Familiar ways, but none the worse for that. We’re walking past the fishing pools near Hurst Farm, then across clearly-defined paths (thank you, farmer) through fields of ripening wheat and barley, down to Shore Pool. We return up the drive towards the house (a public footpath!) and back past the pools again. Other than one or two people quietly drowning worms, there’s no-one else about.

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Apart from the tail-end of a shower, as we were setting out, we managed to avoid most of the afternoon’s rainfall. We didn’t avoid the outcome – wet legs, soaked by sodden undergrowth in the first couple of fields. Despite the weather, it’s good to be out, though only one other walker seemed to think so. This is quiet country!

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It’s a rocky-sided gorge, taking a stream which is rarely more than a trickle down to the Severn at Coalport. Provided the mud is tolerable, it’s a very pleasant and quiet way. At its foot, we meet the old railway track, which we’ll follow as far as the end of the rough lane which will take us back up to the barley fields and home. On the lowest part, just beyond the old railway, heavy rain has exposed the red sandstone – we’ve reached rock bottom!

 

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Commas, meadow browns – and thousands of tortoiseshells! We walked this way in May, when the colour was yellow, provided by acres of oilseed rape. There’s precious little colour in the crops now, but there are more butterflies than we’ve seen for a long time. Mostly they’re restless tortoiseshells, but there are some less frequently seen – a comma, several meadow browns, and ringlets – and they’re all prepared to pose for the camera.

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…on Round Hill and down Ned’s Lane. It’s really very pleasant in this open woodland on a warm afternoon.

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Down through Chestnut Coppice to the riverbank – then along the bank as far as Bridgnorth golf course. We may be beside the river, but for much of the distance we can’t see it for trees, bushes and invasive knotweed. We return to Chestnut Coppice along the old railway track. A very enjoyable leg-stretch on a fine summer’s day.

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We walked this way in February (see “Tugford and Broncroft Castle“), for similar reasons – we’ve had a drop in rain in the last few days, and the paths can be rather sticky. These are very quiet lanes – very little traffic, and little else to disturb the peace. The similarity between these two walks ends there – Corvedale in late June is very different to Corvedale in winter.

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