Turkey and Tinsel in Telford

Day 1

We depart from our home area and arrive at our hotel for tea, coffee and mince pies before our first festive dinner, Christmas Eve.

Day 2

Oswestry & Ironworks Centre
Our first visit today is to 'where Shropshire meets Wales', the vibrant market town of Oswestry where you can hear Welsh and English voices mingling side by side in the recently voted 'coolest place to live in England'. The British Ironworks Centre & Shropshire Sculpture Park is a forge, silversmiths and sculpture park with a large showroom. The centre is famous for its safari park of sculptures, mostly in metal, and its gorilla made entirely of spoons. Find out about our most recent social campaign, 'Save a Life, Surrender Your Knife'. This led to the creation of their nationally renowned monument Knife Angel, which is currently on tour around the UK. Explore the centre at your leisure. Be sure to visit the artisan workshops to see the resident artists at work. The onsite craftsmen and artists are eager to show you what they are working on and to introduce their crafts to you. Return to the hotel for a wonderfully traditional Christmas Day dinner and a visit from Santa.

Day 3

Tudor history in Shrewsbury
Today it is Shrewsbury that catches our attention. It sits inside a loop of the River Severn and its Tudor centre is lined with half-timbered houses. The medieval, red-brick Shrewsbury Castle houses the Shropshire Regimental Museum, where military artefacts include uniforms and weaponry. Once back at the hotel, we enjoy a sumptuous New Year's Eve meal.

Day 4

Ludlow
Today we drive down the picturesque Wenlock Edge, off the beaten track towards historic Ludlow with its castle and endless array of listed buildings. Here we have time for lunch and to explore. Then we make our way back through the delightful Shropshire countryside to Bridgnorth and return to the hotel for the final seasonal feast of our trip, New Year's Day.

Day 5

After breakfast we leave for our homeward journey.