WANDERING THROUGH THE SHROPSHIRE HILLS
There is some truly amazing and dramatic natural countryside to be found throughout England, with some areas being far better known and more visited than others. One of the lesser known of gems is the Shropshire Hills area, which rolls out from the flat Cheshire Plains and into the Welsh borders, and is just a short 1.5 to 2-hour drive southwest from Manchester.
As a city Manchester is an interesting place to visit in its own right, and for those who prefer nature and the great outdoors its location make it probably the best city in the U.K. for accessing many of the country’s finest natural playgrounds, including the Shropshire Hills.
My last visit back to this region (where I was born and raised) was last winter. Even though I’d been away for many years, the picture-perfect, postcard-like landscape of the hills always tugs hard at my heartstrings. During my extended absence little had changed here, and as far as the landscape itself goes, well, it is still as alluring and welcoming as ever.
Be it by road or rail (both of which are easy from Manchester), as you head towards the area, you pass through the historic county town of Shrewsbury, the gateway to the Shropshire Hills. Along with Ludlow (to the southern end of the Shropshire Hills), it’s one of the best-preserved medieval towns in the country. Stopping off here makes for a great day of simply wandering around, checking out the many old timber-fronted buildings, the red-sandstone castle, and perhaps taking afternoon tea along with an obligatory plate of the local Shrewsbury cake (a sweet biscuit).
Shrewsbury was also the birthplace and longtime home of Charles Darwin, and has featured as the set for many films and period dramas over the years, including A Christmas Carol
(1984).
Following the main A49 road or rail line south from here and you trace the route of the famous Watling Street, a major Roman road built during their occupation. It’s well worth taking a slight (8 km) diversion from here to visit the Viroconium Cornoviorum in the village of Wroxeter (off the main A5), which was once the fourth-largest Roman settlement in Britain.
Back on track and just a few minutes south of Shrewsbury you will see the flatlands give way to a series of gentle and not-sodistant hills. These are the Shropshire Hills, a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (ANOB), which is largely looked after by the National Trust, and was my home for many years, and my destination of choice for this visit.
At the heart of the hills is the historic and small market town of Church Stretton, which lies in the valley between the most pretty and charming of the hills. Church Stretton makes for a great base for exploring the region.
The town has a distinctly old-world feel to it, with antique and craft shops, weekly farmers markets, and many small tea shops and bakeries. These are ideal for warming up before a winter walk through the surrounding hills and valleys.
Long ago, Church Stretton was dubbed “Little Switzerland” due to its natural beauty, and the many small cottages that cling to the valley sides on the outskirts of town. As such it became a popular spa town and health resort, which it still is today.
During the winter months the area is very quiet –apart from on sunny weekends. Year-round nature lovers and walkers from throughout the region stroll out to make the most of local trails and serenity, although few of them ever venture too far from the designated parking areas that are found all around the hills.
Within a few minutes of walking from town you can find yourself in sublime natural surroundings and on well-marked hiking trails. Before setting out you really should pick up a trail map from one of the local shops, although on the trails close to town it’s hard to go too far wrong or get lost.
To the west of town is the Long Mynd, the defining hill of the range. From its high point (Pole Bank at 516 meters) you get 360-degree views over the surrounding countryside, and on a clear day you will see the distant Welsh peaks to the west and way across towards the West Midlands in the opposite direction. On a blustery winter day, rolling fog can engulf sections of the hills, which is why you should always have some form of trail map with you on longer walks.
Leading up to the Mynd is the narrow and steep Burway Road, which clings precariously to the valley side and is not for the fainthearted driver. On the few snowy days of winter, this and other access roads to the Mynd are closed for safety reasons, although you can of course still hike the trails. When sugarcoated in snow, the hills are truly a sight to behold.
Running parallel to the Burway is the Carding Mill Valley, the most popular destination in the hills, although personally I prefer to avoid the “crowds” and head to the lesser-known valleys, which are locally known as “batches.”
The “Long” part of Mynd becomes apparent as you drive or walk along the summit; it’s a long and flat-topped mountain smothered in moorland heather and wild grass, which is roamed by mountain sheep and many friendly wild horses, which you will surely encounter on any walk here.
It’s around 11 kilometers from end to end of the Mynd, and there are several narrow roads climbing to its summit road and plateau, from each direction. The basis for the end-to-end traversing Mynd roads and trails is the Portway, an old drovers’ (herders) and traders’ road believed to date back to the Bronze Age. You’ll find many parking areas dotted around the summit, allowing for easy access and flexible walking options, which is generally how I approach the trails here.
Walk in almost any direction on a clear day and you can see for miles all around, making navigation easy, and allowing anyone to experience great hilltop hiking without too much physical effort.
Be it by road or rail, as you head towards the area, you pass through the historic county town of Shrewsbury, the gateway to the Shropshire Hills.
Every few minutes whilst walking along the top of the Mynd, you will see a trail diving off into a batch. These trails lead back down towards Church Stretton on the east side and can be linked together to make circular routes with more climbing involved.
The most imposing and satisfying of these trails into the batches include Townbrook Hollow, Carding Mill Valley (both directly leading to town), Batch (to All Stretton), Ashes Hollow (to Little Stretton) and Minton Batch (to Minton). There are also many lesser-trodden trails on the west side of the Mynd, which can easily be linked together for longer hikes, and on a clear day be sure to hike the ridge trail behind the glider station, which offers amazing views over the agricultural land to the west.
To the eastern side of Church Stretton are a string of steepsided hills, including Caer Caradoc, which is one of the first hills you see when heading into town from the north. This is a boldly steep and open hill, with the remains of an Iron Age fort crowning its summit. The views from this windswept peak are well worth the climb to its 459-meter summit. You can see way over the Shropshire flatlands to the north, including towards the Wrekin, an old volcanic mountain on the outskirts of Telford, and the most far-flung of the Shropshire Hills.
To the east you see Wenlock Edge, which is a huge natural geographical fault line that runs 31 km from end to end.
It’s this eastern side of the hills that are my personal favorite for hiking, as they receive far fewer visitors. This time around I hiked from the village of Hope Bowdler and over Hope Bowdler Hill on a short circular route that’s easy to follow and which took just over an hour. During that time, I saw just a handful of other humans –and many sheep.
Over the next few weeks, I returned many times to these green and wholesome hills, as they hold a very special place in my own personal story. I’m sure that if you take the short sidestep away from the regular favorites usually accessed from Manchester, this place will also surprise and capture a slice of your hearts too.