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Shakespeare Country & the Welsh Marches: 4-Day Plan You Can Actually Drive
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The 4-day version for June: every day fits real transit, opening hours and daylight. Prefer more or fewer days? 3-day plan · 4-day plan · 5-day plan · best time to go.
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4
days
175 km
distance
8.4 h
driving
27
curated stops
💡 Good to know for this plan
- ~16.5 hours of daylight in June — the plan keeps days inside a realistic window.
- The RSC's summer season fills Stratford's riverside theatres, castle grounds are at their greenest, and Ludlow's food scene warms up toward its September festival.
Day 1 Stratford-upon-Avon → Warwick
- Transit
- 1h31
- Finish
- ~16:50
- Temperature
- 9.9°C–19.3°C
- Rainy days
- ~10
- Daylight
- 16.5h
09:00
Stroll through thatched-roof gardens surrounding Anne Hathaway's restored home.
50 min · Stratford-upon-Avon · "Full story" prices as for Birthplace; Cottage only adult £12.50, age 3-17 £8, conc £11.50
open: Same hours as Birthplace
10:00
Explore restored 16th-century interiors and authentic family heirlooms.
50 min · Stratford-upon-Avon · "Full story" adult £22.50, age 3-17 £14.50, conc £21; Birthplace only £17.50, £11.50, £16.50
open: Apr-Aug 9AM-5PM, Sep-Oct 9AM-4:30PM, Nov-Mar 10AM-3:30PM
11:00
Visit Shakespeare's final resting place among serene church grounds.
50 min · Stratford-upon-Avon · Donation £3
open: Apr-Sep: M-Sa 9AM-6PM, Su 12:30-5PM; Mar & Oct: M-Sa 9AM-5PM, Su 12:30-5PM; Nov-Feb: M-Sa 9AM-4PM, Su 12:30-5PM
12:35
Stroll through a Tudor house surrounded by a serene deer park.
50 min · Warwick
14:00
Walk through a grand medieval fortress filled with historic exhibits.
50 min · Warwick · Demand-priced: adult day-ticket from £24 online, £39 walk-up, annual pass £49
open: Daily Oct-Mar 10AM-5PM, Apr-Sep 10AM-6PM
15:00
15:50
Oken Tea Rooms okentearooms.co.uk
Savor traditional teas, cakes, and sandwiches in a 15th-century setting.
60 min · Warwick
open: 10AM-5PM
Overnight: Warwick
e.g. Park Cottage · Holiday Inn Express Warwick - Stratford-upon-Avon
Day 2 Ironbridge Gorge
- Transit
- 2h07
- Finish
- ~17:25
- Temperature
- 9.6°C–18.9°C
- Rainy days
- ~10
- Daylight
- 16.6h
10:25
Stand under the world's first iron bridge built in 1779.
50 min · Ironbridge Gorge
11:25
Engage with hands-on science and engineering exhibits for kids.
50 min · Ironbridge Gorge
open: 10AM-5PM
12:25
Visit Abraham Darby's original blast furnace and a Victorian warehouse.
50 min · Ironbridge Gorge
open: 10AM-5PM
13:25
Walk among the ruins of an ancient abbey owned by English Heritage.
50 min · Ironbridge Gorge · Adult £3.60, child £2.20, concessions £3.20
14:35
Discover the rich history of ceramic tiles in a private museum.
50 min · Ironbridge Gorge
open: 10AM-5PM
15:35
Step into a reconstructed Victorian town alive with history.
50 min · Ironbridge Gorge
open: 10AM-5PM
16:25
Overnight here
e.g. The Calcutts House · Mercure Telford Madeley Court Hotel
Day 3 Shrewsbury
- Transit
- 2h18
- Finish
- ~17:05
- Temperature
- 9.6°C–18.9°C
- Rainy days
- ~10
- Daylight
- 16.6h
10:00
Walk through the ruins of Viroconium, once the fourth-largest Roman city.
50 min · Shrewsbury · adults £7.20, children £4.30, concessions (students or over 65s) £6.50
open: Sa Su 10AM-4PM
11:15
You will wander among the ancient stone ruins of a medieval Augustinian monastery, steeped in history and serene.
50 min · Shrewsbury · Free
open: 10AM-4PM
12:25
Walk through the grounds of an 11th-century castle and visit its museum.
50 min · Shrewsbury · £4 for museum (seniors £3; children £1, former members of Shropshire regiments and under-5s free). Entry to the grounds only is free.
open: Museum: spring and autumn M-W F Sa 10:30AM-4PM, summer M-W F Sa 10:30AM-5PM, Su 10:30AM-4PM, closed in winter; Grounds: all year round, M-Sa 9AM-5PM and summer …
13:25
14:25
Discover the unique circular nave of this Anglican church from 1792.
50 min · Shrewsbury
open: M-Sa 8AM-4PM (W -5PM)
16:15
Overnight here
e.g. The Shrewsbury Hotel · Lion and Pheasant
Day 4 Ludlow
- Transit
- 2h27
- Finish
- ~17:50
- Temperature
- 9.6°C–18.9°C
- Rainy days
- ~10
- Daylight
- 16.5h
10:00
Ludlow Castle ludlowcastle.com read more
Explore this splendid Norman castle, strengthened through conflicts and later neglected.
50 min · Ludlow · Adult £10, child £5
open: Daily 10AM-5PM
11:05
12:45
13:50
Stokesay Castle english-heritage.org.uk read more
Step into a beautifully preserved 13th-century fortified manor house.
50 min · Ludlow · Adult £13.60, child £6.80, conc £12.75
open: Daily 10AM-5PM
14:55
St Laurence's Church stlaurences.org.uk read more
Admire the imposing parish church with its 11th-century origins and 15th-century bell tower.
50 min · Ludlow · Donation
open: Daily 10AM-5PM
16:00
16:50
Clive Arms theclive.co.uk map ↗
Dine in an 18th-century farmhouse turned elegant restaurant.
60 min · Ludlow · B&B double £220
open: Meals W-Sa 5:30-9PM, Su noon-3PM
🔍 Check before you book
Every stop is a real, sourced place, but opening hours change, roads close and businesses move. Check anything you're paying for before you book.