Its no secret to anyone who knows me I absolutely love Shropshire. With a long line of ancestors who were born in this beautiful County, this is where half of my heart resides. (The other half is in Scotland but there lies another story). So I guess I should share with you some of the out of the way places you can discover in this wonderful part of England, whose western edge borders Wales and Housman talks of those ‘blue remembered hills’.
Starting from Ludlow in the south, ‘probably the loveliest town in England, according to Betjeman. To Oswestry in the north, birthplace of the poet Wilfred Owen. This is a county of contrasts. One of the largest land locked counties in England, you could spend a happy few weeks exploring everything it has to offer.
I’m not going to talk about the main towns and well documented places in this blog. I am going to look at just a couple of places that you can visit over a short stay, in the hidden heart of this wonderful county.
Although its worth mentioning if you want a straight route through the county North to South then you can’t beat the A49. `It traverses the Welsh Marches, commencing in Ross on Wye in the South right up to just south of the Bamber Bridge. The Shropshire portion takes in some wonderful sights and gives the traveller a glimpse of what there is to explore if you have the time and the inclination.
Now on to our recommendations:-
For something Magical
Mitchells Fold (English Heritage- free)
Stapeley Hill
This Hill is rich in ancient history and local legend. It is a wonderfully atmospheric place with panoramic views over to the Welsh Mountains. There is a standing stone and Bronze Age stone circle of 15 stones (once 30 in total) as well as cairns and barrows. You can walk along the top and enjoy views to the east over the Stiperstones too.
We visited on Midsummers Eve and watched as a motley group of young travellers gathered in the circle to celebrate. To our amazement a lone biker (on his BMW) appeared on the horizon, along the Drovers Byway and following dutifully behind came possibly 100 sheep. He stopped and asked if he was going the right way for The Fold, we nodded, pointed and he drove slowly away, totally oblivious to his four legged followers.
We walked on a while and then sat and watched the sun go down, it really was quite magical.
To get here we followed the A488 south west from the A5 at Shrewsbury. Driving through Pontesbury, Minsterley and the wonderful sounding Wagbeach, through the beautiful wooded Hope Valley and into Shropshire Mining Country. Mining has been going on here since Roman Times. Carrying on through Gravels and then turning right into White Grit you pass a wonderful Iron Church (or tin tabernacles as they were nicknamed) built from corrugated iron these churches were a cheaply built place for the miners to worship. Follow the road uphill to a sharp right hand bend at the top and then a few hundred yards ahead you will see a track and sign to Mitchells Fold. It’s a little bumpy but there are some parking spaces at the end. Fantastic views on a clear day and a bracing walk in the winter.
If you have time and want to explore further go back onto the A488 towards Shrewsbury then turning right towards Shelve, drive through Shelve to the heart of the mining area in the Stiperstones and The Bog Visitors Centre and Café. In a lovely old Victorian school once at the centre of a bustling mining village, you will find a homely place to buy local crafts and enjoy locally produced food. Then you can explore the remains of this once thriving village and begin to understand the hardships endured by the workers and their families.
We drove back via Stiperstone (another wonderful and popular place for views and walks) back down to Ploxgreen and the A488 back to Shrewsbury
We stayed at one of the Morris Sites just outside Shrewsbury (see where to stay blog).
A couple of things worth mentioning, the hills in Shropshire are subject to changing weather conditions so it is a good thing to check the weather forecast before setting out.
Also it is worth checking the opening times of The Bog Visitor Centre, it can be disappointing to miss out on that cake.
For the many walks in the area and beyond see
For something completely different
British Ironwork Centre and Sculpture Park (free)
Oswestry
North of Shrewsbury on the A5, just before Oswestry, is this truly amazing Sculpture Park. 100 sculptures are on display over 90 acres, ranging from The Knife Angel (made from 100,000 knives and weapons taken from UK streets), this is a National Monument and is part of the ‘Save a Life, Surrender your Knife’campaign’ and worth noting - this sculpture is due to go on tour as some point, to the Spoon Gorilla, from Spiderman to dragons its all there and the craftsmanship is second to none. They also have show rooms, shops, a café and childrens’ activities (fee payable). Well worth a day out and easily accessible from the Shrewsbury.
For Hidden Delights
Ashes Hollow
Little Stretton
In contrast to the ever popular and sometimes impossible to get near Carding Mill Valley (NT charge) we chose to explore Ashes Hollow down in the southern end of The Long Mynd.
Just off the A49 south of Church Stretton if you are travelling from Shrewsbury, is Little Stretton sitting comfortably at the foot of The Long Mynd. The campsite we stayed in is nestled in there at the bottom of Ashes Hollow, set along the bank of the river and over the ford. There are some spectacular walks from the campsite up to The Portway and along in both directions. We walked up to Pole Bank, Round Hill, Cross Dyke and Callow and back to the site. Luckily we had a sunny day and following the stream up the Hollow was lovely.
You can easily walk into Church Stretton from the campsite if you wish to explore its myriad of shops, antique centres and cafes. Although both pubs within walking distance of the site, The Green Dragon and Ragleth Inn offer food and company. Little Stretton itself has some period architecture and is worth a walk around.
NB Look out for the Ponies recently reintroduced to The Mynd.
We stayed at Small Batch Campsite Little Stretton. (see places to stay)
Again please check the weather conditions for the The Long Mynd before setting off.
And finally to complete this short introduction to my secret Shropshire.
For times gone by
The Land of Lost Content
Craven Arms
A few miles further south from Church Stretton on the A5 is Craven Arms, not a particularly pretty town it grew up around the railway but it hides a most amazing find a privately owned eclectic museum called The Land of Lost Content. We spent a few hours exploring the myriad of rooms and collections housed in this special place. Worryingly we could remember times when many of the exhibits were in use.
See below for admission prices and opening times.
Well that was the end of our short sojourn in Shropshire and just a tiny example of the less well known places in this county. More will follow for those of you interested in exploring this part of the country further.
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