Baschurch Circular Old woods, bridleways and Bassa’s Church

Hanmer’s Cottage, the 1790s, replaced a wooden Myddlewood one which was burnt down. It was down Worlds End Lane, west of the church, that the vicar rode to Ruyton, and people travelled to the Palm Sunday Wakes, at Eas Well, a spring just east of the .

Just off Nobold Lane lies an old coffin stone where the bearers could rest the coffin when carrying it across the fields from Walford.

We travel east across Walford Reservoir by Bridleway to College lands to Old Woods and Walford College grounds Dyas Lane, Baschurch back to Merrington Green Common.

The Hollins, or, as it used to be called, Lynches Lane, runs between Hanmer’s Cottage, Merrington and Myddle with to one side Myddle Wood, and to the other Myddlewood side the former Parklands of Myddle Castle. The castle fell into ruin when Mentioned by Gough in his ‘History Humphrey Kynaston was Constable. It collapsed, following an earthquake of Myddle’, as Daniel Hanmer’s, it was in 1688. Just one tall section of wall with a doorway now remains. built by John Hughes in the 1580s and enlarged by the Hanmers. Coffin stone off On the left of the lane by Myddle Wood is an old thatched cottage Nobold Road mentioned in Gough’s ‘History of Myddle’. Looping south around the 24 acre Old Woods Baschurch Church with Fenemere Pool, the lane passes through the farming hamlet of Eyton, where the New Inn close by The small hamlet of Old Woods, just to the north, above Birchgrove Pool, lies The Berth Pool with its ancient named for woodland lying just to earthworks and causeway. We leave the lane, turning south, opposite to the east, once had its own brick and where a bridleway led north to the station, and follow the old Dyas Lane. pipe works, and Oldwoods Halt, opened in 1933, on the To visit Baschurch you can take the bridleway west from Dyas Lane to Chester Line. The Railway Tavern, exiting to the main road by where the Smithy used to stand. No sound of renamed the Romping Cat, stands hammer on anvil now, instead a Garage mends cars and a Spar Shop serves nearby. All quiet now. customers. Baschurch’s Welsh name is Eglwyssau Bassa – Churches of Bassa. It is believed that the current church, much altered by Thomas in www.shropshireriding.co.uk Humphrey Kynaston Circular Baschurch Circular • 8½ miles (13.7 km)

Start: Merrington Green Follow verge, cross 0 KILOMETRES ½ 1 MYDDLE

road, and ahead A528 OS Landranger 126, Explorer 241 0 MILES ¼ ½ Grid ref: SJ 465 208 on grass to gate to bridleway out to the Fenemere View Car Park has 2m height barrier. There road. The Spar shop is a wide grass verge opposite. Please is on the left with Eyton Fenemere do not block gateways. car park in front, Fenemere Manor and Admiral Duncan 1 Go east from car park/roadside pub to the right & parking and follow lane for ¹⁄₃ mile New Inn by church. Lower (500m) past Merrington Green, Fenemere To continue retrace B4397 New Farm down hill. Holding your steps. B5067 Eyton Villa 2 Where road bends sharp right turn 7 Turn left on left onto stoned Byway Hollins The Hollins bridleway go BASCHURCH Lane. Follow lane for just over ¾ Praddoe past reservoir on Coppice mile (1.3km). War Broo left, ahead right Prescott k 3 Where farm track bends left, go over grassed Riding on ahead on green lane for 1 mile bridge and Centre Merrington Green (1.6km) round bends to junction left along field Milford Walford with road. edge bridleway Prescott Agricultural Oldwood Grange College Coppice Merrington beside War 4 Turn left and follow road for just Ash Coppice Old Brook bending Walford under 1¼ m (1.9km). Pool Woods right at end 5 Keep right at junction by grass and, keeping triangle and follow road through hedge to left, B5067 Walford Heath Eyton towards Baschurch for 1½ follow field edge miles (2.3km) to railway crossing, track up field and on for 300m round right bend between gates Ford Yeaton River 6 Turn left on unclassified road. Go and beside next Perry ahead, round right and left bends, field to junction Crown Copyright. All rights reserved. Council 100049049.2014 and on to T junction of tracks of tracks. 9 Turn right on road for just over ½ # Turn left over grassed area and For Baschurch Village (600m) turn 8 Turn left on bridleway and follow mile (900m) to T junction. go into woodland, keeping right right, and where unclassified road track across field then keeping at junction with path and follow bends left go ahead on bridleway hedge on left follow field edge ! At T junction turn left and follow path across lane and on across through the wicket gate and on, track to field gate by stile. Go road for about 1 mile (1.8km) farm track to Merrington Green across lane and left on grass verge. through gate and up track to gate over railway line, past houses and car park. to road. between woodland then.