Travel Information
As with anywhere predominantly rural, getting around Shropshire by public transport ranges from easy to impossible. However, a lot of the pubs in the branch area are potentially accessible by bus or train, so why not ditch the car and make use of public transport instead?
We try to give a bit of information here about public transport in west Shropshire but please do your own research using the links provided at the bottom of the page, as train and bus routes and times can be subject to change.
Getting to Shropshire
By Train
Shrewsbury is the main hub in the western half of Shropshire for train services. Two lines from the North come into Shrewsbury, one from Chester and the other from Crewe. From the South, a line from South Wales and another from Hereford meet at Craven Arms and continue on to Shrewsbury. A line from mid-Wales comes in via Welshpool from the West, whilst a line from the East comes in from Wolverhampton.
These lines have stations at many of the towns in our branch area, including at Shrewsbury, Ludlow, Whitchurch, Wem, Church Stretton. Oswestry is the largest town without a station although there is one at Gobowen, a three mile bus or taxi ride from Oswestry town centre. Bishops Castle and Ellesmere are only accessible by bus.
By Bus
Bus routes coming into western Shropshire come from a number of nearby villages, towns and cities. From the North, buses come in from Chester and Wrexham via Whitchurch and Oswestry. From the East, most services come in to Shrewsbury via Telford or Market Drayton. There’s also a service from Kidderminster to Ludlow. From the West, more local services come in via Llanymynech and Llangedwyn to Oswestry, and from Montgomery to Shrewsbury. Also from the West, buses run from Welshpool to Shrewsbury and Oswestry. From the South, buses come into Ludlow via Leominster.
By Car
Shropshire is reasonably accessible by car. The M54 motorway off the M6 will bring you past Telford into Shrewsbury. From there, roads radiate outwards to every corner of the branch area.
From the North, north Shropshire can be reached from the M56 down through Cheshire on the A49 or A41, or from the M6 through Crewe. From the South, Ludlow can be reached from the M5, or A49 up through Hereford. Shrewsbury and Oswestry can be reached from South Wales via Welshpool. From North Wales, Oswestry can be reached via Wrexham or Llangollen.
Getting Around Shropshire
By Train
Although railway lines come into our branch area from every direction, many of the lines have no stations in the west of Shropshire apart from Shrewsbury, which does not help getting to our pubs by train!
The main line of any use is the north-south line coming from Crewe in the north, and heading off towards Hereford in the south. Stations on this line include Whitchurch, Wem, Shrewsbury, Church Stretton, Craven Arms and Ludlow, with possible request stops at Prees and Yorton either side of Wem.
Shrewsbury also has a bus station very close to the railway station, so for some people, getting a train into Shrewsbury and then a bus out to their destination is a good plan.
We also have the Cambrian Heritage railway in our area, which at present just runs from Oswestry south to Weston Wharf. As luck would have it, Stonehouse Brewery is right next to Weston station with a brewery bar that is well worth a visit. Unfortunately, Oswestry does not have a mainline station, the nearest one being at Gobowen three miles away, although there is a regular bus service between Gobowen and Oswestry town centre.
By Bus
There are currently around eight different bus companies operating in our branch area, and some of them such as Arriva have many different routes, so it is not possible to list every route here.
The larger towns of Oswestry, Whitchurch and Ludlow all have bus services running to and from Shrewsbury. Smaller towns such as Bishops Castle, Church Stretton, Ellesmere and Wem are all accessible by bus, as are many villages with pubs, but usually with more limited services and mostly running out from Shrewsbury.
Between May and October, the Shropshire Hills shuttle bus runs in a circular route linking the Strettons with the Bridges Inn at Ratlinghope, and then on to the Stiperstones and Snailbeach before returning.
By Car
In general, it’s fairly easy getting around Shropshire by car but it can be slow going at times on some of the more windy roads. Shrewsbury and Ludlow both have good Park and Rides, which are worth using and quite often cheaper and quicker than trying to find parking in the town centres. All other towns have plentiful and easy to find car parking.
If you have access to a non-drinking driver, why not visit some of the more remote pubs and maybe score the beer for us? Rural pubs need all the business they can get, and the more scores thay have, the greater the chance of getting in the Good Beer Guide.
More Information
Transport For Wales: Link to Website Operates trains on all railway lines throughtout western Shropshire
West Midlands Railways: Link to Website Birmingham to Shrewsbury line via Telford and Wellington
Cambrian Heritage Railway: Link to website Heritage trains from Oswestry to Weston Wharf
Bus Operators
Arriva Midlands: Link to Website Operates buses all over Shropshire
Bennets Travel: Link to Website Wem Town Service
Celtic Travel: Link to Website Llanidloes – Shrewsbury
Diamond Buses: Link to Website Kidderminster – Ludlow
Lakeside Coaches: Link to Website Reabrook – Shrewsbury Bus Stn., Whitchurch Town Service, Ellesmere Town Service, Oswestry – Ellesmere, Ellesmere – Shrewsbury, Cardington – Shrewsbury
Lugg Valley Travel: Link to Website Leominster – Ludlow
Minsterley Motors: Link to Website Shrewsbury – Ludlow, Stiperstones – Shrewsbury, Bishop’s Castle – Shrewsbury, Knighton – Ludlow, Pontesbury – Ludlow
Select Bus Services: Link to Website Shrewsbury – Ironbridge – Telford, Bridgnorth – Shrewsbury
Shropshire Hills Shuttle Bus: Link to Website Strettons – Bridges – Stiperstones – Snailbeach
Tanat Valley Coaches: Link to Website Llanfyllin – Oswestry, Llanfechain – Shrewsbury, Montgomery – Shrewsbury, Oswestry – Shrewsbury, Machynlleth – Wrexham via Oswestry
Other Information
Shropshire Council: Local Public Transport Information
National Rail: Train Journey Planner
Visit Shropshire: Tourism Information
Train Operators