The Shropshire Hills - A Walker's Guide

Explores Shropshire’s hills from Ludlow to the Wrekin, Bewdley to Stiperstones, Wenlock Edge and the Long Mynd in 21 half- and full-day walks. Special features on Ironbridge, Ludlow, Much Wenlock and Bridgnorth and Sabrina Fair.

The territory to be explored is mostly in the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in South Shropshire bisected by the A49 and centred on the little town of Church Stretton. No hard and fast rules are set, for we shall stray beyond these boundaries to visit Bridgnorth, a town neglected by many tourists, to enjoy the pleasures of the River Severn. Nor are we confined, to the county of Shropshire, for we shall indulge in a little trespass into the neighbouring counties of Herefordshire and Worcestershire, including a walk through the ancient Wyre Forest and to sample Bewdley’s river scenery. The pleasures of river walking will be contrasted with the high moors of the Long Mynd, the sharp rocky spine of the Stiperstones, and the long windy ridge of Wenlock Edge. There is a magic ring to the very names of these places, and many have strong historical connections. At Knighton we shall be nudging into the Welsh Borders as Offa’s Dyke is walked. The Clee Hills will provide us with the highest point in Shropshire, at 1772 feet, and here and there will be uncovered old superstitions, some not quite dead.

Much of the area is sparsely populated, and the names on the map may only indicate a remote hamlet or tiny village that happily has not grown with the times. Nor are the towns over large; their streets, pages in the book of architectural history, are a delight to explore: Ludlow is a prime example.

The landscape was shaped millions of years ago, it rises and falls in great rolling waves, and the walker may head off on a long ridge and enjoy the unfolding view as he rides the wave crest or plunges deep into the trough of the valley. The remains of ancient mining, as far back as Roman times, will be encountered and he can share a windy hill top with the ghosts of our long dead Celtic forebears. If you think this is stretching the imagination a little too far, then suspend judgement until you stand on Caer Caradoc.

There is more than the hills and river valleys to be explored. There are the castles of Ludlow, Clun and Stokesay; the little village churches and the ancient priory at Much Wenlock. From the Wrekin’s lonely summit the walker can look towards the birthplace of the famous iron foundries of Ironbridge, home of the Industrial Revolution. Ironbridge needs a day to itself at the very least, with its wealth of history; it is unquestionably one of the finest days out for all the family in the Midlands.

It is not only the past that can be enjoyed. There are other delights, not so easily located, less certain in the timing of their experience, but equally lasting in the mind of memorable days’ walking. The swift blue flash of a kingfisher speeding across the brown waters of the Severn or the sight of a heron, that most patient of fishermen, standing as still as a garden ornament by the waters of a little brook. To this add the thrill of seeing the high soaring buzzards hunting along the scarp or catching a glimpse of a small group of deer, those elusive shadows of the forest.

All this is just to sketch in the scene, to whet the appetite but attention must be given to the logistics of getting there, being properly equipped to enjoy the day and not being unduly burdened with the anxieties of finding the way.