# Hales Staycation Guide — Where to Stay & What to Do > Discover Hales, a tiny hamlet on the Shropshire-Staffordshire border near Market Drayton, with border countryside, canal walks and nearby gardens. Source: https://staycation.co.uk/hales-shropshire (Staycation.co.uk). Cite the source page, not this text version. Quiet border hamlet on Shropshire's edge Photo © Chris ozzy10881, Google Maps [Guide](https://staycation.co.uk/hales-shropshire) [🏨 Hotels](https://staycation.co.uk/hales-shropshire/hotels) [🏡 Cottages](https://staycation.co.uk/hales-shropshire/cottages) [⛺ Camping](https://staycation.co.uk/hales-shropshire/camping) [🎟️ Attractions](https://staycation.co.uk/hales-shropshire/attractions) [🍽️ Restaurants](https://staycation.co.uk/hales-shropshire/restaurants) Hales is barely more than a scattering of farms, cottages and a parish church set among the gently rolling arable land east of Market Drayton, right where Shropshire gives way to Staffordshire. The Anglican church of St Mary, from which Market Drayton's own parish church takes its historic name of "St Mary's, Drayton-in-Hales", stands as the hamlet's main landmark, and the surrounding lanes are the kind of quiet, hedgerow-lined byways that see more tractors than tourists. It is easy to miss Hales on a map, but that is rather the point: this is deep, unhurried Shropshire-Staffordshire border country, a base for exploring the market town, canal and countryside around it rather than a destination with attractions of its own. ## Getting to Hales Hales sits about two miles east of Market Drayton, just inside Staffordshire on the border with Shropshire, with a Market Drayton (TF9) postal address. It is reached along minor lanes off the A53 and A529, with Market Drayton itself the nearest town for fuel, shops and services. The closest mainline railway stations are at Stoke-on-Trent and Wem, both around 30 minutes away by car, and the wider area is best explored by car given the rural, unlit lanes after dark. ## Best time to visit Hales Spring and summer suit this stretch of border countryside best, when the hedgerows and farmland are at their greenest and the towpath at Tyrley Locks is busiest with boats. Market Drayton's markets and events run through the warmer months, while autumn brings quieter lanes and good colour in the hedgerows and copses around Hodnet. Winters are mild but wet underfoot, and the flat, exposed farmland offers little shelter, so a market-town base with somewhere warm and dry to retreat to is the sensible option. ## Where to stay in Hales [All hotels in Hales →](https://staycation.co.uk/hales-shropshire/hotels) About staying in Hales Hotels around Hales mean looking just down the road to Market Drayton, the nearest town and the natural base for this quiet stretch of border countryside. Here you will find a small mix of traditional coaching inns, independent hotels and bed and breakfasts, many set in historic buildings along the town's old market streets, offering a comfortable, unfussy base rather than anything resort-like. Market Drayton's hotels suit visitors who want to explore the town's historic centre, walk the Shropshire Union Canal towpath at Tyrley Locks, or visit gardens such as Hodnet Hall without straying far from good food and a proper bed at the end of the day. Because Hales itself is only a hamlet, with no hotels or guesthouses of its own, staying in Market Drayton also puts you within easy striking distance of the wider Shropshire and Staffordshire borderlands, from the market towns of Newport and Eccleshall to the rolling countryside around Loggerheads. Rooms in and around Market Drayton tend to book up around the town's market days and any canal festivals, so it is worth checking ahead in the warmer months. For most visitors drawn here by the peace of the border lanes