Hillwalking in Shropshire. John Gillham

      John Gillham was born in Bournemouth, Dorset but now lives with his wife Nicola in Hoddlesden, a small village in the West Pennine Moors.

      John has been a full-time professional writer, illustrator and photographer since 1989. His first book, Snowdonia to the Gower: a Coast-to-Coast Walk Across Highest Wales, has been described as one of the classic books on Wales. He also pioneered three other long-distance routes: Lakeland to Lindisfarne, Pennine Ways (an alternative Pennine Way) and the Bowland–Dales Traverse, all of which were published in book form. John’s recent books include The Pictorial Guides to the Mountains of Snowdonia (Volumes 1–4), Best Day Walks in Snowdonia and the AA’s Leisure Guide Wales.

      John writes regularly for The Great Outdoors (TGO) and has written occasionally for Dalesman, Cumbria Magazine, Trail and Country Walking. He has written and contributed to many AA publications. He has twice won Outdoor Writers & Photographers Guild Award for Excellence, firstly for his guidebook Best Day Walks in Snowdonia and secondly for the outdoor book Coast-to-Coasting (with Ronald Turnbull).

      Other Cicerone guides by the author

      The Cumbria Way

      © John Gillham 2016

      First edition 2016

      ISBN-13: 978 1 85284 807 1

      Printed in China on behalf of Latitude Press Ltd

      A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

      All photographs are by the author unless otherwise stated.

       © Crown copyright 2016 OS PU100012932

      Acknowledgements

      I would like to thank my wife Nicola for being a constant and adorable companion on the hills; Roy Clayton and Janet Smith for a good Shropshire Christmas, including the walks; my good friend Ronald for sharing his knowledge of Shropshire’s geology; and the wonderful hospitality shown to us by the good people of the county, including campsite wardens, innkeepers and the many cheerful bus drivers who took us to some of its remote corners.

      Updates to this Guide

      While every effort is made by our authors to ensure the accuracy of guidebooks as they go to print, changes can occur during the lifetime of an edition. Any updates that we know of for this guide will be on the Cicerone website (www.cicerone.co.uk/807/updates), so please check before planning your trip. We also advise that you check information about such things as transport, accommodation and shops locally. Even rights of way can be altered over time.

      We are always grateful for information about any discrepancies between a guidebook and the facts on the ground, sent by email to [email protected] or by post to Cicerone, 2 Police Square, Milnthorpe LA7 7PY, United Kingdom.

      Front cover: On the south summit of the Lawley looking to Caer Caradoc (Walk 25)

      CONTENTS

       Map key

       Overview map

       Introduction

       Shropshire geology (by Ronald Turnbull)

       History

       Plants and wildlife

       Getting there

       Getting around

       When to go

       Bases for the Shropshire hills

       Maps and GPS

       Safety

       Using this guide

       The walks

       Walk 1 Llanfair Hill and Offa’s Dyke

       Walk 2 Knighton, Cwm-sanaham Hill and Offa’s Dyke

       Walk 3 Mary Knoll and Ludlow

       Walk 4 Titterstone Clee Hill

       Walk 5 The Bury Ditches

       Walk 6 Burrow Fort and Hopesay Hill

       Walk 7 Norton Camp and Stokesay Castle

       Walk 8 Callow Hill and Flounders Folly

       Walk 9 Brown Clee Hill and Stanbroughs Wood

       Walk 10 Brown Clee Hill and Clee Liberty

       Walk 11 High Rock, Bridgnorth and the River Severn

       Walk 12 Bromlow Callow and Mitchell’s Fold

       Walk 13 Nipstone Rock

       Walk 14 Stiperstones

       Walk 15 Snailbeach and the Castle Ring fort

       Walk 16 Norbury Hill from Wentnor

       Walk 17 Minton Hill and the Packet Stone

       Walk 18 Adstone Hill

       Walk 19 Pole Bank and Devil’s Mouth

       Walk 20 The Long Mynd and Ragleth Hill

       Walk 21 Caer Caradoc

       Walk 22 The Long Mynd skyline

       Walk 23 Plush Hill, the Batch and Castle Hill

       Walk 24 Ridges Three: Hope Bowdler Hill, Caer Caradoc and the Lawley

       Walk 25 The Lawley

       Walk 26 Hope Bowdler Hill from Cardington

       Walk 27 The Betchcott Hills and Duckley Nap

       Walk 28 Much Wenlock and the Wenlock Edge

       Walk 29 Earl’s