Walkers Are Welcome Shropshire

Home , Church Stretton, Cleobury Mortimer, Clun Castle, Ditton Priors, Hadnall, Longden

Shropshire Walkers are Welcome Shropshire

Walking in Shropshire: Other Walkers are Welcome towns WALKERS ARE www.shropshirewalking.co.uk outside the Shropshire area There is lots of walking information There are many other Walkers are Welcome on this website, including the towns along the Welsh/English Border, WELCOME Shropshire Way, Offa’s Dyke Path National which can be found on Trail, dates of local walking festivals, www.walkersarewelcome.org.uk walk leaflets and podcasts to download, geocaching and the latest walking news. Travel Walking for Health: Travel information can be found in local www.walkingforhealth. Visitor Information Centres, and online at org.uk www.travelshropshire.co.uk There is lots of information Buses about Walking for Health on Timetabled routes, contact Traveline this national website, including where to on 08712 002233 find local schemes. Shropshire Hills Shuttles – Parks and Countryside Sites: weekend Shuttle bus into www.shropshire.gov.uk/ the Shropshire Hills, May to outdoorrecreation/ early October. 01588 674080 parks-and-countryside-sites www.shropshirehillsshuttles.co.uk IN AND AROUND THE There are over 140 parks and countryside Trains SHROPSHIRE HILLS: sites across Shropshire, managed by Stations at Whitchurch, Church Stretton, Bishop’s Castle Shropshire Council. They are wonderful Ludlow, Wellington, Gobowen, Craven  places to enjoy the great outdoors and Arms, Shrewsbury and Telford. Church Stretton  many have easy access routes. Contact National Rail, 08457 484950 Cleobury Mortimer  Shropshire Ramblers: www.shropshireramblers. Visiting Clun  org.uk www.shropshiretourism.co.uk for Ironbridge  accommodation, events and places to visit. Geocaching: www.shropshirehillsaonb.co.uk for Ludlow  www.geocaching.com information on the Shropshire Hills Area of For local geocaching routes, GPS systems Much Wenlock  Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), local can be hired from Shropshire Hills Discovery events and activities. Wellington  Centre, Craven Arms. 01588 676060. IN NORTH SHROPSHIRE: Oswestry  Whitchurch 

Artwork by MA Creative Limited • www.macreative.co.uk. Correct at time of printing, March 2015 Shropshire Walkers are Welcome Shropshire is a beautiful county, with the Shropshire Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) in the south recognised as one of Britain’s finest landscapes. To the north is the Oswestry Borderlands, and Whitchurch at the heart of the internationally renowned Meres and Mosses. The Llangollen Canal crosses through North Shropshire, passing Claire CarterClaire www.carterart.co.uk through Whitchurch and Ellesmere, and as you continue out of Shropshire the path will lead you to the Pontcysyllte World Heritage Site, near Llangollen. Stunning scenery in Shropshire includes the craggy Stiperstones and Wrekin, Wenlock Edge and the Clee Hills, the wide open spaces and hidden valleys of the Long Mynd, and peaceful river valleys such as the Severn, the Clun and the Corve. The Severn Valley and Wyre Forest lie to the east of the county, with sandstone valleys and ancient oak woodland to explore. Shropshire is one of the most rural counties in England, you can walk for miles without seeing a soul. The area is geologically diverse and you can enjoy this wonderfully Walkers are Welcome towns and villages are places which have something special to contrasting scenery on the well maintained and waymarked footpaths that criss-cross our offer walkers. A visit to a ‘Walkers are Welcome’ town guarantees you a series of excellent beautiful county. waymarked walks from the centre of town. There is walking to suit all abilities and ages: along canal towpaths and river banks, across The walks vary in length and ease with something to suit everyone. Local groups ensure heather and rough hill tops, through meadows and secret woods, with a mewing buzzard that these routes are well maintained, clearly signed and promoted. Walk information is overhead often the loudest sound. A rich border heritage with hillforts and castles is available from local outlets and from the towns’ websites. matched by market towns and villages of great character, a friendly welcome and some fantastic food and festivals. All the Shropshire Walkers are Welcome towns are steeped All the Walkers are Welcome towns in Shropshire have a Walking for Health scheme – this in local history and retain vibrant high streets full of independent shops, so it’s worth offers regular, short, local led walks of up to 90 minutes. Some of the towns also have Next enjoying a visit to them all. Steps walks – these offer slightly longer led walks of approximately 2 hours, for those who are ready to progress on from the shorter walks. See www.walkingforhealth.org.uk for details.

The eight Walkers are Welcome towns in and around the Shropshire Hills AONB work individually and collectively. The catalyst of Shropshire Hills AONB Partnership funding in 2011 brought together Bishop’s Castle, Church Stretton, Cleobury Mortimer, Much Wenlock and Wellington, to market this area for their mutual benefit and in support of the local economy. Clun, Ironbridge and Ludlow joined them in 2014.

