Things to do
NEW - Secret Hills Shuttle churches tour
WALKING AND WILDLIFE
This is a fantastic area for walking. Plan your own walk from the Shuttle stops with the help of the OS Explorer maps or try one of the walks highlighted below.
Long Mynd & Stiperstones Shuttle
2 mile walk from the top of the Long Mynd and back down through Carding Mill Valley to Church Stretton. The walk starts from Shooting Box.
Take the Shuttle to Shooting Box to join the Portway, a 5000 year old ridge-way. Follow this path and look out for the Bronze Age Burial Mound, before turning right and joining Motts Road. This way marked footpath will guide you down into Carding Mill Valley. This is a stoney path so pleae take care. At fork in footpath continue ahead into Carding Mill Valley or take the path to your right. 500 metres up this path you will come to Lightspout, a 4-metre high waterfall. Retrace your steps to head into Carding Mill Valley.
Further details of this, and other walks, are available in the “Walks on the Long Mynd” leaflet, available from the National Trust shop, or you can use the OS Explorer 217 map to plan your route. National Trust wardens at Carding Mill Valley can help you plan walks on the Long Mynd from the Shuttles.
4 mile walk along the Stiperstones ridge to Snailbeach Mine. You start this walk at the Stiperstones National Nature Reserve (NNR).
Take the Shuttle to the Stiperstones NNR and walk the length of the Stiperstones ridge before turning left down to Snailbeach Mine. Allow yourself two hours. Use OS Explorer maps 217 & 241 to plan your walk.
Snailbeach Mine is a request Shuttle stop so tell the driver you are doing this walk and they will look out for you at the stop.
7 mile walk along the Stiperstones ridge to Habberley. You start this walk at the Stiperstones NNR.
Take the Shuttle to the Stiperstones NNR and walk the length of the Stiperstones ridge to Habberley. This walk is detailed in Natural England’s leaflet on the Stiperstones which is available from the Bog Visitor Centre.
8 mile walk through the Golden Valley and across the Long Mynd to Church Stretton. You start this walk in Pulverbatch.
Take the Shuttle to Pulverbatch and walk back to Church Stretton. Download route description here.
Secret Hills Shuttle
11 mile strenuous walk along the Shropshire Way through the beautiful Clun Valley, taking in Bury Ditches hillfort and Hopesay Common. The walk starts in Clun.
Take the Secret Hills Shuttle from Craven Arms to Clun and walk back to the Discovery Centre in Craven Arms along the Shropshire Way. For more information visit the Shropshire Way website and click on the Clun to Craven Arms section for route map and description. www.shropshirewalking.co.uk
3 mile walk along the River Clun. Take the Secret Hills Shuttle to Purslow, and enjoy a leisurely stroll along the banks of the Clun to Aston on Clun, where you can pick up the Shuttle bus. Follow the link to download walk directions and map. Walk description. Map of the route.
5 mile walk along the River Kemp. Take the Secret Hills Shuttle to Purslow, and enjoy a leisurely stroll along the Kemp, through Kempton and on to Lydbury North. Follow the link to download walk directions and map. Walk description. Map of the route.
WILDLIFE RESERVES
There are a number of Nature Reserves within easy walking distance of various Shuttle stops. For details on each reserve please visit www.shropshirewildlifetrust.org.uk
Long Mynd & Stiperstones Shuttle
Nipstone – stop at the Bog Visitor Centre. The volunteers at the Centre will be able to point you in the right direction for this nature reserve. You want to be heading south on a small lane from the Centre. Look out for the alpaca’s grazing in the fields on your right. The entrance to Nipstone is ahead on your left.
The Hollies and Brook Vessons – stop at Snailbeach. To reach these nature reserves you must follow the fairly steep lane which leads you through the mine and up onto the Stiperstones ridge.
Earl’s Hill – stop at Pontesbury. Directions on how to reach this reserve from Pontesbury available for the Shropshire Wildlife Trust website.
Secret Hills Shuttle
Clunton Coppice – Clunton Shuttle stop. Follow the brown nature reserve signpost, which leads you across the river and up a steep lane to the reserve (15 minute walk).
