Shropshire Star

Top 50 family ideas in Shropshire for the summer holidays

Another school year is over and the long summer holidays are finally upon us.

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While happy children are celebrating having a six-week break stretching out before them, parents and carers may be worrying about how they are going to fill all of their time.

But there is no need to fret any longer.

Here is a list of inspiration to help you answer the inevitable daily question: What are we doing today?

There are plenty of activities and attractions on your doorstep, from sports and leisure, to arts and crafts, to culture and educational fun - with some things that you can do free in the great outdoors.

Also included in our guide are suggestions for day trips for all the family that you can make further afield and some simple ideas on how to keep young minds entertained indoors when the weather refuses to play ball.

1 An image of the world famous Iron Bridge at Enginuity, the interactive technology centre in Ironbridge which is a must visit for young inquisitive minds.

Iron Bridge at Enginuity

2 The ruins of Wenlock Priory in Much Wenlock are a fascinating reminder of the area's history – and well worth a look around. An Anglo-Saxon monastery was founded here in about 680 by King Merewalh of Mercia, and the remains on show today are of a Norman priory of Cluniac monks which dates back to the 13th century. Entry is free for English Heritage members.

3 Come face-to-face with a giant spider that can be seen towering over visitors at British Ironwork Centre near Oswestry this summer. Entry to the centre is free.

Sarah McManus faces the spider

4 Culture lovers should head to Shrewsbury Theatre Severn. Later this month Russell Watson will sing on stage and the Bee Gees Story will also be retold.

5 Green-fingered gardeners will be in for a treat at Shrewsbury Flower Show on August 12 and 13.

6 Music lovers will be in seventh heaven with the annual Shrewsbury Folk Festival this summer. There is a line-up of some of the best musicians in the world including The Levellers and Roseanne Cash, daughter of Johnny Cash. The event will be staged over the August Bank Holiday weekend at the West Mid Showground.

7 What about a gentle cruise along the River Severn in Shrewsbury?

Dilwyn Jones and his crew will welcome you aboard the Sabrina Boat to take you on a guided tour of a stretch of the river. They will show you interesting hidden places not visible from land and will tell you all about the history of the town.

8 Fordhall Farm, near Market Drayton is expecting a busy summer the highlight of which will be FordFest which runs from Friday, August 19 until Saturday, August 20. There will be bands, local ales, circus fun and hot food.

Tickets are £8 in advance, £10 on the door. Camping £5 per tent.

9 More than 70 aircraft are housed at RAF Cosford. Free entry.The Cosford Food Festival also takes place at the site this weekend.

Big cat at Hoo Farm

10 New animals at Hoo Farm in Telford. This is a rare cat and possibly the only one in the UK that you can get up close and personal

11 You'll be chuffed you visited the Rocket engine at Telford Steam Railway

12 The Stiperstones is a popular area for walkers and hikers and includes many points of interest including the Devil's Chair

The Devil's Chair

13 Ride the rails with the Severn Valley Railway this summer. See the engine shed and travel on the steam trains from Kidderminster to Bridgnorth. Family tickets are £39.

14 There is something for all the family to take part in at The Mere at Ellesmere.

Created by retreating glaciers after the last Ice Age the Mere is home to a variety of wildlife.

15 For more than 100 years Bridgnorth Cliff Railway has been transporting people up and down the 111ft sandstone cliffs which separate the High Town from the Low Town. You can take a trip on the railway Monday to Saturday from 8am to 8pm or on Sundays from noon.

16 Shropshire Wildlife Trust has a range of activities from learning about butterflies and bees to discovering how Charles Darwin began his work on the origin of the species.

17 People can visit the picturesque, award-winning canalside village of Audlem and take a boat ride on the Audlem Lass up to the beautiful Overwater Marina.

18 Visitors can enjoy a dip in an outdoor pool this summer. The Severn Centre at Highley offers children's activity clubs in school holidays, swimming lessons in their outdoor heated swimming pool and toddler swim sessions too. It also has a library, indoor sports hall and tennis courts.

19 Garden open afternoons and house tours are available at Combermere Abbey, near Whitchurch. Learn about its fascinating 900-year-old journey from monastery to historic house led by a guide.

20 The Oswestry Cheese Club opens its doors at The Townhouse, Willow Street, Oswestry, on August 2.

This popular monthly event takes you through the tricky, if delightfully tasty steps to buying the perfect cheese.

Tickets are £12.50. Call 01691 770 364.

21 Daredevils can take part in a tandem skydive from Tilstock Airfield, near Whitchurch. People are securely attached in a dual harness to an experienced tandem instructor who will give taste of what skydiving is all about.

22 Fancy quad biking, mountain biking, clay pigeon shooting, or archery? The Edge Activity Centre in Much Wenlock offers all these and more this summer. The climbing wall and zip wire sessions are also available. Click here

23 Click your heels and wander down the yellow brick road to Dearnford Lake, near Whitchurch, on August 20 to watch the Wizard of Oz by Immersion Theatre Company. Visitors can bring a picnic and chairs.

