Nesscliffe to Merrington Green Commons to common

Route 7 View from The Cliffe to Hopton and Welsh Hills War Brook to Walford Agricultural Cliffe Cabin, built of turf College’s land. The Farm on The Cliffe Institute opened at Walford in 1949 on 750 acres, pioneering part time courses in Agricultural subjects. Today, it also has an equestrian centre. We go through Old Woods to Merrington Green Common, where Commoners would once have come The Millers Cottage, Adcote Mill to graze their stock, gather firewood, and get marl to improve their land.

Coffin Stone, Dyas Lane, Baschurch Coffins used to be carried from Walford to Baschurch Church, with Shrubbs Common on Hopton Hill is reputed to be the smallest Common in plinths to rest them on along the the . Once mostly grassland with grazing rights, the Jones family way. The restored Coffin Stone, Coffin Stone built a squatters cottage in the middle in the early 1900s, and lived there for with its flat top, can be seen to the 19 years. Some of the bluebells and flowers are escapees from their garden. south side of Dyas Lane. Another We pass through and up onto The Cliffe Common and its sandy bridleways. Coffin Stone lies to the west of the Watch out for the flash of the green woodpecker and colourful jay. The ridge grass triangle off Nobold Lane, route gives panoramic views all over Shropshire, to the Welsh mountains, Baschurch. and north to the Cheshire Plains. A plaque marks the site of the WWII Home Guard look out post. This is a lowland heath with heather and whinberries. Beside our route, at the north end of the Common, are the remains of the Merrington Green turf sided Cliffe Cabin, built by squatters. The Merrington Green marl pits are now havens for wildlife. The one that lies to the west of the Hollins Lane, is fringed by marsh horsetail (Equisetum The onward route takes us through Little Ness, where the Pinfold and pond palustre from the latin for horse – equus). Poisonous to equines, these lay to the east of the Village Hall, then to Adcote, once home to the Darbys of plants are descended from some of the oldest plants known to man. Coalbrookdale, past Adcote Mill, and on past the old lane to Flanders Ford, Dragonflys can be seen darting over the pool, with their rainbow colours too deep for all but horse riders now, and the stepping stones are long gone. flashing in the sunshine. We travel on to Yeaton with its two mills on the River Perry, to Baschurch. Here we turn onto Dyas Lane, where we pass by the old Coffin Stone, and cross the www.shropshireriding.co.uk Humphrey Kynaston Way Route 7 Nesscliffe to Merrington Green • 9.7 miles / 15.6 km

Lower Fenemere B4397 B4397 New Farm Start: Hopton Hill Pine Holding RUYTON-XI-TOWNS Eyton Carpark, Nesscliffe Hills Villa The Hollins Clifton BASCHURCH Countryside Heritage Park Praddoe House B5067 Coppice OS Landranger 126 Explorer 240 War Broo Prescott k & 241 Grid ref: SJ 390 199 CIRCULAR Hill View ROUTE 5 1 Go east out of car park Riding Centre Merrington Green and follow stoned track Milford The Walford Cli e Prescott Agricultural Oldwood bridleway round left bend. Grange College Coppice Startlewood At field on right turn right Ash Coppice Old Walford Pool Woods down earth bridleway AL Valeswood TERNA Hopton signed The Cliffe. Follow to TIVE ROUTE T junction. Turn left along Cross Fort Shrugg’s Red House Adcote Walford Heath B5067 Coppice Farm Lodge BOMERE HEATH bridleway passing houses Adcote Nesscli e Little Ness Farm New Pools on your left and on down to Country Park Plantation Ford Kynaston’s road. River 0 KILOMETRES ½ 1 A5 Cave Perry Yeaton 2 Turn right and after 100m NESSCLIFFE 0 MILES ¼ ½ turn left up track to the Grafton Cliffe. Fork left up track, and Farm Crown Copyright. All rights reserved. 100049049.2014 then left by bench up to Viewpoint and picnic table. 7 Turn left on Baschurch Road ! Turn left at road triangleGrafto andn & Turn left and follow track cross 3 To continue return down to bench and thenA5 after 100m turn right follow lane to Baschurch. field and then with hedge on left and pass to right of oak tree on to Adcote, and follow lane past Alternative route rejoins from the lane on to field gate. bridleway down through wood Adcote School and Adcote Mill on the left just before roundabout. ( Go through gate and follow track and on to sharp right bend. and on across track and up to # At roundabout go ahead taking up to gate to lane exiting south of ridge of Cliffe follow past benches For short route to Baschurch if River care as busy road section. Go over railway bridge. bearing right to T junction of Perry not in flood, suitable for horse small roundabout, on past Milford ) Turn right on lane and follow to bridleways by sandstone wall. riders only – At right bend in lane go Road, then turn right onto lane. T junction. left down track, through river, up field 4 Turn right and follow track $ Follow Dyas Lane round to left. * Turn left and follow lane through through double gates, and ahead downhill and turn left at next Where bridleway goes left to Old Woods over railway bridge up lane to join road to Baschurch. To junction out to road. Baschurch, turn right and go and between woodland. continue avoiding river crossing. 5 Turn right and follow lane for ahead down track, past reservoir +Turn left across grass area onto Go through wicket gate ahead 1¼ miles (2km) keeping left at 8 to crossing of War Brook. path through woodland keeping and follow left field edge, through junction and past Little Ness % Cross grassed bridge and follow right at junction with tarmac wicket gate and on round next village Hall. fenced track round left bend, path and follow path across lane field edge to wicket gate to lane. 6 Where the road bends right, turn alongside War brook, round right and then across farm track to left. At T junction by War Memorial 9 Turn left. Follow lane for ¹⁄₃ mile bend with hedge on left and up Merrington Green carpark. 2m turn right and follow lane round (500m) to T junction. Turn left to between gates to next field. Then height barrier to car park from left bend and down to road Yeaton, over bridge and up road. keep ahead for 200m to junction road. Wide verge on south side of junction. of tracks. road.