Oswestry and Whitchurch in North Shropshire make a total of ten Walkers are Welcome towns in the county, highlighting the extensive variety of walking this area has to offer and the value placed on Walkers Are Welcome status.

Walkers are Welcome is a national community led scheme, which allows towns and villages to express their enthusiasm for visitors and to encourage walkers into their shops, pubs, cafes and accommodation. All of the businesses that support the scheme and welcome walkers bear this logo. Bishop’s Castle

Bishop’s Castle is at the centre of beautiful, unspoilt hill country where walking is a joy for people who appreciate the quiet landscape, with its hill tops, woods and stream filled valleys. This is farming country that gave its name to the Clun

Forest and Kerry Hill sheep breeds. Lambs abound in the N E E R spring. Beef cattle graze the hillsides and in the valleys G E L T S there are rich meadows with abundant wild flowers and A C mixed arable fields. There are song birds in the hedgerows ET RE B T U S and kites and buzzards soar overhead. E L W L L E T L LS S A H A N The town itself has kept its 12th century layout yet is a lively, friendly place with a S C E TR Town E SALO E P T T STR strong sense of its identity and history. It has a long and proud history of brewing, with E Hall E ET E B R two thriving breweries and many individual shops, restaurants, pubs and cafes. The ING T B4385 S S

L E Y

W H

O C G area is home to many excellent artists, musicians and crafts people. D L T A I

E E

H E

T T A

O E NE The Shropshire Way runs through the town centre and the Offa’s Dyke Path, following W S

E T ST Hospital R S N T

O H the Anglo-Saxon ditch and dyke border between England and Wales, passes just to I STREET N C N O T School TIO I A R A

R N Library O U T the west. To the east rise the dramatic ridge of the Long Mynd and the jagged tors P U R S H O of the Stiperstones. C C Recreation Auction Yard AD RO Ground H KE The bc ring is a challenging five days of walking (www.bcring.co.uk) and the TC R L BA R C W D Y EN OO L E Walking Festival in May (www.walkingfestival.co.uk) and Challenge Walk in A R A488 N G E G

N I GR L August (www.bcchallengewalk.co.uk) are celebrations of the excellent hill- ANGE ROA D B W RA O country walking in the area. Walking for Pleasure leaflets, offering walks from 1 to M B PT ON 8 miles, are freely available locally. RO AD

Visitor Information: Bishop’s Castle Town Hall Tel: 01588 630023 Email: [email protected] www.bishopscastle.co.uk Church Stretton Yvonne Beaumont Yvonne Beaumont Yvonne

Church Stretton lies in a landscape of stunning variety and beauty. The largest of the two towns within the Shropshire Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, its 5,000 residents live

Yvonne Beaumont Yvonne in a valley between the heather-covered Long Mynd and the imposing rocky peaks of the Stretton Hills to the east.

© Crown Copyright. All rights reserved. The town boasts a friendly welcome, with banks, a post office, Shropshire Council 100049049.2015 independent shops, two supermarkets, several pubs and numerous eateries – along with free two hour on street parking, C A R D I N G cheap central car parks and a Visitor Information Centre. M B U I L R W L V AY A L L R E Y OA For walkers there are many maps, guides and leaflets, giving almost immediate access D to a wilderness of high moorland, through Rectory Field and Wood onto the Long

Mynd plateau. On its flanks are deep gullies and shallow, rocky streams, while lower L O

N B5477

G down the hills are woodlands and fields. Wildlife includes buzzards, curlew, raven, red H

grouse, deer, brown hares, badgers, Exmoor ponies and thousands of sheep.

O A

D D A LUT O WY R Rectory Wood CH X E E ROA S H The hill country is a magnet for walkers of all ages and abilities. On offer are ambles, D S T E R O N T Walking for Health paths, more active rambles and the opportunity to walk the hill E E S A Fire Station R N D T F S O R tops with surprisingly modest effort. There are over 30 miles of well maintained grassy D Police A49 G A V IN T E L D N T E A U A E E O W paths and 20 miles of bridleways, covering the heather of the moorlands, the grass, R R

D T LIO E E Library S U A N P T M EA O N O AVENUE H E D E RD bracken and woods of the Shropshire Hills and the lush greenery of the batches and O H FO B4371 R W V SAND C E T S A Y R R A L H R U E T Supermarket A A E R lowland fields. H S Z N T C N L N E H E R U G C C I R O Long Mynd H A Hotel D

