The Ellesmere Beano – 3 days

A long weekend exploring the canals, meres, and timeless pastures of north Shropshire. This is a perfect area for cycling on a Bank Holiday – hardly any traffic and the only tourists we see are on barges!

This peaceful backwater has a rich history and diverse wildlife. Retreating Ice Age glaciers left behind a series of pools, or meres, which now provide a watery habitat for a miscellany of kingfishers, herons, grebes, coots and moorhens.

A web of barely-used lanes lead us into the Ceiriog Valley; along the Llangollen and Shropshire Union canals; to the meres at Colemere, Whitemere and Blakemere; to Whittington Castle; and over Thomas Telford's magnificent Chirk Aqueduct.

We stay at The Grange, a Georgian mansion on the edge of the little market town of Ellesmere. This grade II listed house is a real treasure with its oak-panelled dining room, croquet lawn, turf labyrinth, and wildflower meadows. The walled garden and Victorian glass houses provide most of our organic fruit and vegetables. The Grange's relaxed country-house atmosphere makes it an ideal Beano venue.

There are twin and double en-suite bedrooms; plus 2 en-suite and 1 not en-suite singles. The Grange (3-diamonds B&B) is licenced to sell wine, and gets in a barrel of locally-brewed 'Heaven Sent' real-ale specially for us.