The Long Mynd, Shropshire

Distance 25.8km (16 miles) Climbing 815m (2,674ft) Time 1hr 30mins to 2hrs 30mins

Route summary Some big hills to conquer, but your efforts are rewarded with good tracks, wonderful views and fabulous descents Start/ inish Carding Mill Valley car park (grid ref SO 448/943, postcode SY6 6JG) 1

Join the track opposite the coach parking area, which heads south-east, up the side of the valley. Turn right on the road (Bur Way), uphill. Keep left at the fork, then, shortly after, continue ahead as the road bears left. Turn left at the crossroads, to Pole Bank viewpoint.

2

Head down to and go left on the road. Keep ahead until shortly before the entrance to the gliding club. Turn left onto the grass, opposite the start of a fence next to the road. Head across to the marker post (no.7), keep right at the fork and head down into the Minton Batch valley.

3

Turn right at the T-junction at the end. At the crossroads in Hamperley, go right (‘Churchmoor’). Keep ahead, uphill into the trees. Follow the forest track (no.1), keeping left at two forks and right at a crossroads to exit the woods. 4

Continue to the edge of the hillside, then go right, along it. Pass the gliding club and rejoin the road, heading right. Follow the tarmac for 1.8km.

5

You now have a choice. Option A, as shown on our map, is to turn right on a track (no.9), downhill. After passing a campsite at the bottom, go left on the road, then left again at the crossroads by The Ragleth Inn. From Church Stretton, follow the brown signs left, back to Carding Mill Valley. Option B gives you a fun trail to finish, but should only be used outside of busier times, because it gets riddled with walkers. Continue along the ridgetop on the Jack Mytton Way, passing the track you came up on, then turn right at marker point no.10 to descend Mott’s Road back down into Carding Mill Valley.

LOCATION DETAILS

The Long Mynd isn’t far from the Welsh border and has big, exposed, lush green hills that drain well and are pretty easy to navigate, especially with plenty of marker posts dotted around. It gets busy at weekends though.

GETTING THERE

Church Stretton is best accessed from the M54, heading to Shrewsbury and then south on the A49. Turn right at the crossroads in town, just before the railway station, onto the B4371. Go right again at the crossroads by the High Street, then left on the Carding Mill Valley road, following the signs to Carding Mill Valley and the golf course. The car park is along here.

MAPS & BOOKS

Ordnance Survey Landranger 137: Ludlow & Church Stretton. The Long Mynd MTB Map has all the rights of ways, recommended trails and marker post locations, and is available from local bike shops for £1.

FACILITIES

There’s a cafe in Carding Mill Valley at the start/end and lots of places to eat in Church Stretton. There are plenty of accommodation options too, including Blazing Bikes down the road in Marshbrook, which has a campsite, camping pods, cabins, pub, cafe, showers and bike shop (01694 723133, www.blazingbikes.co.uk). There’s a bike shop in Church Stretton too, Plush Hill Cycles (01694 720133, www.plushhillcycles.co.uk).