Birmingham to Shrewsbury drive: Distance, time & best attractions
The best stops to add to a Birmingham to Shrewsbury road trip itinerary are Boscobel House, the Royal Air Force Museum and Ironbridge. By car, the distance from Birmingham to Shrewsbury is 47 miles, with a driving time of around an hour.
Planning a Birmingham to Shrewsbury road trip
The drive from Birmingham to Shrewsbury connects the biggest city in the Midlands to a Shropshire town full of heritage.
Top Birmingham experiences include historic gangs walking tours that lean heavily on Peaky Blinders, learning new skills at the Bear Grylls Adventure and exploring the Jewellery Quarter.
For Shrewsbury activities, try the highly engaging Shrewsbury Prison tour, a Charles Darwin-themed audio tour or a prison-based escape room.
Birmingham to Shrewsbury distance and driving time
By car, the distance from Birmingham to Shrewsbury is 47 miles. You can expect a driving time of around one hour. Most of the journey is along the M6, M54 and A5.
The best road trip stops to add to the Birmingham to Shrewsbury drive are Boscobel House, the Royal Air Force Museum and Ironbridge.
Attractions between Birmingham and Shrewsbury: Boscobel House
Former hunting lodge Boscobel House was where King Charles II hid out in fear of his life after defeat in the English Civil War. A visit to the house, in Bishop’s Wood, tells the story of the king’s escape. But there’s also a Victorian farm, a 17th century garden and a play trail.
Perhaps the most photographed thing on the grounds, however, is the Royal Oak. It gets its name because Charles hid there while being pursued before entering the house.
Birmingham to Shrewsbury road trip stops: Royal Air Force Museum
In Cosford, the Royal Air Force Museum has a predictable number of military planes on display. But there’s also a flight simulator and a 4D theatre, which bring some of the planes to life.
The Royal Air Force Museum is also home to the National Cold War Exhibition. This tells of the stand-off between the West and the Soviet Bloc between World War II and the fall of the Berlin Wall.
Kids might find the latter a bit dry, but will be happy with the big outdoor playground.
Birmingham to Shrewsbury drive: Ironbridge
A short detour around Telford takes you to one of England’s World Heritage sites. Ironbridge is billed as the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution, and the bridge crossing the River Severn was the one of the first to be made with cast iron.
It’s not the bridge that’s on the World Heritage List, though – it’s the series of industrial sites within the gorge. Many of these are now museums, including the Coalbrookdale Museum of Iron, the Jackfield Tile Museum and Coalport China Museum. There are dozens of separate attractions banded under the Ironbridge Valley of Invention banner.
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