24 Enjoy guided walks and and 4x4 driving at Hawkstone Park, near Hodnet. The Follies is an historic woodland fantasy site

Hawkstone Park

25There are few more pleasant spots than Carding Mill Valley on the Long Mynd. The picturesque valley is a favourite with walkers, cyclists and school parties and overseen by the National Trust.

26For an authentically agricultural day out, the Burwarton Show near Bridgnorth on August 4 is hard to beat for spectacle and variety. The one-day farmers' show is one of the biggest in the country and this year will have Diggerland Dancing Diggers and Joseph's Amazing Camels in the main ring, surrounded by streets of trade stands and vintage vehicles.

27Come rain or shine this summer, the latest features at Dorothy Clive Garden, near Market Drayton, are available to admire. The Royal Botanic Glasshouse is the only glasshouse in the region dedicated to the display of plants for public benefit. The planting includes lemon, grapefruit, figs and olive trees as well as climbing plants such as bougainvillea, plumbago and a grape vine. There is also 12-acres of garden to explore.

28Described as the "finest example of a medieval fortified manor house in Britain", Stokesay Castle is not really a castle – but it certainly is pretty. It has activities throughout summer starting with a Tudor weekend from Saturday.

29Iron Bridge is always a hot spot for visitors to the region with a its history and plentiful supply of cafes and pubs.

30Oakengates Theatre in Telford plays host to music, comedy and a whole lot more. Top comic Jason Manford has just announced he is to play there on August 19 as part of an impromptu 10-date tour. The Giant's Loo Roll, a musical suitable for kids, will be on July 26.

31The summer is the perfect time to get closer to your local canal network and maybe sail on it for the first time. The Montgomery Canal runs for 38 miles from a junction with the Llangollen Canal near Ellesmere in Shropshire to Newtown in Montgomeryshire, now part of Powys. Click here

32The new Butterflies sensory room for under-twos at Telford's Jungleland.

Sensory room in Telford

33Parents should check out Dobbies new Little Seedlings Holiday Club. The garden centre, which has a store in Shrewsbury, will be holding a series of workshops.

34Step back in time at Blists Hill. The Victorian Museum offers the sights and sounds of life more than a century ago. Summer events include candle dipping workshops and a traditional fair.

35A packed programme of events for the whole family – featuring the Royal Signals Motorcycle display team the White Helmets – is scheduled for Oswestry Show at Park Hall on Saturday, August 6. Bob Hogg Sheepdogs and Duck Display have also been confirmed. Call 01691 654875.

36The light summer evenings mean there is enough time after work to get some fresh air and go rambling – and in Oswestry you can visit one of the best-preserved hillforts in Britain.

37The impressive ruins of Moreton Corbet Castle, near Shawbury, are the product of over 500 years of building and an interesting place to visit.

38As Britain prepares for the Rio 2016 Olympics, closer to home, the good old-fashioned and amazingly competitive game of skittles is making a comeback.

Skittles matches at the Last Inn in Hengoed near Oswestry are being held every Tuesday evening.

39A walk up and down the Wrekin near Telford is the perfect way to spend a couple of hours.

The Wrekin

40The Woodseaves Miniature Railway is a narrow gauge railway which runs around the Woodseaves Garden Plants nursery, near Market Drayton.

There are two resident engines, one diesel and one steam to carry 12 passengers.

41If you are crazy about canine company then Ludlow Dog Day will be perfect way to kick start the summer holiday season. The annual extravaganza is at Stokesay Court on Saturday.

42Coalport China Museum is one of the fascinating historical sites in and around Ironbridge.

43Enter the Qube Open Art Competition 2016. This annual event grows in popularity each year. It has a deadline of July, 30. There is a cash prize for best in show.

44Make the most of the sunshine with some outdoor exercise. Yoga sessions will be held throughout July in Shrewsbury's Quarry Park which also help raise money for counselling charity The Green Oak Foundation. All sessions are in exchange of a donation and start at 6pm on July 20, 22, 26 and 29.

45The 2016 summer season will get into swing at Park Hall Countryside Experience, near Oswestry, with the opening of Maisy's Maize Maze during the school holidays. You will be surprised how much fun you can have getting lost.

Just wander along to the maze and explore the labyrinth of pathways. Call 01691 671123.

46Fancy living like the landed gentry? Step through the doors of Attingham Park, near Shrewsbury and see exactly how the minor aristocracy lived at the turn of the 20th century.

It is one of several National Trust properties in the county – there's more at Sunnycroft in Wellington.

Attingham Hall

47Heritage Opera, Northwest England's professional touring opera company, comes to The Marches School Theatre, Morda Road, Oswestry, on Sunday, July 31.

48Weston Park in Weston-under-Lizard, near Shifnal is set amongst 1,000 acres of landscaped parkland. The park is home to a number of events.

49The British Stone Skimming Championships return to Lydbury North, near Bishop's Castle on August 21.

50Ride on horseback at Springhill Farm, Selattyn, near Oswestry. It is a comprehensive British Horse Society-approved equestrian centre situated just seven miles from both Oswestry and Llangollen, on the Wales/ England border.

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