rather than nightlife, a hotel or inn in Market Drayton, ten minutes' drive from Hales, is the sensible choice, combining a good night's sleep with easy access to the countryside all around. [The Loddon Swan 23 Church Plain, Loddon](https://staycation.co.uk/loddon/hotels/the-loddon-swan) [The Cockatrice B&B The Cockatrice ,ferry Road Norton Subcourse ,norfolk, Reedham](https://staycation.co.uk/reedham/hotels/the-cockatrice-b-b) [Swan Motel Loddon Road, Beccles](https://staycation.co.uk/beccles/hotels/swan-motel) [Waveney House Hotel Puddingmoor, Beccles](https://staycation.co.uk/beccles/hotels/waveney-house-hotel) [Swan House 34 New Market, Beccles](https://staycation.co.uk/beccles/hotels/swan-house) [The Kings Head Hotel Wetherspoon 4-6 New Market, Beccles](https://staycation.co.uk/beccles/hotels/the-kings-head-hotel-wetherspoon) [The Castle Inn 35, Bungay](https://staycation.co.uk/bungay/hotels/the-castle-inn) [Wheatacre White Lion White Lion Road, Burgh St Peter](https://staycation.co.uk/burgh-st-peter/hotels/wheatacre-white-lion) ## Things to Do in Hales [All attractions in Hales →](https://staycation.co.uk/hales-shropshire/attractions) Top things to do near Hales Market Drayton and the wider Shropshire Union Canal corridor are only a short drive away, and make up most of the area's genuine visitor interest. - **Market Drayton town centre** — a historic market town that has held its market since the 13th century, with independent shops, timber-framed buildings and a Discovery Trail linking hidden plaques and historic details through the streets. - **Tyrley Locks** — a flight of five picturesque locks on the Shropshire Union Canal, a favourite spot for watching narrowboats work through and a popular circular walk from town. - **Hodnet Hall Gardens** — sixty acres of landscaped gardens, pools and woodland walks around a Jacobean-style hall, a few miles south of Market Drayton. - **Blore Heath** — the site of a 1459 Wars of the Roses battle, just across the county line in Staffordshire, marked by a memorial and quiet farmland walks. - **Bearstone and the surrounding lanes** — the flat, hedge-bound farmland around Hales and neighbouring Bearstone is good, gentle walking and cycling country away from traffic. [Hillfield Nursery & Farm Shop ⭐ 4.7](https://staycation.co.uk/hales-shropshire/attractions/hillfield-nursery-farm-shop) [Pettitts Adventure Park ⭐ 4.5](https://staycation.co.uk/hales-shropshire/attractions/pettitts-adventure-park) [Beccles Lido ⭐ 4.6](https://staycation.co.uk/hales-shropshire/attractions/beccles-lido) [Redwings Horse Sanctuary Caldecott ⭐ 4.7](https://staycation.co.uk/hales-shropshire/attractions/redwings-horse-sanctuary-caldecott) [Somerleyton](https://staycation.co.uk/hales-shropshire/attractions/somerleyton) [Ellough Park Raceway ⭐ 4.6](https://staycation.co.uk/hales-shropshire/attractions/ellough-park-raceway) [The Norfolk And Suffolk Aviation Museum ⭐ 4.8](https://staycation.co.uk/hales-shropshire/attractions/the-norfolk-and-suffolk-aviation-museum) [Playbarn ⭐ 4.4](https://staycation.co.uk/hales-shropshire/attractions/playbarn) ## Where to Eat in Hales [All restaurants in Hales →](https://staycation.co.uk/hales-shropshire/restaurants) Food and drink near Hales There is no pub or café in Hales itself, so eating out means a short drive into Market Drayton, home to well-regarded spots such as The Gingerbread Man and Jaipur Restaurant, alongside traditional pubs and cafés serving the market town's visitors and canal boaters. [Spice And Garden Restaurant ⭐ 4.1](https://staycation.co.uk/hales-shropshire/restaurants/spice-and-garden-restaurant) [Jo's Catering @ Raveningham Hall Car Park ⭐ 4.6](https://staycation.co.uk/hales-shropshire/restaurants/jo-s-catering-raveningham-hall-car-park) [Spooncake Ltd ⭐ 4.8](https://staycation.co.uk/hales-shropshire/restaurants/spooncake-ltd) [Indian