The prize-winning gardens at the railway station are a fitting place to start many local R D A H G S A T NA O U L TC walks and the Shropshire Hills Shuttle buses run at the weekends, Easter to September, O E H R S E T T RS LAN W E H E E O R providing easy access into the hills from Church Stretton and Carding Mill Valley – a L T R S O D G A U IN L L D delightful National Trust site with its café, car parks and shop. T A B5477 W

Visitor Information: Church Street Tel: 01694 723133 www.churchstretton.co.uk Cleobury Mortimer

Cleobury Mortimer is an ancient market town at the heart of Cleobury Country – made up of eleven parishes extending from Titterstone Clee to the River Severn, set in the rolling landscape of southern Shropshire. This unique landscape, often with distant views that surprise you, is the gateway to the Shropshire Hills and the Wyre Forest. Cleobury Mortimer’s High Street once described by John Betjeman as ‘A long curving street of Georgian houses and shops interspersed with genuine half-timber’ retains this character. St. Mary’s church with its rare twisted spire is a focal point. The Town Trail B4363 and Treasure Trail tell the town’s story. Cleobury Country parishes are connected by footpaths, actively maintained by Glen Caravan Park Cleobury Mortimer Footpath Association and Kinlet Countryside Group. There are 35

waymarked walks, plus the Clee to Severn extension of the Shropshire Way and part R River Rea

O N

of the Geopark Way. All are downloadable from www.cmfa.co.uk and available from H I L AD A4117 Hobsons Visitor Centre, Cleobury Café, the Golf Club and Cleobury Country Market L

AD Primary L ONGS RO A T on the third Saturday of the month. This extensive network helped Cleobury to gain School FURL E N E

Playing Field E NEW RO R LANGLAND ROAD T Fire Station Walkers are Welcome status in 2009. A N E S E L R L O V E T W H O T E L River Rea Monthly Sunday parish walks start from St Mary’s church and the Walking for Health H Sports & Social Club U THE HURS RS Cleobury Country L T group walks on the first and third Wednesday. The bi-annual Food and Ale Trail guides Centre & Library O M V A E T H C L E K hundreds of walkers through this hidden gem of countryside, enjoying the wonderful A A Lacon Childe School E N T N I H R Parish Hall P E E local tastes of this area. R T T S O N RD H E Market Hall R LD C O HI R A C U D C H E I G H S T R E E T AN A4117 H L B Cleobury Mill R O A D N A L U D L O W LI O Y Post O ce T O Medical Centre N & Pharmacy R O E A N D

Visitor Information: Market Hall, Church Street & Cleobury Country Centre, Love Lane Tel: 01299 272300 www.cleoburycountry.com Walking group websites: www.cmfa.co.uk & www.stottystrollers.org.uk Clun

Approaching the tiny town of Clun from the west on foot or by car, the castle dominates the sky line. Built by the Normans in the 11th century it is a classic motte and bailey castle. Clun is where the rivers Clun and Unk meet, before the Clun river makes its journey down the Clun valley to join the river Teme at Leintwardine.

The ‘Burgage plot’ layout of some of the older houses, Saxon to Bishop’s Castle church, town hall (now a museum), 14th century packhorse bridge and charming Trinity Hospital and Almshouses (built in A488

C Playing 1614), all tell the story of the town. The nearby hillforts, Bury Ditches and Caer Caradoc, A S Ri T Field ve L

r Clun E

tell of even more ancient settlements. S

E T Even though Clun can still claim to be one of ‘the quietest places under the sun’, it H O F S is a lively place with a good selection of independent shops and businesses. The EET O P TR R I S D T TP A R small, friendly community has two thriving pubs: the White Horse, home to The Clun PO O S L WE T EW L N R E A to Craven Arms E N LL N K E Brewery and The Sun, a 15th century cruck construction Grade 2 listed building. Both F I S T E I D Fire E L LA L serve homemade food and local ales. The Maltings Café, with its lovely carved wooden D NE A Station N S façade, serves a wonderful selection of cakes and homemade food. T E B4368 H I G H S T R E E T Cemetery Clun has much to offer walkers; whether it’s a gentle stroll through the castle grounds ST GE ID and along the river or a more challenging hill walk, the Clun Valley’s surrounding hills R B River Clun and woodland make for delightful and varied walks. B4368

Post O ce

SC H

H C

The Shropshire Way runs through Clun, taking in Clun Castle and Bury Ditches. Offa’s OO R L U RO H Dyke Path passes 3½ miles to the west. There are well signed footpaths and quiet School AD C lanes for walks in all directions. ‘Clun Valley, 33 Favourite Walks’ provides an ideal guide VI CARAG to help plan a day’s walking. Shorter, circular walks can be down loaded from the Clun A488 E ROAD D website. www.clun.info/walking-in-clun.html LLW OA YN ROAD R ON HT IG KN © Crown Copyright. All rights reserved. to Knighton Shropshire Council 100049049.2015

