The best way to see the Shropshire Hills Right, are you ready to go? Then read on... Hopesay – ¢ A quiet village in a hidden valley.The is by bike! Cycle from the Secret Hills Your experience starts at the Secret Hills church of St Mary’s (built 1192) has a fine Norman Centre, turn right out of the car park and doorway. Part of the churchyard is a Wildlife Centre in Craven Arms and in five 1 take the second left along Newton Street to the Meadow and picnic area. minutes you are in the heart of Corvedale Road. Turn right cycling out of Aston on Clun – P ° + Every May the villagers the Shropshire Countryside. Craven Arms on the Corvedale road (B4368). decorate their rare Black Poplar ‘Arbor Tree’ to Discover for yourself superb views, Cross the River Onny and take the first left to commemorate a local 17th century wedding. But hidden valleys, ancient castles, quiet the village of Halford. the custom may originally go back much further, to woods and sleepy villages. 2 Continue past Halford church and fork left at the honour a Celtic goddess.This is the last tree dressing old ‘School House’,down a stony track and turn ceremony in England. The Hopesay Hop – 14 MILES, left through the ‘kissing gate’ into the 6 To continue on Route 2 and 3 go straight on 1 allow 2 ⁄2 HOURS. Hilly to start then watermeadows of the River Onny. Follow the through Round Oak, past the telephone box easy cycling. path through to the next ‘kissing gate’ and cross and up a short hill (wonderful views of the 11 the River Onny on a metal footbridge. Cycle up to Long Mynd & Clee Hills). Down a very steep hill Bury Ditches Dynamo – 27 MILES, the junction with the A49. (take care) to Basford and then up again allow at least 4 HOURS. Hilly but easily towards Edgton. achievable in a day. Partly off road on 3 Cross straight over at the A49 (Take care) 2 signposted for Long Lane Industrial Estate. 2 forest tracks. Not suitable for racing At the top of the hill you will find an old Milestone, bikes. 4 Go over the level crossing, past the industrial left over from the days when this narrow road would have been an important link between Bishop’s Castle Cracker – 30 MILES, estate & straight on up a steep climb for just Bishop’s Castle and Craven Arms. allow 5 hours. Detour missing out under 2 miles to the top at Wart Hill. forest tracks at Bury Ditches. Edgton – i You can make a diversion here to the 33 Wart Hill – site of an Iron Age Hillfort. At 324m the lovely hill top village of Edgton. A Pottery in the Old fort has excellent views of the surrounding hills and REFRESHMENTS Schoolhouse (next to the church) is open daily Clun, Bishop’s Castle and Craven Arms have plenty of is the focal point of ‘The Wart Hill Wander’, a Secret 10–5pm. The village well is covered in a willow arch facilities for refreshments. The Bird on the Rock tea Hills Walk. room at Abcott serves teas & light lunches. and is ‘dressed’ each year. 5 Continue downhill to the hamlet of Round Oak 7 Cycle past the milestone & Edgton Village Hall. (no sign, just a few houses). WHERE TO START Go straight on at the next junction, signposted All three routes start from the Secret Hills Centre The Hopesay Hop Route 1 for Lydbury North. in Craven Arms. The town is on the main line Total 14 miles (22km). The shorter route railway service connecting to Shrewsbury and 8 A very grand vicarage is on your left hand side turns left at Round Oak signposted for The Fish Ludlow (see Travel Information). as you go up one last hill. Lydbury North can be & Hopesay. From Hopesay, carry on down the seen straight ahead, the church is exactly in the valley to Aston on Clun. Turn right on the Use the map and the numbered route 1 centre of your view. Downhill now (past B4368, after ⁄4 mile take the first left. Follow descriptions to help you find your way. Stop Lynchgate) all the way to the valley bottom and the River Clun upstream along a narrow lane via occaisionally to read the text in yellow boxes as it the junction with the B4385. Clunbury to join the main cycle route at the describes the special features of the Secret Hills. junction of the B4385, turning left continue to 9 Turn right on the main road towards Lydbury Twitchen. (Go to Point 20) North. Marshbrook © Crown Copyright. All rights reserved. Shropshire County Council. Licence number LA 076821/01/2001 Route 1 CYCLING WITH CARE Route 2 Hamperley Route 3 Watch out for other vehiclesWhittingslow Steep Climb especially tractors BISHOP'S CASTLE Black Knoll Whizz Down Hill B4370 Main Road Always wear a helmet Secondary Road Totterton Mainstone Eyton Other road Bushmoor SCALE: Oakeley Plowden