Walking

In about 57 AD the Roman Army first established a legionary fort on the site which would later become the City of Viriconium and present day Wroxeter. One reason for their choice of location was because the site gives excellent views of the surrounding area and of the high ground where Iron Age Britons had established their hill forts. The hill forts themselves have fantastic views of their surroundings and those with the energy and determination will be well rewarded for the effort of climbing them. Shropshire is also rich in low level walks, gentle stolls and interesting features to see along the way. Our recommeded walks include climbs and low level walks to tempt explorers of all ages:

Climbing for the views

The Wrekin
The Wrekin is a much loved local landmark and iconic of the Telford region. It is 407 meters high and on a clear day gives fabulous views across the whole area, including distant Snowdonia. There is also an Iron Age hill fort on the summit. It is quite possible to walk from the Hotel to the Wrekin on quiet country lanes and public footpaths (4.5 miles to the base of the hill and then 1.25 miles climb to the top.) The Wrekin visitors’ car park is a 7 mile drive from the Hotel.  It is then a steep 1.5 mile walk to the summit on stony uneven paths.   

Wenlock Edge
Wenlock Edge is a 15 mile long limestone escarpment running from South West to North East between Craven Arms and Much Wenlock (8 miles from Wroxeter). The Edge is the remains of a coral reef, so there are lots of opportunities for fossil hunting amongst the exposed rocks. At 330 metres high, The Edge contains many interesting features such as Flounder's Folly, Wilderhope Manor and Shipton Hall. There are way marked walks such as the Shropshire Way and bridleways such as The Jack Mytton Way. Local legend tells of a local robber and bandit named Ippikin, who buried his ill-gotten gains in the vicinity of the edge. 'Major's Leap' takes its unusual name from the spot where Major Smallman made his horse jump over the edge whilst trying to evade capture from the pursuing Roundheads. While Smallman survived, his mount died and his ghost still haunts there. There is parking and good views at Grid 574967. 

The Lawley and Caer Caradoc
Whilst walking in Wroxeter visitors often have a fine view of two distinctive pyramid shaped hills close together in the distant South.  These are The Lawley and Caer Caradoc (377 metres and 459 metres respectively) and each makes a fine walk offering spectacular views of then surrounding countryside.  It is quite possible for the energetic to climb both hills in the same afternoon.  The Hills are very close to Church Stretton which is about 15 miles from the hotel. There is parking at Grid 485968.

Long Mynd
The Long Mynd is 10 miles south of Shrewsbury, and has an area of over 8.5 square miles. The name Long Mynd literally means "Long Mountain". The eastern edge of the Long Mynd has many steep valleys, though it rises up to a heath land plateau on its western edge. North to south, it is approximately 7 miles long by 3 miles wide. The highest point on the Long Mynd is Pole Bank at a height of 516 metres. An old track way, the Port Way, runs along the length of the ridge. Much of the top of the Long Mynd is covered in heather, but it also possible to find wild bilberries (known locally as whinberries).

Along the western edge of the Long Mynd, above the village of Asterton, is a popular centre for gliding and hang-gliding. Carding Mill Valley, above Church Stretton, cuts into the side of the Long Mynd and offers walks to the top of the escarpment and stunning views. It's in the care of the National Trust and is free to enter, although visitors have to pay to park.

Stiperstones
The Stiperstones is a distinctive quartzite ridge formed some 480 million years ago. During the last Ice Age the summit stood out above the glaciers and was subject to constant freezing and thawing which shattered the quartzite into a mass of jumbled scree surrounding several residual rocky tors. At 536 metres above sea level it is the second highest hill in the county, surpassed only by Brown Clee Hill at 540 metres. Stiperstones' five-mile long summit ridge is crowned by several rugged, jagged outcrops of rock silhouetted against the sky. There is parking at Grid 370977.

Breidden Hill
Breidden Hill is an extinct volcanic hill, located on the border between Shropshire and Powys near the town of Llandrinio. The peak of the hill reaches to 365 metres and footpaths which lead up to the summit provide excellent views over the Shropshire Plain and Mid-Wales. Breidden Hill is one of five peaks with neighbouring Moel y Golfa, which is the highest at 404 metres. The others are: Cefn y Castell, also known as Middletown Hill, Kemsters Hill and Bausley Hill with its Iron Age galleried fortification.There are remains of a hillforten route which may have been the site of the last stand of Caractacus. Rodney's Pillar at the top was built by the gentlemen of Montgomeryshire who supplied oak from the area and shipped them down the River Severn to Bristol where Admiral Rodney's fleet was built.