Visitor Information: The Visitor Information Point in Clun is at Bright Flowers Florists, Church Street, Clun. The nearest Visitor Information Centres are Church Stretton and Ludlow

Ironbridge

Begin your walking adventure in a World Heritage Site, which recognises the area’s unique contribution to the birth of the To Telford

9 B 6 R Town Centre 1 O 4 C industrial revolution. Ironbridge is a wonderful place to start a A K Y T O A N W S W N A E Y walk. From the well placed car parks you can explore the industrial E A U 44 Q 2 sites, Abraham Darby’s first furnace at Coalbrookdale, through the 17th century to the two electricity generating stations of the Tweedale

20th century. Just outside the town is Benthall Hall, easily found MADELEY ROUNDABOUT through Benthall Edge, and on the opposite side of the river do MADELEY Police not miss Lodge Field and its flora and fauna. CENTRE Y A W K R A P 9 6 1 The Iron Bridge is a must for any visitor and for the more observant try and spot 4 WOODSIDE A

S ROUNDABOUT

S Y

A A Abraham Darby III’s silhouette in the casting of the bridge. From the Tollhouse collect P

- W

Y B S E E

G G one of the many leaflets with clear directions and informative narrative produced by G D

I E

R L B N Madeley the Severn Gorge Countryside Trust, who manage the majority of the countryside in World Heritage O R Site boundary I the Gorge. They cover walks for all abilities, from a couple of miles taking 1 – 2 hours, LEES FARM ROUNDABOUT Blists Hill Victorian

E Town Museum upwards. For the more adventurous why not try the South Telford Way, a 12 mile U N E V A

E Woodside D C Golf Club I O circular route taking you into Telford Town Centre and then returning to Ironbridge. S A D L

O P O

O R W T R O

L A IL Oilhouse D H Coalport E While you are in the town please visit one of the many hostelries and cafés who give E Coppice

R T Y L

R L ER I

H H

C D walkers a warm welcome. Loamhole A Lloyds Coppice

Dale O R

Dingle

Y Coppice E

E Coalport D L I

S E China Museum D D

O A

O World Heritage Site M Running through or very near the town are several long distance routes, the Shropshire W Severn Valley Way

CHU RC Ironbridge H Way, The Mercian Way and The Jack Mytton Way. There are also two National Cycle RO Jack eld A D Jack eld Tile Museum Enginuity Bridge Routes 45 and 55, which both intersect in the town. Jack eld World Heritage Site

ET Coalbrookdale RE ST O O L RL L Captain's I TE

Lincoln H

A R N E W A wealth of history welcomes you to our town. Come and experience the land which D

Coppice L OW D A Hill

HODGEB

O O

S O

I World Heritage Site N

A W

D N

L Y

O A

I D

T A A

E L

has been reclaimed by nature, but for those who look, still gives up the treasures of an P L

T Rotunda

A Iron S D AGE Bridge HARF E W industrial past that underpinned the technological age we now live in. TH Museum of The Gorge N B4380 E R V If this has given you a desire for more then join us during the first week in May every E S R © Crown Copyright. All rights reserved. E V I Benthall Edge year for the Ironbridge Gorge Walking Festival, approximately 50 led walks which are R Shropshire Council 100049049.2015 free to participants. www.visitironbridge.co.uk/walkingfestival Power Station Visitor Information: The Visitor Information Centre, Museum of the Gorge The Wharfage, Ironbridge TF8 7DQ Tel: 01952 433424 Email: [email protected]

A41 A49 Grindley Brook Shropshire Whitchurch Waterway Country Park A525 Walkers are WHITCHURCH Brown Chirk Castle Moss Welcome CHIRK A495 B4500 Fenn’s Moss Tilstock Prees St Martin’s A528 Heath B5068 Whixall Moss Bettis eld Welshampton B5476 Weston A5 Rhyn Ellesmere The Mere Whixall A49 Shropshire county boundary Shropshire Union Gobowen Canal A495 A41 Selattyn Prees Shropshire Hills AONB Colemere Northwood Country Park B4579 Edstaston Whittington B5063 Shropshire Way

B5065 SW circular routes The Old Jack Mytton Way Racecourse OSWESTRY Cockshutt WEM Morda O a’s Dyke Way

