It’s hard to believe that Tuesday, yesterday and today could have been consecutive days. After a day and a half of almost continuous rain, the skies are clear and blue, the sunshine warm and the breeze very pleasant – we need to be out somewhere… We’ll go for Cannock Chase – there are one or two wet places, but it’s mostly well-drained, with shingle and sand underfoot. It’s a great place to be on such a day, with plenty of bright green new growth everywhere. The bacon rolls at the visitor centre, conveniently half-way round our circular route, are pretty good too.
It’s another warm sunny day (with the possibility of a shower later?) – we’ll throw together a quick picnic and find somewhere to eat it (Whitcliffe Common, Ludlow) on the way to Berrington Hall. We explored the interior about this time last year – today we’ll take a walk around the lake. It’s easy going, even on such a warm afternoon, and the ice creams in the gardens are very welcome, though I’m not sure we’ve really earned them.
Another ideal afternoon for wandering on Shropshire’s hills. We’ve parked at Bridges (very handy for the Horseshoe Inn, which seems to be called the Bridges now), and we’re heading north-east beside Darnford Brook, to reach the skyline at Betchcott Hill. The last short ascent is by the aptly-named “Golden Valley”, lined with glowing gorse. This is a walk of four parts: part two now begins as we turn through 90 degrees and head south-east along the ridge of the grassy hill, following the ancient Port Way. Part three starts when we reach the heather-clad Long Mynd – another 90 degree turn, still on the Port Way, taking us to the Shooting Box. Now it’s downhill (almost) all the way, with heather giving way to grassland near the derelict ruin that bears the unlikely name of “Priory Cottage”, according to the map. From Coates Farm, a quiet road takes us back down to Bridges, and a most welcome pint of Three Tuns – a perfect pint in a perfect spot on a perfect afternoon – XXX
The bank holiday rain has cleared – we need a little leg stretch. A quick tour of the Jitties might be fun… It’s quiet this afternoon – the high street exceptionally so, providing a rare car-free scene for a few moments as we head for home.
Note for grammaticists and pedants: Some of the names may be possessive (e.g. Maidens Jitty – it’s a local name, so perhaps it is the jitty of Maiden. Alternatively, it could be purely informational…) However, none of the signs have apostrophes, so I’ve left them off the captions (whether they should be there or not).
Sunday 24 April 2016: let’s step back just over 12 months: “He’s sent us vouchers for a helicopter trip!”. The facial expression said it all – I think she nearly took flight there and then… With a busy summer ahead and lots of unknowns, we didn’t get round to redeeming them until the autumn. The first booking was cancelled due to the weather – as was the second, and the third, and… (it’s reassuring really). Eventually, we made it, and with plenty of time to get used to the idea, “we” were quite looking forward to the flight. “Is that it? It’s tiny!”. Yes, a very modern-looking (I’m no expert) little four-seater job – driver and three passengers.
We’re flying from Halfpenny Green – “Wolverhampton Airport”, though its WW2 origins are still pretty obvious. We’re strapped in (car-type seat belts) in minutes and away – and despite the clattering of rotor blades while we waited to board, it’s quiet and peaceful (thanks partly to the headphones, I guess) – a very relaxing way to travel over the Shropshire countryside, bobbing and swaying gently in the breeze, with little sense of forward motion. First we’re heading for Bridgnorth, then turning to fly above the Severn, passing Stanley Hall, the fishing lakes at The Boldings and Apley Hall. Soon Broseley is over to our left, and in moments we’re above Ironbridge. As we pass the power station, we begin to turn back, viewing the huge bends upstream in the Severn before buzzing Benthall Hall and skirting Broseley again. Staying west of the river, we’re soon looking down on Bridgnorth, then Chelmarsh reservoir and, crossing the river, Dudmaston Hall. Not far to go now – losing height again to make a gentle landing back at Halfpenny Green. What a great trip! Many, many thanks, T. “When can we go again?” ‘Nuff said!
Friday’s steam special left Shrewsbury, heading for Crewe and ultimately Dumfries, soon after 4pm. It was moving along nicely at Battlefield (site of the battle of Shrewsbury more than 600 years ago) a few minutes later. Pictures taken, we headed for home – I was due out again later in the evening. No time for blogs. Almost forgot…
It’s a popular spot, hence the letterbox crop to lose parked cars and photographers along the bottom. There were some fairly obtrusive power cables and a pylon too, but they’ve gone (crop and Photoshop), and the Shropshire hills would have provided a backdrop, had the air been clearer.
…from Much Wenlock to Broseley, after a ride on the no.18 bus. The spring lambs are out and about, but there’s not much gambolling going on – it’s too cold, despite the warm (but intermittent) sunshine. It’s not very quiet either, especially between Wenlock and Benthall Hall. We passed more people than in our last half-dozen walks – mostly teenage schoolchildren on some kind of organised outing – and a dog near Wyke was noisily expressing its displeasure at being kept in a cage. I think I would too.
That’s what the forecast said about the sunshine – we had to go… Stiperstones in April – warm sunshine, cool air and a pleasant breeze, perfect conditions for a walk on this rocky ridge. We started at the Bog car park – so that we could end at the Bog Centre (tea and cakes again). If we walked to Snailbeach, along the hill-edge paths, we could come back up through the Hollies and follow the ridge. The now-obligatory red kite wheeled over the far hillside, and a little later, a rarer bird, so to speak: a red grouse stalked carefully along just yards from the path. We’ll sometimes hear them up here, gurgling comically and telling us to go back, but this one remained silent. Minutes earlier, we’d noted how quiet it was. He must have heard us…
An unexpectedly bright and sunny afternoon – we’ll walk to Benthall Hall for a cup of tea, and perhaps a cake – and check out the bluebell wood. The latter need another couple of weeks, perhaps, but the tea and cake are perfect – just what’s needed for the walk home again.
