An Easter Sunday walk from Benthall Hall, Shropshire. We may have put the clocks forward, but it’s still winter time here. Last weekend’s snowfall was the heaviest for many years – and though it’s cleared from the roads, there’s still plenty in the fields, and some of the paths are not easily walked. The air’s cold – the snow is melting, but not very quickly. Some of the drifts were deep – it must have been tricky this time last week.

It’s the highest point (577m or 1893 feet) of the line of hills north of the Dee, between Llangollen and Carrog. Yesterday’s walk took us from the Ponderosa, at the top of the Horseshoe Pass, along the ridge to the col between Moel y Gamelin and Moel y Gaer, then back along a path following the contours back round towards the slate workings. Paths are not clear here – we ended up on the wrong side of the quarries, but managed to find a way back round. Moel y Gamelin must be a tremendous viewpoint on a clear day…

A fairly bright, and very cold, afternoon – it would be good for a walk, if we could keep out of the wind,which was making 2 degrees feel like minus several. We walked along the old GWR railway line to Coalport, across the bridge, and up the other Coalport railway line (LNWR) as far as Blists Hill. Here, a path climbs up to the edge of the gorge, above the trees of Lloyd’s Coppice. The view would have been better if there had been one or two gaps in the trees… At the far end of the coppice, a path leads down to Wesley Road, then New Bridge Road provides a route to the Free Bridge, and the right side of the river for our return to the car.

Yesterday we were walking on Hergest Ridge – Kington’s hill. Today we’re much closer to home: Wellington, in Shropshire, has its own hill too – the Wrekin. It was busy – it’s half-term week – on this sunny, but very hazy, afternoon. Not a hill you’re ever likely to have to yourself, though taking a few steps away from the well-worn path to the summit is a good way of escaping the chatter of the crowds. Away in the haze, South Shropshire’s hill country looks inviting.

Residents of Kington, in Herefordshire’s border country, have their own hill – just the thing for a leg stretch on a fine Sunday afternoon – which it was, though the morning’s mist had only just cleared as we set off from the car. I have to admit that we (and several others) cheated, by parking near the top of Ridgebourne Road, saving a mile at either end of the walk. Put that another way – it’s an extra mile on the hill…

Music lovers of a certain age will, of course, associate Hergest Ridge (yes, it’s the same one) with Mike Oldfield, of Tubular Bells and Virgin Records fame. Released in 1973, It was Virgin’s first album, and a huge success. Who would be running our trains today, if it hadn’t been for Tubular Bells?

It’s a waterfall, a little way up the valley of the Afon Eiddew, one of the two rivers that feed the head of Lake Vyrnwy. At this time of year, the sunshine brings out the colours in the hillsides – but also casts shadow over the lower parts of the fall. We’ll perhaps have to go again – either later in the season, or earlier in the day, when the morning sun would be shining straight up the valley.

This would have been a pleasant walk on an airy ridge. There was some mist on the higher ground, though it didn’t look too bad. The sun was trying to break through – we even had some blue sky and sunshine as we approached the Gaer Stone. Then the mist came down… It was cold too – we were starting to ice up (yes, really) by the time we came down from the ridge.

It snowed quite heavily, for these parts, on Friday, rested on Saturday, then continued to snow yesterday. Today, there’s just the odd flake fluttering down in the still air, and a hint of brightness in  the west. We followed, as far as the hall, the route taken in the previous post, “Lingering Frost” – with some similar subjects for the camera, in somewhat different conditions.

A cold afternoon, with the frost lingering where the sun hadn’t shone – not one for standing around. We walked to Benthall Hall via Broseley’s “Fiery Fields” (an inappropriate name today). As promised, the sun became watery as the afternoon wore on – will we get some snow?

It was foggy at home – but the forecast said it would be clear just a little way to the south and west. It was right. The air was cool, but the sunshine was warm and the light was bright – one of the afternoons that should go on for ever.

We walked around the “Starboard Way” – the cutely-named alternative to the Port Way through the gliding field – and followed the fairly level path , along the western edge of the Long Mynd, southwards to Black Knoll, just over two miles distant. Here, the path descends to Plowden –  we would now retrace our steps (with a slight detour). The temperature began to dropping noticeably with the sun – until, as we arrived back at the car, it dipped into a bank of cloud. Perfect timing!

It was still foggy at home…