Queen’s Head B5063 Severn Way Trefonen A483 B5476 Information Centre Maesbury West Felton A528 Clive Corbet Maesbury Visitor attraction Llynclys Wood Country Park A53 Marsh A5 Ruyton- Grinshill Castle or Historic building XI-Towns B4396 Museum Ho man Kiln Baschurch Shawbury & Heritage Centre Heritage Railway Llanymynech Kinnerley Nesscli e Bomere Heath Hadnall Country Park Wilcott B5067 National Trust property Nessclie Astley English Heritage property Four Crosses A49 Felton Butler High Ercall Melverley A483 A442 Montford Bridge A528 Haughmond Abbey Shrawardine Roddington Haughmond Ford Hill Ungton WELLINGTON A458 Shrewsbury B5061 A5 A5 Sunnycroft A442 Attingham Park M54 A488 Bayston Hill THE Wroxeter Little Telford Annescoft Lyth Roman City WREKINWenlock Hill A49 B4380 Longden A458 Pontesbury Condover A4169 Minsterley Buildwas Coalbrookdale Abbey

Snailbeach Pulverbatch Dorrington IRONBRIDGE Ironbridge Gorge Lead Mines Benthall Hall Museums A49

Stiperstones ONES Wenlock Priory Picklescott A442 Leebotwood

The Bog MUCH WENLOCK Visitor Centre Carding Mill Valley Ratlinghope A490 THE BridgesSTIPERST B4378

Churchstoke A488 CHURCH B4368 ND STRETTON Wentnor B4371 Wilderhope Manor Hope Bowdler Bridgnorth Severn Valley Railway ONG MY L Acton Scott Daniel’s Mill A489 Historic Working BISHOP’S Farm Dudmaston Ditton Priors Hall CASTLE B4364 OCK EDGE Lydbury Munslow North A489 A49 Aston Munslow WENL B4363 B4368 BROWN Burwarton A488 CLEE HILL CLUN FOREST Hopesay Rays Farm The Engine House Country Matters Newcastle Bury Dicthes Craven Arms Highley B4368 Stottesdon Aston on Clun Shropshire Hills Stokesay Clunton Discovery Centre CLUN Castle B4361 B4367 Kinlet B4385 Onibury B4364 TITTERSTONE CLEE HILL B4194 Ludlow Ludlow Hoptonbank B4363 Food Centre Race Course

A4117 A4113 LUDLOW Bewdley Severn Valley Cleehill CLEOBURY Railway A49 MORTIMER O a’s Dyke Visitor Centre Knighton

Ludlow is one of the finest market towns in England. Ludlow Castle towers above the River Teme and the town is full of interesting

independent shops, cafés and pubs, many of them housed in the AD RO EY NL town’s fantastic medieval and Georgian buildings. The town has HE a reputation for quality food and there are markets most days in NEW ROAD the square.

to Leisure Centre B4361

Ludlow is surrounded by the gorgeous countryside of the V E

ILLSIDE L RIVER H Shropshire Hills, Mortimer Country and North Herefordshire. H OYNE AD I P R RO CORVE L There are varied walks in all directions – along riversides, through forests, farmland L D Y D E A A N O O and ancient heritage sites such as hillforts, to the top of some impressive hills such as R R IN Y L ST J IA N E A UL S T E Titterstone Clee, which dominates the Ludlow skyline. I IV O L N ST C D JU O R LIA I N’S AV. R V There are short walks around the historic town centre, castle walls and riverside. Walk V E D R LINNEY E O S F T E a little further up to Whitcliffe Common for panoramic views of the town and to reach D R L E A E G E Mortimer Forest for spring anemones, bluebells and sightings of deer and buzzards. T R AN E L Library P K P C RO St Laurence’s U Y CO N E Church I N L The Mortimer Trail runs from Ludlow through 30 miles of gorgeous borderland L LE LO G WER E GAL S T DEF T S OR countryside to Kington on the Welsh border. Ludlow Country Walks are a set of nine ING D SH K EET B R Assembly E O R A CASTLE O Ludlow Rooms N D circular walks from Ludlow Town Centre – varying in length from ½ a mile to 8 miles. A SQUARE D A RA

Castle ST

S V RE

S Available as a set (£3) or individually (50p) from Ludlow Visitor Information Centre, Weir M EN ET E O I AN L L O R D Millennium L AN BR L C NE D or downloadable from www.theludlowguide.co.uk/out-about/Walking.html. Or, Green S A L G T ELL S B L R T N

A I

DINH E D R E A P

M E A E U

E E O

rather than following a circular route, take the bus, Castle Connect Shuttle or train T R E N Dinham E

N S ’ T E

C N S

A H V T

Bridge A JO S W L T JO A E from town and stride back along a linear route from Bromfield, Clee Hill, Leintwardine M ILL L ST V P LA SILK M O E NE WER BR H N N T S O or Craven Arms. L ME A TE N RIVER TEME N N E E E O ESID Weir W

A TEM R

D TE S O M A Given Ludlow’s reputation for fine food, why not plan a route which takes in a country T E D R Weir S E ID Weir E pub or café en route. Or you could put together a delicious picnic from Ludlow’s T E W PARK ROA H D independent and specialist food shops to take on your walk. There are also organised Whitcli e I T C L I F Common F E foodie walks every year. The Ludlow Food Walk in June and the Magnalonga in August. R O A D Ludford © Crown Copyright. All rights reserved. B4361 Both include several stops for delicious nibbles en route. Shropshire Council 100049049.2015

