Shropshire and Senegal perfect holiday destinations

Experts at Bradt Travel Guides today named Shropshire one of the top places for people to visit over the next 12 months – alongside slightly more exotic destinations like Senegal and the Ivory Coast in Africa.

The boost for the county's tourism industry comes just a day after the Rough Guide named Wales alongside Nepal, Jordan and Columbia as must-see locations.

Bradt Travel author Marie Kreft today said Shropshire had "stolen the hearts" of visitors and described it as one of the UK's best kept secrets.

She said: "Don't tell anyone but while the rest of the world wasn't looking Shropshire has quietly stolen the hearts of discerning weekenders.

"England's largest landlocked county is easily overlooked by holidaymakers – but that's certainly to its advantage.

"This is the county to visit for quiet, peace and space – the land of AE Housman's 'blue remembered hills' where medieval English/Welsh border disputes have left a legacy of castle ruins on the ancient landscape.

"The county town Shrewsbury, birthplace of Charles Darwin, lends a touch of the cosmopolitan while in September the hilltop town of Ludlow hosts Britain's best-known food festival and the Ironbridge Gorge, epicentre of the Industrial Revolution, is now honoured as a Unesco World Heritage Site.

"Thanks to its rich history, walking potential and increasingly exciting gourmet scene, Shropshire offers pretty much everything for a perfect holiday."

The author is set to release a guidebook to the county next month.

Adrian Phillips managing director of Bradt Travel Guides said: "Bradt is known for being ahead of the game, so we've challenged our authors to champion their recommendations for the year ahead.

"We hope people will find their suggestions a little different from the what's hot ticklists of beaches and bars that are so frequently bandied about in the travel press.

"It's certainly an eclectic list ranging from peaceful corners of Britain to emerging destinations you're unlikely to have considered before. And each suggestion is supported by a passionate call to action from an expert who knows the place well."

The inclusion of Shropshire in the Bradt guide is the completion of a perfect week for the tourism industry in the region.

Rough Guide described Wales as full of "quaint rural towns and villages" and directed visitors to Mid and North Wales.

And in a separate survey, BBC Countryfile included the Pontcsyllte Aqueduct near Oswestry and Stokesay Castle, near Craven Arms, as among the best heritage sites in the UK.