base in the village of Chirbury, we were perfectly placed to explore Shropshire’s pretty and beautifully preserved historic towns, and we spent a fun and all-too-brief afternoon in Shrewsbury itself, a market town on the River Severn.

I am now officially cross with myself for not looking at the next county down, Shropshire, after having enjoyed a marvellous bit of R&R in what is a truly beautiful location. Country lanes, rising hills, swathes of green dotted with sheep and cows, it was all wonderful to gaze upon as … we were heading to a cottage on the Marrington Estate, close to Montgomery… our “shall we try Shropshire?” conversation proved to have been one of the best decisions we have ever made.

Why isn’t the Shropshire Hills AONB more celebrated? Alfred Housman’s “blue remembered hills” are ridged by Lilliputian mountains such as Long Mynd and have the best section of Offa’s Dyke, between Knighton and Kerry Ridgeway, yet everyone talks about Bannau Brycheiniog (aka the Brecon Beacons) instead. A hot tub with a view is one reason to book Camlad Barn — soak at night, the stars here are beautiful. Other reasons are large living areas, the peace of a private estate and the proximity to pinch-me pretty Montgomery.

Marrington Hall is amazing, from the booking to arrival, to the stay and then sadly leaving. It’s an amazing place. Clean, beautifully decorated, welcoming and comfortable. The bedrooms were a huge hit with our guests. We couldn’t have asked for a better place for our group celebrations. Everyone wants to come back. Thank you to the team at Marrington Escapes for your professionalism and helpfulness leading up to, throughout and after our stay. Just amazing.

I think the biggest compliment to any holiday stay, is when nobody wants to go home at the end of the break. From the moment we walked into the barn we fell in love with the place. The outside space is brilliant too, with a lovely secure walled-garden, which our 6 year old loved, a comfy seating area and the cleanest hot tub we have ever encountered. All in all - for us - just perfect...

Marrington Hall is an excellent house with great facilities. We had three families there staying over the New Year, and we all had a great time. We're hoping to head back one summer to enjoy the outdoor space even more!

We really enjoyed our stay at Camlad Barn - there was plenty of space downstairs in the kitchen and living rooms, and everything was very clean. The outside was tidy and spacious, the hot tub was a big plus. The bedrooms and bathrooms were also very comfortable. The provided house guide was very helpful and detailed so we ended up going to a lot of the places recommended in there.

Fantastic cottage. Beautiful location, fantastic amenities, comfy, spotlessly clean. Worth every penny!

We had a lovely long weekend stay - the house was really great, clean and homely but also elegantly furnished and finished with great care. The kitchen had a really good selection of crockery and cooking utensils too which made things so much easier. The weather was kind, the food was good as was the company so the house provided the perfect location for a birthday weekend

This is a beautiful house in a fabulous location. The garden is great, lots of space for three small children and two dogs to tire themselves out. The hot tub was a real winner, much appreciated.

Our weekend stay family stay was very enjoyable at Calcot Cottage, everything was as described and was great for the family and our dog as well. Would definitely recommend and return as the hosts communicated great and were very helpful before and during our stay.