Grinshill
Grinshill juts out of the Shropshire plain a few miles away from Wem, and is famous the world over for its quality sandstone. The stone is still quarried here, but these days the hill, with its commanding views across Shropshire, Staffordshire and Cheshire, as well as to the west and Wales, is a popular leisure spot. The Hill is 192m high and has a nature trail. There is parking at Grid 524237.

Haughmond Hill
Haughmond Hill is a small, shallow hill (153 metres) near Shrewsbury, covered by woodland. Its proximity to the town of Shrewsbury has meant that it has become something of a forest park, with free roaming deer, guided paths, car parking and picnic areas maintained in places. Queen Eleanor's Bower is a small enclosure on the hill from which the wife of Henry IV supposedly watched the progress of the Battle of Shrewsbury in 1403 whilst the slightly rocky summit bears the name Douglas' Leap after the attempted escape of the Scottish Earl of Douglas. A further connection with the battle is "bosky hill" mentioned in Act V Scene i of Shakespeare's Henry IV part 1 and almost certainly Haughmond, which looms to the east of the battlefield:“How bloodily the sun begins to peer above yon bosky hill? The day looks pale at his distemperature.” Nearby is Haughmond Abbey, now a ruin, and Ebury Hill a prehistoric fort. Parking is at Grid 544148.

Low Level Walks

Walk the Severn Way
(Down stream or up stream.) The Severn Way passes directly outside the Hotel and offers beautiful low level walking by the side of the river with many interesting way points and detours. By prior arrangement, we would be happy to drop you off up to a day’s walk away, allowing you to walk back to the Hotel. The distance you choose to walk in the day is up to you.

Telford Town Park
Right in the heart of Telford, only minutes from the busy shopping centre, is Telford Town Park. Here you will find something to interest or amuse everyone. It combines all the leisure and fun facilities you would expect to find in a traditional town park with all the informality of a country park. No matter where you wander in the 170 hectares, you will discover something new and different to see throughout the seasons. Telford Town Park is about 10 miles from the hotel.

Ellesmere and the Shropshire Lake District
Ellesmere, in the Shropshire Lake District, is the largest and most spectacular of nine glacial 'meres' (deep-water hollows) which were created at the end of the last Ice Age. From the remains of Castlefields, a 12th century Norman castle, there are impressive views whilst to the south of Castlefields lies the Plantation, a nature reserve run by the Shropshire Wildlife Trust. Colemere is three miles south-east of Ellesmere and one of the county's most beautiful lakes. Surrounded by mature woodland and two hay meadows, the lake attracts a variety of wildfowl. There is a circular path around the Mere which is fairly level but can be muddy. The Mere can be reached either by walking along the Shropshire Union Canal towpath or by car. Ellesmere is about 30 miles from the hotel.

The Shropshire Union Canal
Arrow-straight for much of its length, this charming rural waterway strides across the landscape, linking The Mersey and the North West to Wolverhampton and the Midlands, with branches extending into Wales. The 66-mile Shropshire Union Canal is a canal of two halves. North of Nantwich, the canal - built originally as the Chester Canal - is a wide waterway following the gentle rolling landscape of western Cheshire to Ellesmere Port. But the southern half of the canal - built in the twilight of the canal age - is an astonishing feat of engineering. Its long embankments, deep cuttings and grandiose bridges frequently dominate the scenery. In contrast to the winding contours of early canals, the “Shroppie” kept the same course across valley and through hills, speeding cargoes on their way from the North-West to Wolverhampton and the Midlands. The canal runs through delightful countryside, with all but a small stretch of the towpath usable by walkers. It is possible to walk from Wolverhampton all the way to the Mersey Estuary, passing through the historic city of Chester. A half-mile section near bridge 88 is currently impassable, although you can use a diversion through Nantwich. The nearest navigable stretches of the canal are Gnosall (21 miles), Welshpool (25 miles) and Ellesmere (31 miles) although there are remnants of branches within walking distance at Berwick Wharf near Attingham Park.

Offa’s Dyke
The well known long distance foot path tracing Offa’s Dyke runs along the west side of Shropshire. The nearest sections run through Welshpool some 25 miles from the Hotel.

The Byways, Bridleways and Footpaths of Shropshire
Rural Shropshire is rich in quiet country lanes, bridleways and public footpaths. If you have a special interest, want to walk in a particular area or are just open to suggestions, we at the Wroxeter Hotel would be happy to suggest a route to suit your time frame and energy levels. Just ask Ed or Hannah.  

Further information and routes can be found at:

www.shropshiretourism.info/walking