Visitor Information: Ludlow Assembly Rooms, Castle Square, Ludlow. Tel: 01584 875053 Email: [email protected] www.theludlowguide.co.uk or www.visitsouthshropshire.co.uk/ludlow.php D Much Wenlock A O

Sabine Hutchinson Sabine Hutchinson Y

L Disused R Windmill A Much Wenlock is a unique and special place. It is a beautiful medieval town that has F also played its part in the birth of the modern Olympic Games. With a population of around 3,000 people it feels more like a village than a town, and one into which you have stepped back fifty years. It has been a market town for 700 years, but its history School goes back much further than that.

ancient Guildhall, open to the public in the summer, and the ruins of a priory built S Y A4169

S H

upon the site of St Milburga’s Abbey. It has a fascinating museum that covers its long I

history, its links with the Olympics, and the local geology and ecology. T O

S D T A R O R The town sits in a picturesque hollow on Wenlock Edge, a remarkable geological E N O E T I A feature stretching 18 miles north-east/south-west from the Severn Gorge to Craven T S T

Arms affording magnificent view of the Shropshire Hills. On the fringe of the Shropshire D A O R G Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, it is an area to be explored with walks for all D N Priory Ruins A I O W R W R E D abilities, both close to the town and further afield, with superb scenery all around. L N I L I E L L F M U H T B Q O U UE O D EN T S STR E E R A D E A Way O E

RO S R T S N

N T It is accessible by bus from Shrewsbury E Shropshire A

E D WE R L O

R L E

S K T E E C or Telford railway stations, and is only 20 I S T A

F B

G H

T I T minutes from the M54. K A458 E E Sabine Hutchinson M T R

S S H D B I G A A H R O R B4378 R O V O A D S I C R ’ R W T O R I A Y A S D R T A C R A B M E . E E O R T C T I S y R D H O Wa O Photo Credit Photo U B4376 Shropshire N G D N R O G T O EC S National Trust E R R R T O Car park U L H F A O T B R N

O E A B4378 D A458

Primary School

Visitor Information: Much Wenlock Museum, High Street Tel: 01952 727679 www.muchwenlockguide.info Wellington under The Wrekin

Nestling against the ancient wooded northern boundary of the Wrekin Forest, the town of Wellington lies on the famous

Mike Hayward Roman Road of Watling Street. Henry III granted the town its market charter in 1244 and there is still a thriving market here on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. There is a good train

service to the town, free car parking and a very warm welcome

W A L

H E awaits all visitors who want to visit and walk in the area. G I E

T D L

C L

A ERY R OM OAD O H EG LE C

O Playing School The famous local landmark of the Wrekin is at the most northerly U R Field R D A C D S H O A U R H part of the Shropshire Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. T O T T R H R N E N R Y R E L O L O S The base of the 407 metre high hill of volcanic rock lies within a forty minute walk from C O A N S N WR A R OCK E WARDINE D R R OA D D S A P C the centre of Wellington. Young and old feel the same sense of achievement as they R I N V G RD A E H RT LB N I ALBE E U L R D R O A D R L V I N E YA T E C walk up the hill, past the remains of an Iron Age hillfort, to reach the summit and the R D H AD

U RO D S

AN R L T

B ER H A C T

360 degree panorama, which on a clear day can include 17 counties. SU Supermarket R N H N

QUEEN S UTIO L

I T TIT D S S

ON E T

C Y

G K College

E IN R

But there is much more to see than just Wellington and the Wrekin. The Ercall, the G PRO O SP A

R STA S ECT TION RD T RD D O R WATE ST E RLO hill next to the Wrekin, is comprised of Shropshire’s oldest rocks which have been A ET THE E O RK PARAD T ROA D A E V D M Market IC NE TO exposed in the internationally renowned quarry area. Here you can see the vivid red W R I REG S A V EN T T A T H T. A S S N T winged Cinnabar moths and Green Hairstreak butterflies. O ER R K AL B E L W H E A IG L H T I N E S K T S D V A The ancient woodland of Limekiln Wood is home to 150 plant species that include R I O C G O R T LE

AD E R O A D T O R I A B A E HI yellow archangel and twayblade orchids. Peregrine falcons return to nest at the foot YG GH H A S T ST College N

of the Wrekin and Daubenton’s and Pipistrelle bats roost in the area. E W

LK C W CHURCH R H

D OS U

Wellington Walkers are Welcome lead a walk on the first and third Sundays of each A AY R