Mynd Ride in single file 0 1 Kilometres 2 3 Railway Colebatch Woolston Felhampton Woodland Horderley Plowden Follow the Highway Code and ▲ Ridgeway 334 Hill Summit Wood(ht ins metres) Leamoor Hill take care at roadCommon junctions Pubs Lydbury Five Ridgeway Blakeridge Cefn Einion North Turnings Wood 10 9 8 Strefford R i 11 A489 v Wistanstow e Brockton Lynchgate Edgton r U 7 Shadwell n Hall k Basford Three Gates Bryn Cheyney Walcot 6 Wart Acton Round Longville Lower Down Hill 5 12 Short Oak Motte Wood 14 Llanhedrick 13 Walcot Park The Bury Fish 4 Ditches 3 Colstey Halford CRAVEN 27 2 Hopesay Sibdon ARMS 15 Carwood Guilden Kempton Fort Whitcott Bicton Down Clunton Hill 26 Keysett Long 1 R Meadowend i v e r Aston on Clun K e Oaker Radnor m 16 p Wood B4368 Stokesay Wood Little Clunton Brampton B4367 The 18 Beambridge 19 Green Broome Stoke Wood 17 River Clun Clun Purslow Clunbury 25 The Secret Hills Cycle Rides Weo Fm Sowdley Wood have been funded by Purslow Wood Clunbury Other Publications Churchbank Cycle Shops & CycleCwm Hire 20 Hill Available from Tourist Information Centres Onny Mountain Bike Hire, Flowers Coffee Shop, Cycling for PleasurRockhill e in the Marches: Market Street, Craven Arms (01588) 672710 The Black Hill 24 Crossways 5 Cycling maps of ShropshirRockhille & Herefordshire. Wheely Wonderful Cycling, Petchfield Farm, Twitchen Pen-y-wern 23 Cycle Friendly Accommodation guide Elton, Ludlow.Tel (01568) 770755. Cycle Hire 21 22 Clungunford Welcome cyclists with a safe storage area for Centre & Cycling Holidays. Abcott Saddle Hill cycles. Pearce Engineering, Fishmore Road, Ludlow. Hopton Castle Riv European Regional Cycles and Spires: Easy cycle routes to historic Tel (01584) 876016. Cycle sales, repairs & hire. er Clun Development Fund churches (i) Leominster, (ii) Tenbury Wells, Climb On Bikes, 22 Bull Ring, Ludlow. (iii) Cleobury Mortimer. Tel (01584) 872173. Cycle sales & repairs. The National Byway: Midlands, covering Terry’s Cycles, 6 Castle Hill, All Stretton.Tel Hopton Wood Hoptonheath Shropshire from Whitchurch to Ludlow. (01694) 723302 / 724334. Cycle hire & repairs. Lydbury North – o P yΩ+ 13 Continue through the car park taking the main Further Information The village is dominated by the large estate of forest road past the wooden barrier, to follow a SECRETHILLS, Shropshire Hills Discovery Centre, Walcot Hall. A Georgian House with Arboretum, signed cycle trail through the forest to the Ludlow Road, Craven Arms SY7 9RS, once occupied by Clive of India. Open May & June Colstey Woods entrance on the A488. Easy level Tel: (01588) 676040. (limited days). The Norman parish church has a cycling on graded forest roads (take care if tree Discover the wonders of the Shropshire Hills from the massively buttressed clock tower with a unique felling is being carried out). splendour of the scenery to the complexity of their history and heritage. carved bell frame, holding a peal of 6 bells. 14 At the main road (A488) turn left uphill (only a 1 1 Tourist Information Centres in the area 10 Cycle through Lydbury North and after 1 ⁄2 short bit) and then downhill for ⁄2 mile. Turn LUDLOW – Castle Street, Ludlow SY8 1AS Open all year, miles turn left signposted to Brockton and Bury right at Harp (house on the corner) signposted accommodation booking service.Tel: (01584) 875053 Ditches Hillfort. for Bicton. SHREWSBURY – The Music Hall,The Square, Shrewsbury, SY1 1LH open all year, accommodation booking service.Tel: Bishop’s Castle Cracker– Route 3 15 Cycle past a small lake and downhill to Bicton. At (01743) 350761 E-mail: [email protected] the valley bottom keep left, signposted for Clun. CHURCH STRETTON –The Library, Church Street, Total 30 miles (46 km). You can extend the route Church Stretton (Closes in winter).Tel: (01694) 723133 to Bishop’s Castle, by missing out the forest Your first views of Clun Castle are straight ahead. KNIGHTON – Offa’s Dyke Heritage Centre,West Street, tracks (and very steep hill) at Bury Ditches. 16 At the T junction with the main road, turn right Knighton.Tel: (01547) 528753 Don’t turn left to Brockton but continue on the BISHOP’S CASTLE – 29 High Street, Bishop’s Castle and continue onto Clun. Tel: (01588) 638476 main road to Bishop’s Castle. From Bishop’s Castle take the A488 to Colebatch and turn right Clun – Ü≠º y P •‡iΩ°+ Travel Information to Cefn Einion, Shadwell, Llanhedrick, Bicton One of the ‘Quietest places under the Sun’according Mainline Railway stations are at Shrewsbury, Church Stretton, to the poet AE Housman. An unspoilt village Craven Arms and Ludlow. Trains carry 2 bikes per train and Clun.