THE BIG RIDE
never been to this part of Shropshire, it’s a gem — 90% of the beauty of the Peak District, but with 90% fewer people. Absolutely perfect.
The riding’s good too. It seems ages since I went above 50mph, but there’s challenge and joy to be felt. There are sheep to dodge, cattle grids to cross and inviting tracks of indeterminate legality. Even without going fast, all this takes up enough brain-space to be entertaining — you’re constantly levering the bike from side to side, chasing the vanishing point and gauging the safe margin between visibility and grip. It’s perfect adventure-bike territory and a real antidote if you’re sick of speed and corner-carving on a twisty B-road.
Tactile, involving and encouraging, right now I couldn’t think of a bike I’d rather be on and the WP suspension that makes light work of the trails is soaking up everything the rippled tarmac can offer. I’m not even minding the rain - deserted and slightly desolate, from this position of altitude I can see the weather come in and low cloud in the valleys below. Ahead, the sky is clearer — I’m going to make it without getting soaked. The Gore-tex of my Dainese jacket is holding up for now. Then I feel the first dribble down the back of my neck...
As we head through the heath we end up at The Bog. Once a thriving lead-mining village, with 200 buildings and metal extracted from the ground on a vast scale, only a few buildings now remain (the visitor centre is the old school). It’s a good place to stop for an explore — The Stiperstones, a distinctive ridge of quartzite rock nearby, is a great place to stop for a legloosening trek and is just about accessible in bike boots. Just…
We’re soon on the A488 and heading south. As A-roads go, the 488 is entertaining. Wide, grippy and lined with hedgerows, it rises and falls, following the contours and straddling the Welsh border. In the damp, on the KTM’S semi-trail tyres, it demands thought and planning and is enjoyable as you link up the twists and overtakes. We’re heading toward Clun — no trip to this area is complete without visiting a castle.
As a border town, Clun spent centuries coming under attack from the Welsh and the Norman castle was the last redoubt for the local area – in 1233 it resisted a sustained attack from Llewellyn The Great that destroyed the rest of the village. Now in ruined form it simply represents a great place for a stomp, helped by the fact that Clun is an inviting destination for a break.
We cross Clun’s stone packhorse bridge (Waterloo Ford is nearby if you fancy splashing) and park up. At the weekends, this is a popular spot with local bikers, and it is easy to see why – there’s a great café opposite (the sausage rolls are beyond belief) and the chance to watch the world go by on the banks of the River Clun on a nice day isn’t to be passed up.
The castle is worth the walk. It’s free to enter the
‘No trip here is complete without visting a castle’