R C O O Cemetery S H R T H R O month from outside Wellington Leisure Centre at 2.00pm, and hold an annual walking W D N A A I A D I K D O H T D ROA E A festival. There are Walking for Health walks, also from outside the leisure centre at R E E LYHE R HO E R T B E

A W 2.00pm, every Wednesday. G R T Y A A Hospital H V A D E R O N For more details about walking in the area visit A D U H E E LY www.wellingtonwalkersarewelcome.org.uk. H O © Crown Copyright. All rights reserved. Shropshire Council 100049049.2015 Alan Lees Alan Visitor Information: Nearest offices are Telford Shopping Centre, Telford 01952 238008 or Museum of the Gorge, Ironbridge 01952 884391 www.wellingtonwalkersarewelcome.org.uk www.wellington-shropshire.gov.uk Oswestry

Spectacular, dramatic and mysterious, Oswestry Hillfort is the 3,000 year old beginning of one of Britain’s oldest settlements. Today, Oswestry is a thriving market town, enjoying a growing reputation for award-winning independent shops and a lively programme of festivals, art and culture throughout the year. On our traditional market days the street scene would still be

. Gatacre

recognised by our most famous son, Wilfred Owen. E AV Recreation CR Ground TA

GA IVE S DR You are invited to come and discover for yourself all the richness WAT

B School 4 our border town has to offer. Our Town Guides are happy to share their knowledge of 5 7 AD 9 T RO OR L D O D F L OL W A A K Y O the history of the town each Saturday throughout the summer. N R H AD O R R U OOL N ERP O E R IV L GITT AD W S LL T OYD O I B R S N ST O

O TR EE G B A R The landscape reflects the historic battles between the Welsh and English but happily 4 ALBER T EE 5 D 8 T 0 T RO M T AD O E both sides now live in harmony and share the wonderful delights our borders have to E SW UN R T R T A OAD S N K L R A O NE offer. For scenic, breath-taking landscapes you don’t have to travel far from the town Y y a OAK w to see some of our spectacular views – rolling farmland with a backdrop of mountains l i ST. a ET R STRE T TLE EE e AS R g and enticing valleys. C T a S t i E r IC e R H W AT ENUE I BE LL Cambrian Railway AV O D The scenery around Oswestry offers some fantastic walking opportunities. If you have W OA R Museum RK S LD TR A PA E LEG STREET W E OS a head for heights the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct World Heritage Site will take your breath T LS AL away. This exhilarating stream in the sky has stunning views down the valley. You can W SH EL also marvel at the magnificent Pistyll Rhaedr waterfall. Peace, tranquillity and nature at W Cae Glas B W 445 EL 5 SH Park 7 its best can be found at Lake Vyrnwy and The Meres and Mosses at Ellesmere, whilst the T 9 W E S AL E A L R LLO S T O S P limestone history of yesterday sits alongside butterfly conservation at Llanymynech. H L C R R O A AAD B U D U LL LAN H E R W E Heritage C ’S 9 N LD 6 U A Centre 0 M Serious walkers can complete the 177 miles of Offa’s Dyke Path National Trail or 297 5 W O S B D RI VE miles of The Shropshire Way, whilst those wanting a more leisurely stroll can amble LOW ET ER B RE ROO School ST K S long the various canal towpaths or follow Oswald’s Trail, a 12.6 mile circular walk K T. OO BR R PE VI around Oswestry. P CTO U T. RI S A ROAD School IA R TO © Crown Copyright. All rights reserved. IC Start your walk in England and end up in Wales eating Barra Brith. V Shropshire Council 100049049.2015

. V A N O T S E Visitor Information: W For more information please go to the Tourist Information website: www.oswestry-welshborders.org.uk or visit the Oswestry Visitor and Exhibition Centre, 2 Church Terrace, Oswestry, SY11 2TE Tel: 01691 662753 Whitchurch

Get away from the major roads and the countryside around Whitchurch is gently undulating, surprisingly varied and relatively unspoilt, with many interesting features. The last Ice Age left a legacy of varied soils, giving the area characteristic meres and many smaller pools. Visit Brown Moss to see how the countryside has been formed by ancient glaciers. A large area of raised peat bog with smaller areas of mosses is internationally important– hence its title “Meres and Mosses”; there are also remnants of sandy heaths at Prees Heath. The farming is predominately dairy and grazing. C H E S T E R R O A D B5395 Hospital Supermarket (minor injuries) LONDON ROAD The Romans had a fort at Whitchurch (which they called Mediolanum), and people B A Civic RG A TE Centre have lived at this settlement ever since, making Whitchurch the oldest continually Waterways S Country Park BR OW inhabited place in Shropshire. There is fascinating industrial heritage, for example the N N O LO T H Heritage W G I IN G D H S R Centre T A S T striking Llangollen Canal, disused railway lines, and a Grade 2 listed suspension bridge HILL S R MILL Y T S RY R E T HER NE E Y EE S W E R E STR T T A T T O O W ST M LB rated a “Victorian Gem” by the Institute of Civil Engineers. Llangollen R ST EN END TA D N EPPE RE Canal K ROA Jubilee P G SMALLBROO CA S T Park STLE H Supermarket A T ILL I O N W R There is a lot to discover in and around this charming market town with walks for all Chemistry ET A O E T A D R E ST R Swimming Pool LL G T I AT E M E E abilities. In Whitchurch and surrounding rural parishes there are over 110km of public L TR IL S H D ER K T R O A rights of way, including routes such as the Sandstone Trail, Shropshire Way and Maelor A D EW N B NI G E W R E X H A M R O A D B536 RID W 4 B P G O R T R Way. The Whitchurch Parish Path Partnership is a voluntary group that carries out O O T S E N R