Palace ⭐ 4.4](https://staycation.co.uk/hales-shropshire/restaurants/indian-palace) [White Horse ⭐ 4.6](https://staycation.co.uk/hales-shropshire/restaurants/white-horse) [The Olive Tree ⭐ 4.7](https://staycation.co.uk/hales-shropshire/restaurants/the-olive-tree) [Post Office Tea Room ⭐ 4.8](https://staycation.co.uk/hales-shropshire/restaurants/post-office-tea-room) [KFC Gillingham Norwich Road ⭐ 2.6](https://staycation.co.uk/hales-shropshire/restaurants/kfc-gillingham-norwich-road) ## Attractions Near Hales [All attractions in Hales →](https://staycation.co.uk/attractions) Worth the trip — within 50 miles of Hales. [3 mi Hillfield Nursery & Farm Shop Norwich · ⭐ 4.7](https://staycation.co.uk/norwich/attractions/hillfield-nursery-farm-shop) [4 mi Pettitts Adventure Park Reedham · ⭐ 4.5](https://staycation.co.uk/reedham/attractions/pettitts-adventure-park) [5 mi Beccles Lido Beccles · ⭐ 4.6](https://staycation.co.uk/beccles/attractions/beccles-lido) [6 mi Redwings Horse Sanctuary Caldecott Browston Green · ⭐ 4.7](https://staycation.co.uk/browston-green/attractions/redwings-horse-sanctuary-caldecott) [6 mi Somerleyton Great Yarmouth](https://staycation.co.uk/great-yarmouth/attractions/somerleyton) [7 mi Ellough Park Raceway Beccles · ⭐ 4.6](https://staycation.co.uk/beccles/attractions/ellough-park-raceway) [8 mi The Norfolk And Suffolk Aviation Museum Bungay · ⭐ 4.8](https://staycation.co.uk/bungay/attractions/the-norfolk-and-suffolk-aviation-museum) [8 mi Playbarn Poringland · ⭐ 4.4](https://staycation.co.uk/poringland/attractions/playbarn) ## Camping in Hales(1) [All campsites in Hales →](https://staycation.co.uk/hales-shropshire/camping) About camping in Hales There are no official campsites in Hales itself, and this small hamlet is very much farmland and quiet lanes rather than a camping destination in its own right — but it sits within reach of the wider Shropshire and Staffordshire countryside, where a handful of small farm campsites and glamping sites operate around Market Drayton, Loggerheads and the Shropshire Union Canal corridor. As everywhere in England, wild camping without the landowner's permission is against the law, so a booked pitch on a proper site is the only realistic option here. The land around Hales is gently rolling arable and pasture country, flat enough for easy cycling between villages but with few natural windbreaks, so a sheltered pitch matters more than it might elsewhere in Shropshire. The canal towpath at nearby Tyrley Locks and the lanes around Hodnet make for pleasant, level walking and cycling from a base camp, while the market town of Market Drayton is close enough for supplies, a pub meal or a wet-weather retreat. Late spring through to early autumn is the best window for camping here, when the farmland tracks are firm underfoot and the long evenings suit a walk down to the canal or a look round Market Drayton's market. Winter camping on this exposed, low-lying ground is a wetter, colder prospect with little shelter from the wind, so it is one for fair-weather visits rather than a year-round pursuit. Glamping options in barns, shepherd's huts and static pods around the wider Market Drayton area offer a warmer alternative for anyone who wants the countryside setting without a tent, particularly useful given how few formal sites sit right on Hales' own doorstep. [Loddon Oasis Camping ⭐ 4.0 · from £15/night](https://staycation.co.uk/norfolk/camping/loddon-oasis-camping) [Gale Riverside ⭐ 4.7](https://staycation.co.uk/norfolk/camping/gale-riverside) [Field of Dreams ⭐ 4.8 · from £65/night](https://staycation.co.uk/suffolk/camping/field-of-dreams) [Wardley Hill Campsite ⭐ 4.9](https://staycation.co.uk/norfolk/camping/wardley-hill-campsite) [Reedham Ferry Touring and Camping Park ⭐ 4.5 · from £16/night](https://staycation.co.uk/norwich/camping/reedham-ferry-touring-and-camping-park) [Reedham Ferry Complex ⭐ 4.7](https://staycation.co.uk/reedham/camping/reedham-ferry-complex) [Thorpe Hall Manor ⭐ 4.3 · from £20/night](https://staycation.co.uk/norfolk/camping/thorpe-hall-manor) [Three Rivers Pitch and Paddle ⭐ 4.8](https://staycation.co.uk/suffolk/camping/three-rivers-pitch-and-paddle) ## Self-Catering Cottages in Hales [All cottages in Hales →](https://staycation.co.uk/hales-shropshire/cottages) [Manager’s Cottage 3 bed · sleeps 6 · from £447](https://staycation.co.uk/south-norfolk/cottages/manager-s-cottage-uk39516) [Stella’s Retreat 1 bed · sleeps 2 · from £343](https://staycation.co.uk/south-norfolk/cottages/stella-s-retreat-uk39135) [🏡Cottage Riverside Cottage 3 bed · sleeps 6](https://staycation.co.uk/south-norfolk/cottages/riverside-cottage-uk35683) [Orchard Spa Retreat 2 cottages · from £897](https://staycation.co.uk/south-norfolk/cottages/orchard-spa-retreat-laurel-lodge-ukc9519) [The Barn 1 bed · sleeps 2 · from £687](https://staycation.co.uk/south-norfolk/cottages/the-barn-uk51500) [Winston Lodge 7 bed · sleeps 14 · from £2,173](https://staycation.co.uk/south-norfolk/cottages/winston-lodge-syk1191923) [The Gun Room 1 bed · sleeps 2 · from £432](https://staycation.co.uk/south-norfolk/cottages/the-gun-room-syk1191924) [Winston Hall 9 bed · sleeps 17 · from £3,412](https://staycation.co.uk/south-norfolk/cottages/winston-hall-syk1191918) ## Common questions about Hales How many campsites are there in Hales? We list 1 campsites in and around Hales, of which 1 take tents. Are there dog-friendly campsites in Hales? Yes — 1 of the 1 campsites we list in Hales accept dogs, including Park Hill Farm. ### 🏨 Find Hotels in Hales Search hotels, B&Bs and self-catering on Booking.com. [Search Accommodation →](https://www.anrdoezrs.net/click-101762279-15734754?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.booking.com%2Fsearchresults.en-gb.html%3Fss%3DHales%252C%2BUnited%2BKingdom) Affiliate link ### Explore Hales - [🏨 Hotels & B&Bs](https://staycation.co.uk/hales-shropshire/hotels) - [🏡 Cottages](https://staycation.co.uk/hales-shropshire/cottages) - [⛺ Campsites & glamping](https://staycation.co.uk/hales-shropshire/camping) - [🎟️ Attractions](https://staycation.co.uk/hales-shropshire/attractions) - [🍽️ Restaurants](https://staycation.co.uk/hales-shropshire/restaurants) - [🗺️ More in Shropshire](https://staycation.co.uk/shropshire) - [🧭 All of the West Midlands](https://staycation.co.uk/regions/west-midlands) ## Staycation ideas for Hales [All staycation ideas →](https://staycation.co.uk/staycation-ideas) [The Best Last-Minute UK Staycations Six well-connected UK towns and cities worth booking at short notice, chosen for easy travel and a decent spread of accommodation once the school-holiday crowds have thinned.](https://staycation.co.uk/staycation-ideas/best-last-minute-staycations) [Rainy Day Staycations: Best UK Breaks for Bad Weather When the forecast turns grim, these UK cities and spa towns keep their appeal indoors, with museums, galleries and grand architecture to fill a wet weekend.](https://staycation.co.uk/staycation-ideas/rainy-day-staycations-uk) [The Best Dog-Friendly Staycations in Britain From Cornish coast paths to Lake District fells, these six British destinations offer the open beaches, moors and forests that make a staycation genuinely enjoyable for dogs and their owners alike.](https://staycation.co.uk/staycation-ideas/dog-friendly-staycations) [The Best UK Staycations for Families with Young Kids From New Forest ponies to Cornish rock pools, these six UK destinations combine easy logistics, safe beaches and family-friendly attractions for a stress-free break with young children.](https://staycation.co.uk/staycation-ideas/best-staycations-for-families)