As one of England’s quieter counties, Shropshire is an ideal choice for anyone looking to enjoy a slower pace of life away from the crowds. Staying on a working farm or smallholding is a wonderful way to experience the county’s beautiful countryside and rich heritage, while giving you the chance to experience rural life first hand.
Around 85% of the total land area of Shropshire is given over to agriculture, with more than a third of this being arable.
The relatively flat land of the North Shropshire Plain, with its underlying heavy clay soils that are good at retaining water, creates lush grassland ideal for livestock grazing and extensive dairy holdings. There are also significant arable farms producing crops like wheat and barley, as well as fodder crops such as silage.
Towards the middle of the county, the soil becomes lighter and sandier and more free-draining, giving rise to a mixed farming and crops including sugar beet, potatoes, and combinable grains.
The Shropshire Hills are characterised by smaller upland and livestock farms, with sheep grazing on common land and permanent pastures. Some small scale arable cultivation, mostly for feed crops, can also be found, while remnants of valuable grassland and hay meadow habitats survive.
The county also has a good number of soft fruit farms and orchards producing apples, pears, strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries, as well as heritage varieties such as the 16th-century Shropshire Prune.
With such a variety of farms, there’s something to suit every type of traveller. You might choose a working livestock farm where you can get hands-on with bottle-feeding lambs or watch the cows being milked, a smallholding where you can collect eggs from the hens, or a peaceful farm stay surrounded by orchards.
With around a quarter of the county lying within the Shropshire Hills National Landscape, Shropshire is a great holiday destination for walkers and cyclists with the Carding Mill Valley and the Long Mynd, the Stiperstones and The Wrekin, some of the most popular trails. If you want to bring your four-legged friend along for the adventure, many of our farm stays in Shropshire welcome dogs. Just remember to always keep them on leads around livestock.
The River Severn snakes through the heart of the county, offering opportunities for canoeing, kayaking and paddleboarding, while a collection of nine glacial lakes, known as meres centred around the market town of Ellesmere, has given the area the nickname the Shropshire Lake District and provides excellent opportunities for birdwatching.
Shropshire has a fascinating history, from fortified castles and towns and villages that grew wealthy through the medieval wool trade, to the UNESCO World Heritage Site at Ironbridge, home to a collection of museums celebrating the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution.
After a day of exploring, a farm stay is the perfect place to return to. Our collection of farm stays in Shropshire reflects the county’s agricultural heritage, from lovingly converted historic barns and timber-framed buildings to Victorian cottages and traditional oast houses.
Families will appreciate properties with extras such as play areas, games rooms, swimming pools and tennis courts, with plenty to do back at the farm, while couples might prefer a farm stay with a hot tub or open fire, the perfect spot to relax at the end of the day.
Whether you’re planning a family holiday, a romantic retreat, or a weekend away with friends, a farm stay in Shropshire is a wonderful way to experience this beautiful part of England. Discover your perfect Shropshire farm stay and start planning your next countryside holiday.