M O

A A R D Y regular maintenance and improvement works on these paths. LAN E The ‘Ten Varied Walks around Whitchurch’ book is available from various outlets and D A via www.whitchurchwalkers.co.uk; this book highlights the pleasures of walking in O S R E D N E D O G G T F E the north Shropshire countryside. At the end of these walks there are ample cafés and G O L E N R Y R O I A D D K L B pubs in Whitchurch to provide refreshments – visit the town website to find out more 5 A 3 9 www.whitchurch.info. For details about Whitchurch Walking Festival please go to 5 Cricket 6 7 A41 4 Ground 5 www.whitchurchwalkers.co.uk B

Visitor Information: For more information please visit our website: www.whitchurch.info or visit the Whitchurch Civic Centre High Street, Whitchurch, Shropshire, SY13 1AX Tel: 01948 665761 Enjoy a day out in the Shropshire Hills by bus. Weekends and bank holiday Mondays, May to early October* Information and downloadable leaflets about a wide range of walks are The Castle Connect Shuttle is perfect for walkers who want to leave available from our website: www.shropshirewalking.co.uk. their cars in the town and explore the border-country on foot. It runs from the centre of Ludlow to Bromfield, Leintwardine, Brampton Bryan, Accessible and family walking Bucknell, Knighton, Clun and Bishop’s Castle. There are twelve wonderful easy access routes and a range of family walks to explore across Shropshire. These can also be found on our website. The Long Mynd & Stiperstones Shuttle is a ‘figure of eight’ service from Church Stretton which travels over the Long Mynd to Bridges and around the Stiperstones to Pontesbury. It’s a stunning journey across the Irresistible Offa hills, especially in summer when the heather’s in bloom. Both services are very popular, so please plan your journey – time tables are available from shops, visitor There are few places more rewarding information centres and online: than the borderlands of England and www.shropshirehillsshuttles.co.uk Wales to explore on foot. Where they *This year’s Castle Connect runs from May to October 4th to meet, Offa’s Dyke Path provides a ribbon coincide with the Clun Beer Festival on the 3rd & 4th October. of experience as it weaves together the The Long Mynd and Stiperstones service finishes on the Wye’s lush valley with the hills of the September 27th 2015 Brecon Beacons, Herefordshire, Powys, Shropshire and Clwydian Range. Offa’s Dyke, the 8th century border earthwork, is Walking Festivals across Shropshire… the spine of this experience, studded on either let our local expert guides show you the best of Shropshire side with castles, monasteries and hillforts and criss-crossed with Roman and ancient drovers’ There are a wide range of walking events and activities throughout the year, across roads. The wider you explore the more rewarding the county. This includes the following walking festivals, organised by local people in your visit – we call this the Border’s ‘Irresistible Offa’. these Walkers are Welcome towns: Bishop’s Castle & Clun www.walkingfestival.co.uk Excluding Shropshire’s finest, there are many more Walkers Cleobury Mortimer www.cmfa.co.uk are Welcome towns along the Border. Chepstow, Tintern, Monmouth, Ross-on-Wye, Church Stretton www.churchstretton.co.uk Hay-on-Wye, Kington, Knighton, Leominster, Llangollen, Holywell and Prestatyn all reward walkers with a warm welcome and irresistible walks. Ironbridge Gorge www.visitironbridge.co.uk/walkingfestival Much Wenlock www.muchwenlockguide.info Walking with Offa Ludlow www.magnalonga.co.uk Enjoy a Walking with Offa Pub Walk in the Shropshire Hills – there are 18 to choose Wellington www.wellingtonwalkersarewelcome.org.uk from and many of them can be reached from the Shropshire Hills Shuttle Buses. See www.shropshirewalking.co.uk/walking-with-offa Oswestry oswestrywalkers.co.uk/oswestry-walking-festival Whitchurch www.whitchurchwalkers.co.uk