DAY ONE - FAIRYTALE STOKESAY

Morning: First on your list is a fairy-tale castle nestled within green rolling hills. By far the finest and best-preserved fortified medieval manor house in England, Stokesay Castle's cottage garden, great hall, audio tour and moat walk provides plenty to do - leave 1 ½ hours for the visit.

Lunch: Visit Stokesay's tearoom located in the old potter's cottage, with a menu reflecting local and regional dishes alongside many English Heritage favourites. 

Afternoon: After you've explored the castle, spend the rest of the day in the pretty market town of Ludlow.

Driving: Stokesay Castle to the centre of Ludlow is only a 15 minute drive away.

DAY TWO - FROM ROMANS TO 12TH CENTURY MONKS

Morning: After a drive through the Shropshire Hills, visit Wroxeter Roman City, once Roman Britain's fourth largest city and home to 5,000 people. Today you can see the impressive remains of the bath house and go inside the recreated townhouse.

Lunch: Grab lunch in Shrewsbury.

Afternoon: Head into historic Shrewsbury for the afternoon to walk the town walls and poke around the tiny sidestreets stuffed with independent shops and cafes. And if you fancy even more history, visit the atmospheric ruins of Haughmond Abbey.

DAY THREE - ATMOSPHERIC ABBEYS AND AN IRON BRIDGE

Morning: Start early and spend the morning visiting the ruins of two 12th-century monasteries with fantastic stories to tell. Buildwas Abbey has extensive ruins and a nature trail to explore, and Wenlock Priory has an audio tour and a cloister garden full of fantastic topiary.

Lunch: The pretty nearby village of Much Wenlock is a great spot for lunch.

Afternoon: Your group will visit the famous Iron Bridge of Ironbridge. Now a tranquil World Heritage Site, it was once the crucible of the Industrial Revolution, and a wide range of museums in the town bring that history to life for visitors.

Driving: Buildwas Abbey is a 17 minute drive from Wenlock Priory, and Ironbridge is then a further 10 minute drive away.

DAY FOUR - RETURN HOME

Morning: Before heading home visit Boscobel House and the Royal Oak. After losing the last battle of the Civil War, the future Charles II hid at Boscobel to evade Cromwell's soldiers.

Visit the shop and see the chickens and ducks in the farmyard. Two hours should be long enough to take it all in.

Just a short walk away is White Ladies Priory, another of Charles II's hiding places, and just a two mile round trip from Boscobel.

Lunch: Have a late lunch in Birmingham.

Afternoon: If you have time, round off your adventure with a visit to the nearby RAF Museum at Cosford, or a trip into the centre Birmingham for a spot of shopping.

Driving: The trip from Boscobel House to Birmingham should take 36 minutes.