Gadlas Park Holiday Cabins

Fancy gawking at some spectacular architecture? There’s plenty to spy half an hour's drive away at Hawkestone Park Follies, which was built as a fantasy theme park in the 18th century, and the spectacular Attingham Park (40 minutes). More functional (but still fancier than your average house) are Whittington Castle and Chirk Castle – both within 20 minutes; you might also catch a glimpse of a narrowboat crossing the towering Chirk or Pontcysyllte aqueducts. Anyone drawn in by dabbling in history may wish to make the 50-minute trip to Ironbridge Gorge: the site’s got a bevy of historical attractions to explore, from a reconstructed Victorian town to the world’s first cast-iron bridge, built in 1779 to cross the Severn. Build a bridge from past to present with a stop at the British Ironwork Centre, 20 minutes from base, where visitors can take part in blacksmithing, silversmithing and ceramics workshops, stroll the sculpture garden metal safari and mosey around the showrooms. You could also get a glimpse of rural living by meeting the animals and helping to groom the horses at Park Hall Countryside Experience (15 minutes), or opt for the urban instead with a trip to Shrewsbury (40 minutes) or a day wandering the streets of Chester, 45 minutes from the site.