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CLUN - WELSHPOOL

The rugged beauty of the Long Mynd and Stiperstones makes for a wild and mysterious borderland, which has been farmed and ought over for centuries.

"Clunton and Clunbury, Clungunford and Clun are the quietest places under the sun." A.E. Housman - A Shropshire Lad.

Clun is a town in minature, with a romantic runined castle, a fine church and a sixteenth century hump-backed bridge. Sir Walter Scott stayed here and his novel The Betrothed is thought to be set in the castle. E.M. Forester also portayed the town in Howards End under the fictional name 'Oniton'. Clun's Trinity Hospital Almshouses were built in 1614 'for men of good character' and are still in use today.

Bishop's Castle

Quiet, unspoilt countryside surrounds this Shropshire market town built on a steep south-facing hill.

There are excellent shops, many devoted to books and antiques. Two inns produce and sell real ale, The Six Bells and the Three Tunswhere you will also find the Hobbs Museum of Beer and Brewing.

Other attractions include the House on Cruthes, a delightful sixteenth century house which is now a museum of local history, and the Railway and Transport Museum.

MONTGOMERY

The town of Montgomery lies at the foot of a precipitous outcrop on the summit of which Henry III built an inpregnable castle which commanded once of the few crossings over the River Severn into Mid Wales. Its strategic importance led to it being besieged many times. Today romantic ruins look out over spectacular views.

Montgomery town is a conservation area with many fne Gergian buildings.

The poet John Donne wrote his famous lines on a primrose when at Montgomery in 1625, and the flowers successors still carpet the ground hereabouts in Spring.

Places to visit include the Old Bell Museum and Exhibition Centre, housed in a sixteenth-century building. The Robber's Grave is the resting place of John Davies who was hanged in 1821. Protesting against the sentence, he predicted that if he was innocent no grass would grow on his grave for 100 years - apparently, none did!

Glansevern Hall Gardens are the eighteen acre (7 ha) grounds of a hall built in Greek revival style. There is a lakeside walk, rose, rock and water gardens, unusual trees, plus a tearoom and garden shop.

Berriew is a picturesque village with fine examples of half-timbered cottages common to this area. Perhaps surprisingly, the village is home to the avant garde Andrew Logan Museum and showrooms for the popular Silver Scenes jewellery.

Medieval Powis Castle (National Trust) is perhaps the most romantic of all British Castles, originally built in the fourteenth century as a fortress for Welsh Princes. Today it contains the finest collections of paintings and furniture in Wales, including a beautiful hoard of treasures brought back from India by Lord Clive, including jade, ivory, and bronze items. Don't miss the world-famous hanging gardens with their enormous yew trees, colourful border sans statues.

WELSHPOOL

The ancient county town of Montgomeryshire, Welshpool has its share of attractive historic buildings. Outstanding amongst these are The Buttery and Prentice Traders' buildings with their delicately carved timber fronts, and the hexagonal Cock Pit which was used until 1849 when the 'sport' was made illegal.

The Powysland Museum, housed in the Old Shropshire Union Canal warehouse, gives a facinating insight into the history of Montgomeryshire.

Canal boat trips along the Mongomery Canal are available from the wharf between April and November. From Raven Square, gleaming steam trains run by local enthusiasts carry passengers through rolling hills to Llanfair Caereinion.