Walking the Shropshire Way. John Gillham
heather or ling grows prolifically over the acidic soils of the Stiperstones, while bell heather thrives on the drier, sunnier hillsides. The heathers are often interspersed with bilberry, known as whinberry throughout the county. The Stiperstones has cowberry and crowberry too. Red grouse are common on the heather moors, as are ravens and buzzards and the blackbird-like ring ouzel can be found here too, along with skylarks, meadow pipits and redstarts. Red kites have been thriving here too after their re-introduction to the area. Well-camouflaged grayling butterflies can be found on the heath, along with green hairstreaks and emperor moths.
Mat grass, which is so unpalatable to sheep, is found on poor acidic grounds of the Clee Hills. Wenlock Edge and the hills around Oswestry are of limestone, often ravaged by quarrying and mining. Here, herbs such as wild thyme, wild basil and marjoram flourish. On or near the coppiced woodlands of Wenlock Edge you will see not only bluebells and garlic but herb Paris, violets, the yellow bird’s-nest, primroses and orchids, including quite rare bee orchids.
In the north, the raised peat bogs of Whixall and Bettisfield are a haven for the rare Waved and Fork-mosses. You will also be able to see insect-eating sundew, adders, if you’re ever so quiet, and water voles, if you’re lucky and even quieter.
When to go
You can walk in Shropshire at any time. Winter, when the snow has fallen on the higher ground, gives the hills a new dimension and most sogginess in the ground will be replaced by a crunch underfoot. When the sun is out, the atmosphere is often crystal clear and you can see for 50 miles in every direction. Some of the vegetation will have died back making progress along the paths easier. Woodland paths may however be slippery at this time.
Nipstone Rock from Linley Hill (Stage 2)
Spring is a delightful time when nature is vibrant with new life and colour. The bracken is still red. In the woods the vivid chrome green of the new leaves contrasts with the abundant spring flowers that have poked their heads up above last year’s leaves. If it has been wet over winter, the paths across farmland and in the woods may still be muddy.
In summer, when the days have lengthened, the ground will have dried out, although some low-level paths may be overgrown with nettles and occasionally common hogweed. Make sure you take your waterproof leggings at this time for dew-drenched vegetation can soak you quite quickly as can farmers’ crops, which might well be tall at this time. Mid to late August is the best time to see the heather blooming on the Stiperstones.
In autumn the nights draw in again but the flame-colours of the bracken and the woods add great beauty to the landscape. Bilberry leaves have turned red and the heather to dark russet. Together they mix with the grasses to create a tapestry of colour any tweed designer would be proud of.
Getting there
Bus
National Express (www.nationalexpress.com) has a service (410) which runs from London to Shrewsbury via Birmingham and Telford.
Trains
Shrewsbury has a mainline station mostly served by KeolisAmey Trains, which run direct services from South Wales, Manchester, Holyhead, Birmingham and Chester. The Transport for Wales website (https://tfwrail.wales) provides times of trains, prices and a booking facility.
Getting around
Regular rail services link Whitchurch, Wem and Shrewsbury; Wellington and Shrewsbury, also Ludlow, Craven Arms and Shrewsbury. Buses between stages can be difficult in the more rural areas, although a useful bus links Whitchurch, Wem, Grinshill, Hadnall and Shrewsbury, which is very useful if you’re doing the northern section in stages. Regular buses also link Shrewsbury with Craven Arms and Ludlow. For more transport information for getting around the county, see Appendix C.
Accommodation and planning
Bridges Youth Hostel (Stage 1)
Appendix B contains a fairly comprehensive list of stage-by-stage accommodations but this will go out of date so it’s always best to check websites such as www.booking.com or www.trivago.co.uk when planning your overnight stays. The Shropshire Way Association intends to provide an up-to-date accommodation list too: https://shropshireway.org.uk.
Shrewsbury and Ludlow have accommodation of all types, so finding something suitable will usually be relatively easy unless a major event is taking place. The same cannot be said of rural Shropshire and you should book well in advance. While campers have more flexibility, if you intend to spend the night in a hotel or B&B it is advisable to book well ahead and book the accommodation in chronological (ie stage) order. The stages between Ludlow and Wilderhope are particularly difficult and may involve a taxi ride to and from your stage ending. I have provided a selective list of taxis in Appendix C.
The 15 stages in the book (see the route summary table in Appendix A) make a relatively easy itinerary for anything outside the winter months but the fittest walkers could probably manage to do Ludlow to Wilderhope in one day. Clun to Ludlow would also be a possibility. This would reduce the route to 12 days, which would mean fitting the walk within a two-week holiday.
Being a circular route, walkers could start anywhere but transport links favour Shrewsbury, the book’s main starting point. That said, Ludlow, Wellington and Whitchurch have railway stations and reasonable bus routes. The last-mentioned would make a good choice for those who want to undertake the complete circular route plus the Whitchurch leg. The Whitchurch leg has been written in both directions to facilitate this.
If holidays are limited the route can be done stage by stage using public transport – check Appendix C for more information. If you’re parking a car at one end it is better to take the bus, train or taxi ride at the beginning and walk back to the car. Shropshire has a good network of footpaths and bridleways so it does lend itself to circular walks. It would be feasible to walk half a section of the Shropshire Way and return using an alternative route: for instance, you could walk north on the Shropshire Way over Brown Clee Hill and return on the Jack Mytton Way. In the north, you could discover more of those meres and mosses around Ellesmere.
Safety
Although nowhere in Shropshire is really remote it is extremely important that all walkers are fully equipped and practised in the use of map and compass. If bad weather such as a blizzard comes in quickly then trouble can occur in a matter of minutes.
Make sure to take enough food and water and keep additional emergency rations in the corner of the rucksack. Not taking enough food is the quickest way of becoming tired; being tired is the quickest way of sustaining an injury. Good breathable waterproofs are essential, as getting cold and wet will render the walker vulnerable to hypothermia.
It is important to wear good walking boots, for shoes have insufficient grip and ankle support on difficult terrain. Even the lower-level sections can become slippery after rainfall. It is a good idea to pack some emergency medical supplies (plasters, bandages, etc): there are plenty of good kits available.
What to take
What you take depends on how you’re going to tackle the Shropshire Way. If you’re camping you’ll need additional gear: a tent, sleeping bags, a carry mat, cooking stove and utensils; if you’re hostelling you may need a sleeping bag.
The basics
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