A bit late coming to this thread. Thanks
@ColinJ for alerting me to it.
You might find railway and canal paths a bit of a disappointment in the area I'm afraid
@Landsurfer. The only railway paths available round here are the old SVR trackbed from Ironbridge to Bridgnorth (It goes through some nice scenery but unless the covid lockdowns have been taken as an opportunity to improve it, it's a bit rough to be really enjoyable) or the one from Newport to Stafford which might be a bit out of your way (Haven't ridden this one to know what it's like). Our canal tow paths are frequently unpaved, although the path along the old canal from Uffington to Shrewsbury then around the loop of the river is pleasant. Telford does have a lot of dedicated cycle routes but I don't often ride round that area to be able to comment on them.
We are however blessed with loads of quiet lanes so my suggestion would be to grab yourself some Landranger maps (126, 127 and 137) and see what takes your fancy. From the Shawbury area I'll give another vote for visiting Church Stretton. The Stiperstones and The Bridges (Ratlinghope) is worth a look too - wilder and not touristy. You have the Ironbridge Gorge fairly close by or Ellesmere and Chirk, as mentioned already, are good options too. If you are into aircraft, the Cosford RAF museum would make a good round trip (must do that myself when things are a bit more normal).
Do avoid using the A5, A49 and A53 if you can as these are busy trunk routes which I doubt you'll enjoy. The B roads are mixed - many are fine but some I tend to avoid. You can usually find nicer unclassified roads that will take you the same way.
I can give more detailed suggestions if you want them.
