The Packet Stone is an unspectacular little outcrop towards the south-eastern end of Minton Hill, itself a south-eastern ridge on the Long Mynd. The rock may not be over-exciting – but the views on this exceptionally fresh afternoon were great. No, it wasn’t at all warm – the stiff breeze really made itself felt when the sun went in. We walked along the (very quiet) road from Pole Bank towards the gliding field, and picked up the obvious track (waymarked to Minton) for the airy walk along the ridge.

In addition to its qualities as a viewpoint, the Packet Stone is a good spot to begin to retrace one’s tracks (the alternative would be a long descent and re-ascent). We tried to return along the more northerly path on Minton Hill. It’s clearly marked on the map as a public footpath, but most of its users nowadays have twice as many legs, but much smaller feet than us. Clearly there’s little of interest for the sheep as we approach the road – the path fades somewhat.