Atcham

Atcham makes an appealing, low-key base for a Shropshire hotel break, trading big-town bustle for a handful of characterful riverside stays with easy access to the region's best-known attractions. The obvious choice is the Mytton & Mermaid, a Grade II listed former coaching inn built in 1725 right on the banks of the Severn, offering ensuite rooms just steps from Atcham Bridge and the entrance to Attingham Park. Staying here means waking up within a short stroll of the National Trust deer park and mansion, with the Severn Way footpath leading off in both directions for walkers and cyclists.

For a wider choice of hotels, guesthouses and boutique stays, Shrewsbury is only five miles away and offers everything from historic coaching inns in its half-timbered old town to modern chain hotels on its outskirts, all within easy reach of the mainline railway station. Staying in Shrewsbury also puts the rest of the county within easy day-trip range, from the Long Mynd and Church Stretton hills to the south, to Ironbridge Gorge to the east. Wherever you base yourself, Atcham's position just off the A5 and close to Shrewsbury means a hotel stay here can combine a genuinely quiet, rural setting with quick access to a proper market town and its transport links, making it a sensible choice whether you're touring Shropshire by car or arriving by train and exploring on foot and by bus.

Atcham rewards slow exploration more than a checklist, but there is a genuine cluster of attractions within easy reach of the village.

• Attingham Park — This National Trust estate has a Regency mansion with an Italianate picture gallery, a working walled garden, and a 200-acre deer park to walk or cycle through along the Severn.
• Atcham Bridge — The graceful 1770s stone bridge over the Severn, designed by architect John Gwynn, is now a footbridge and one of the best spots in the village to watch the river.
• St Eata's Church — A part-Norman parish church with a chancel arch and features dating to the 11th century, dedicated to an obscure Anglo-Saxon saint.
• Wroxeter Roman City — A few miles on from Atcham, English Heritage looks after the remains of Viroconium, once the fourth-largest city in Roman Britain, including a striking surviving wall.
• The Mytton & Mermaid — A Grade II listed former coaching inn right on the riverbank, worth a visit for its history and its terrace over the water even if you're not staying the night.
• Severn Valley walks and cycling — Riverside paths link Atcham to Shrewsbury and on toward the Ironbridge Gorge, following the Severn Way long-distance trail.
• Shrewsbury — The county town is only five miles away, with its half-timbered streets, castle and the loop of the Severn that almost encircles it.

The obvious stop is the Mytton & Mermaid, a Brunning & Price-run pub serving modern British food from a Georgian building right by the bridge, with a terrace overlooking the river in fine weather. Attingham Park has its own National Trust tearoom and café, serving lunches and cakes to visitors exploring the mansion and grounds, useful for refuelling mid-walk. For a wider choice, Shrewsbury is only a few minutes away by car and has everything from independent cafés and traditional tearooms to a good spread of restaurants and pubs across its historic town centre.

Camping directly in the village of Atcham is limited, but the wider Severn Valley around Shrewsbury and the Attingham Park estate offers a good spread of campsites and glamping options for those wanting to explore the area from a canvas or timber base. As anywhere in England, wild camping without the landowner's permission remains illegal, so it's worth booking an established site rather than pitching informally along the riverbank, however tempting the Severn's grassy margins might look. The flat, low-lying terrain of the Severn Valley around Atcham means river meadows can flood after heavy rain, particularly in autumn and winter, so many local sites favour slightly higher ground back from the water and it's worth checking conditions before an out-of-season trip.

The best camping weather runs from late spring to early autumn, when the Severn Valley's meadows and woodland are driest underfoot and evenings are long enough for a walk along the river or into Attingham Park after making camp. Shrewsbury, five miles away, has a small number of caravan and camping parks with easy access back into Atcham and Attingham by bike or car, making a good base for a longer stay rather than a single night. For those who prefer a roof over their heads without giving up the outdoor feel, glamping options in the wider area range from safari tents and shepherd's huts to converted farm buildings, many set on working farms within a short drive of the village and offering the same access to the Severn Way, Wroxeter Roman City and the Shropshire Hills further south. Whichever option you choose, the gentle, wooded scenery of the Severn Valley around Atcham makes for an easy, unhurried introduction to camping in this part of Shropshire.