Attingham Park, Shropshire: what to see and do

Attingham Park is one of the National trust’s most popular stately homes to visit. Here’s why

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Published: Wednesday, 15 November 2023 at 17:28 PM




All you need to know about the stunning Georgian mansion Attingham Park in Shropshire

Where is Attingham Park?

Attingham Park is in Atcham, about four miles from Shrewsbury, on the B4380.

If you want to take public transport take a train to Shrewsbury and then the Arriva 96 bus.

When was Attingham Park built?


Attingham Park was built by the Hill family in 1780s.

There’s wealthy and there’s wealthy. The motto of the Hill family – who became the Lords Berwick – was, ‘Let wealth be his who knows its use.’

So they commissioned a vast Georgian mansion in the Regency style which was set in 200 acres of parkland on an 8000-acre estate. They emptied and levelled a nearby village that was ‘in the way’. They diverted the route of the London to Holyhead trunk road away from their house. Oh, and they owned a working model of Mount Vesuvius. Which of us doesn’t?

What to see and do at Attingham Park


Today the estate runs to a paltry 4000 acres (though that’s still over six square miles) with the Tern and Severn Rivers flowing across it and plenty of woodland to explore on specially designed walking routes. 

Attingham is a particularly fun place to take children. This summer sees there’s a straw bale fortress to have adventures in, a ‘Field of Play’, complete with apparatus, an amazing (wheelchair accessible) tunnel, and sports equipment you can borrow (with a café and loos nearby).

During the school holidays, the Summer of Play includes a calendar of events for the whole family. There are also natural play areas around the estate too where children can mess about in streams.

Don’t miss Attingham Park’s walled garden either

Just one word of warning: this is the National Trust’s most popular property, with over half a million visitors a year, so try to go off-season to avoid the largest crowds.

Also nearby: Attingham Home Farm – a historic working farm.