HISTORY AND HERITAGE
Long Mynd & Stiperstones Shuttle
Bog Visitor Centre Shuttle stop. Pop into this unique visitor centre to find out more about the geology, mining and wildlife of this area. Refreshments and toilets available. For more information visit www.bogcentre.co.uk.
Snailbeach Mine – Snailbeach Shuttle Stop. The mines in this area were once the most productive in Europe. Here at Snailbeach you can follow a self-guided trail around the site and a small information centre is open on Sundays. For more information visit www.shropshiremines.org.uk.
Secret Hills Shuttle
Bury Ditches hillfort - stop at Clunton. Follow the brown Bury Ditches signpost, which leads you up the lane to the hillfort, one of the best preserved in the country (30 minute walk). Use OS Explorer maps 201 & 206 to plan your walk through the fields.
Clun Castle – stop at Clun. Explore the ruins of this medieval castle. Information boards on site and follow the Clun heritage trail or visit the small museum to find out more about the picturesque spot. www.clun.org.uk
Bishop’s Castle. Little remain of the castle here, but there are a number of small museums explaining the history of this colourful market town. Visit www.bishopscastle.co.uk for more information.
SECRET HILLS SHUTTLE CHURCHES TOUR
This Shuttle route allows you to visit four facinating churches of the Shropshire Hills, three of which have fortified towers; Clun, Lydbury North and Hopesay. Follow the links for detailed information on each:
St. John the Baptist, Bishop's Castle
St. Michael and All Angels, Lydbury North
Fortified towers
Very strong and massive church towers are evident at a number of places throughout western Shropshire and over the Welsh border. Whilst there is no written confirmation that these towers were used as safe havens in troubled times, the architectural features of the towers are certainly suggestive of this purpose. The tower at Lydbury North, added to the church in the late 12th century, has walls 6½ feet thick and long, narrow lancet windows. The massive tower at the west end of the church at Hopesay likewise had narrow slit-like windows and a very small doorway, which would make it more defensible. In many cases (Chirbury, Hopesay, Lydbury North, Clun and More) the strong tower was added to the church in the late 12th or early 13th century. Dating buildings by architectural styles and features is imprecise, but it is tempting to speculate that perhaps there was a greater need for defensive refuges on the Marches late in the 12th century after Henry II’s policy of modus uiuendi (a compromise which enabled masters and servants, landlords and tenants on farms to sustain working relationship) with the Welsh died with him in 1189.
The fortified church tower suffers from the same disabilities as the castle and the motte. It can protect from raiders only those people and objects which can reach it in time. Perhaps these towers offered some security to the border dwellers. That so much time and money was expended on building the strong towers argues that they must have been perceived as being of some use. However, the great tower at Alberbury did not help its prior, who was seized with several of his brother monks by Gruffudd ap Gwenwynwyn c.1277 and taken prisoner into Wales.
PUBS AND CAFES
Below are contact details for the pubs and cafes along the Shuttle route. Please check opening times and you may wish to consider booking ahead for lunch.
Long Mynd & Stiperstones Shuttle
The Bog Visitor Centre – tel: 01743 792484
Stiperstones Inn – tel: 01743 791327
Minsterley
Crown and Sceptre - tel: 01743 791260
Pontesbury
The Horseshoes Inn - tel: 01743 790278
The Nags Head - tel: 01743 791697
Habberley
The Mytton Arms - tel: 01743 790878
Pulverbatch
The White Horse – tel: 01743 718247
Carding Mill Valley
National Trust Tearoom – tel: 01694 722631
Church Stretton
Various pubs and cafés in the town, for details visit www.churchstretton.co.uk
Secret Hills Shuttle
Craven Arms
Shropshire Hills Discovery Centre – tel: 01588 676060
Flowers Café – tel: 01588 672710
Aston on Clun
Kangaroo Inn – tel: 01588 660263
Purslow
Hundred House Inn - tel: 01588 660541
Clunton
The Crown – tel: 01588 660265
Clun
The White Horse – tel: 01588 640305
Bishop’s Castle
There are six pubs in the town, two of which are breweries.
Visit www.bishopscastle.co.uk for further information.
Lydbury North
Powis Arms - tel: 01588 680254