The Castle Hotel
Pub with rooms in Bishops Castle, Shropshire
From £110 per night
Curator's notes:
- Quirky, informal town-centre hostelry
- Beautiful gardens; stunning views
- Simple, comfortable rooms & cottages
- Eclectic daily pub menu; local suppliers
Rooms from:
12 doubles: £125
Good to know
Credit cards (except Amex) accepted
Alfresco dining
Parking available
Dog stay: Free
Dog-friendly
Your canine companion will find a Dog Welcome Box in the room - feeding mat, food bowl, drying towel, lead, treats and poo bags.
Alfresco
The glorious gardens offer a magical vantage point with views across rooftops to the surrounding Shropshire Hills.
Bishops Castle
A small and ancient market town encircled by the South Shropshire Hills and noted for its independent shops, antiques, quirky festivals and two micro-breweries.
Rooms
The 12 rooms ramble across two floors and make the most of the inn's elevated position - some look over the roof-tops or the colourful hotel gardens, others enjoy stunning views to the wooded hills beyond.
All are individually designed and neatly furnished in contemporary country style, the largest being the two suites with antique pine, upholstered chairs, big comfortable beds, roll-top baths in the rooms, plus a spacious, well-equipped bathroom with walk-in shower. Other rooms vary in size but you can expect soothing colours, quality linen on comfortable beds, hot water bottles, fresh coffee and milk and biscuits.
Families or couples wanting more privacy and looking to stay in the area for longer might like to book one of the two fully-equipped self-catering cottages adjacent to the hotel. Market Square Cottage sleeps three and Elephant Gate House, originally built as stables for the hotel, sleeps six.
Restaurant & bar
South Shropshire is a fantastic area for locally sourced, sustainable produce, especially with foodie Ludlow just 20 minutes away, and the kitchen makes good use of the network of artisan local growers and suppliers.
For example, rare breed pork, lamb and beef are reared at Strawberry Fields Farm in Dorrington, eggs come from Ed Hall and salads and vegetables are grown at Little Batch Market Garden, both just outside Bishops Castle. On the eclectic daily menu, which combines pub classics with more imaginative dishes, you may find smoked haddock and cheese brulee with homemade bread; chicken, smoked bacon and leek pie with hand-cut chips; and marmalade bread and butter pudding with vanilla custard.
Wash down with tip-top local ales, including two beers brewed at the Six Bells and Three Tuns in the town or quaff decent wines supplied by Tanners of Shrewsbury. Dine alfresco on warm days in the elevated south-facing gardens, replete with vine-hung pergola, raised fish ponds and beautiful views.
Gallery
