Planning Your Time

Stratford-upon-Avon is ideal for day visits from London or as a base for exploring nearby; depending on your love of Shakespeare, you probably won't need more than a day or two here. Warwick can be explored in an hour or two, but castle lovers could spend half a day in the many lines at busy Warwick Castle. A drive through the area's country lanes is a pleasant way to spend a day; a stop at any stately home (check hours) will take a few hours. You're also near the northern Cotswolds if you want to explore the countryside further.

Birmingham, where the museums and sights take a full day to explore, makes a logical base if you want cosmopolitan city life. It's easy to reach the countryside from the smaller cities of Hereford, Shrewsbury, and Chester, but if you want to walk the hills, Ludlow is a good gateway for Wenlock Edge, as is Great Malvern or Ledbury for the Malvern Hills. In the north of the region, Ironbridge Gorge and Chester demand a full day each. Ludlow and Shrewsbury take less time, though it would be a shame to leave Ludlow without sampling its fine dining, and Shrewsbury makes a good central base. Once you've gone as far north as this, you might consider going on to Liverpool, if the Beatles and maritime history have any appeal, or to north Wales.