Description
The Beauty of South Shropshire
Walking grade: 
Explore rolling green hills, quiet footpaths and stunning views in this area of outstanding natural beauty.
Price: £890
– Sole occupancy supplements from £110
Duration:
7 nights – 5 days walking
Next departures:
– July 24th 2023
I made south Shropshire my home in 1999. What attracted me? The beautiful scenery and the quirkiness of the town that became my home, Bishops Castle. The walks in this area are delightful: gorgeous green rolling hills, stunning views and quiet footpaths, with the next tea shop or pub never too far away. Each day we will explore a different part of this Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, including Church Stretton and the Long Mynd, Ludlow and the Mortimer forest, the hills on the skyline view from Mynd House, the Lawley, the Iron Age hill fort of Caer Caradoc and Ragleth Hill.
Holiday highlights
- Take in views across England and Wales from Pole Bank, the highest point on the Long Mynd.
- Walk the skyline view from Mynd house; the Lawley, Caer Caradoc and Ragleth hills
- Discover the mysterious Stiperstones rocks and visit the Bog tearooms.
- Explore the historic town of Ludlow and the surrounding Mortimer Forest.
- Relax in the luxurious Mynd House at the end of your day’s walk and have a drink in their bar.
Accommodation
Ads Ventures has an exciting new base for this holiday: the relaxed, friendly and elegant Mynd House in Little Stretton. Mynd house is an Edwardian villa nestled in amongst the hills of South Shropshire and is expertly run by Liz and Jeff Main. It provides a luxurious and comfortable base for us to return to at the end of our day’s walking. Seven of its eight rooms have views overlooking the hills we will be walking in; the remaining room has a view over the garden. There is a private bar and double sized lounge for us to relax in at the end of the day and free on-site parking.
All rooms are spacious and include ensuite facilities, equipped with a full set of towels and complimentary bathroom products, adjustable central heating, and heated towel rails. There is a complimentary drinks tray in your room which includes locally sourced spring water and biscuits. All rooms have flat-screen TVs, boot trays and hairdryers; and an iron and ironing board are available on request. You can connect to an efficient Wi-Fi service throughout the house.
Breakfast is taken at Mynd house each morning. For six of our evening meals we use two pubs, The Ragleth and the Green Dragon, both within 5 minutes walk from Mynd House. The evening of the free day is left free for you to make your own arrangements. You can still stay close to home in one of the local pubs, go into Church Stretton for a wider choice or explore further afield if you wish to.
Single supplements and upgrades
Single room supplement: £110
Sole use of standard double room: £160
Sole use of king-size room: £250
Suite: £100 supplement for double occupancy, please enquire for single rate
Included
- En-suite accommodation in the lovely Mynd House.
- An evening meal on six of the seven evenings.
- Guided walking with a qualified and professional leader each day.
- All transport to and from walks (except on one day when we drive over the Long Mynd to park at Bridges).
Not included
- Lunches -these are available from Mynd House for £7.00 -24 hrs notice needed
- Incidental expenses such as drinks.
- One evening meal
Day-to-Day Itinerary
The following is the proposed itinerary for this short break. However, please bear in mind that in the event of local conditions changing, for example, due to weather or other unforeseen circumstances, then it may be necessary to change the itinerary.
Day 1
Day 1Arrive at the Mynd House and check into your room. Meet at 7pm in the lounge for a short briefing about the week ahead before dinner.
The walks will be ordered at the start of the week to take the best advantage of conditions.
Meals included: dinner
Day 2: The Long Mynd
Today we walk from Mynd House and ascend the hill directly behind the house, the Long Mynd. We climb to its highest point, Pole Bank, to take in views across the county and way beyond as we have elevenses. We retain our height as we walk the length of the Long Mynd to the north, before dropping down through the delightful Carding Mill valley into the small town of Church Stretton itself. From here it is a short walk back through the woods to Mynd House.
15 km (9.5 miles) ascent/descent 550 m
Meals included: breakfast and dinner
Day 3: Ludlow and the Mortimer forest
We take the bus to the historic town of Ludlow and descend past the castle, once the seat of the powerful Mortimer family, to cross the river Teme. From here, we ascend up through the Mortimer Forest and Mary Knoll valley to High Vinalls. From here there are superb views across several counties. We descend through Overton, back to our starting point of Ludlow. There will be time to explore this delightful town before taking the bus back to Mynd House.
16.5 km (10.5 miles) ascent/descent 750 m
Meals included: breakfast and dinner
Day 4: The Stiperstones
Today we explore the jagged rocks of the Stiperstones. This quartzite ridge rises sharply above purple heathered moorland, making for dramatic scenery and an area steeped in myth and legend. The largest clump of rocks, called the Devils Chair is said to have been placed there when they fell out of the Devil’s apron and rather than pick them up, he left there to rest on!
From Little Stretton we take the dramatic drive over the Long Mynd to park at Bridges. We walk to the Bog centre where there is a community run café for elevenses and from there, follow the length of the Stiperstones ridge before descending back to the Bridges and it’s pub, The Three Horseshoes.
16 km (10 miles) ascent/descent 540 m
Meals included: breakfast and dinner
Day 5: Free day
Today is free for you to rest your feet and explore the local area. You may choose to spend the day relaxing in Church Stretton or travel further afield to explore the quirky town of Bishops Castle or return to Ludlow for a proper look around this ancient town and its former Royal Castle.
Shrewsbury can also be reached by bus where there are shop lined alley ways, the Quarry park and cruises on the River Severn to be enjoyed.
Dinner is not included today, leaving you free to organise your day as you choose.
Meals included: breakfast
Day 5: The southern Long Mynd
Today we explore the southern end of the Long Mynd. We walk from Mynd House to the hamlet of Minton and from there ascend onto the Long Mynd and follow its long ridge until it descends to the old station at Plowden. To return, we contour around the Long Mynd back to Little Stretton.
19 km (12 miles) ascent/descent 650 m (850 ft) ascent,
Meals included: breakfast and dinner
Day 3: The Skyline walk
The skyline view from Mynd House is of a range of hills. Ragleth is the closest to Mynd House; next to it is the ancient hill fort of Caer Caradoc, and slightly further along the valley, the Lawley. Today we take the bus to the village of Leebotwood and from there we simply walk back to Mynd House. The views from this stunning range of hills are extensive and stretch over the whole of Shropshire and its neighbouring counties.
16 km (10 miles) ascent/descent 850 m
Meals included: breakfast and dinner
Day 6: Farewells until next time!
After a good breakfast we say goodbye, until next time.
Meals included: Breakfast
Kit list
For walking each day:
- Good walking boots or shoes
- Waterproof jacket and trousers
- Lightweight, quick drying trousers
- Base layer
- Mid-layer such as a fleece jacket and an additional ‘spare’ layer depending on the forecast
- Walking socks
- Warm hat and gloves -just in case the weather turns
- Sun hat, sunglasses, lip salve and high SPF sun block
- Day sack (25 litre capacity is a good size) to comfortably carry your kit, lunch and water
- Dry bag or rucksack cover to keep the contents of your daypack dry
- Water bottle
- Basic first aid kit (plasters, blister treatment, antiseptic etc)
- Some snacks to keep you going
- Walking/trekking poles (if you use them)
Maps
OS Explorer maps 216 Welshpool and Montgomery, 217 The Long Mynd and Wenlock Edge
