Set in a beautiful rural location

Within easy driving distance of Fernwood are the shopping centres of Shrewsbury and Chester, where modern malls and a full range of high street shops rub shoulders with an unusual collection of antique, craft and second-hand book shops - hunt out a bargain to take back home.

Shrewsbury is a Britain in Bloom winner and lives up to its "Town of Flowers" title with an annual Flower Show held in Shrewsbury's Dingle in August.

There are many glorious gardens close by, be they grand, formal, intimate or unusual. Among them, Hodnet Hall Gardens, Hodnet - more than 60 acres of brilliant flowers, forest trees and ornamental pools, Dorothy Clive Garden, Market Drayton - famous for its quarry garden filled with rhododendrons and azaleas.

National Trust properties Powis Castle, Welshpool -a medieval castle with 17th Century terraced gardens, and Erddig, Wrexham - stunning state rooms, walled garden and woodland walks, are both worth a visit.

The town of Ellesmere has a variety of antique and gift shops, and traditional inns. Regular antique markets and festivals are held throughout the year.

The mere at Ellesmere is the largest of the nine meres. These lakes are a focus for a variety of pastimes and have been designated Sites of Special Scientific Interest. They are ideal for bird watching. On the mere island at Ellesmere is a heronry. The mere attracts a great wealth of birdlife ranging from tiny goldcrests flitting through the tree branches to magnificent mute swans gliding gracefully across the water.

A relaxing way of enjoying the countryside is from a canal narrowboat which can be hired from several points along the canal system. Within walking distance is the delightful Shropshire Union Canal - the surviving evidence of Shropshire's industrial heritage - just watching the boats pass by is almost as relaxing as being on one.