Tag: Walk

S for Shrewsbury

On By geoffspagesIn Photography, Walks4 Comments

Should we be up on the hills in the snow? It’s a bright but cold afternoon, with a biting wind – perhaps something a bit more sheltered. We decided on a walk beside the Severn in Shrewsbury, a route that in my mind was roughly S-shaped. Looking at the map afterwards, it’s a bit more than an “S” – not sure how to describe it. Inevitably, though the sky was mostly blue, the sun spent much of its time behind a (relatively small) bank of cloud.

MapView OS map on Streetmap http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=349224&Y=312694&A=Y&Z=115&ax=349252&ay=312687

Mist on the Chase

On By geoffspagesIn Photography, WalksLeave a comment

It was more like fog at home, and might be worse further west. We headed east instead, for a walk on Cannock Chase, from Milford to the visitor centre at Marquis Drive (tea, sausage rolls, cake – we try to live life to the full). Our outward route followed, roughly, the old railway trackbed – not so easy at the southern end of the walk. Returning, we made our way to the Sherbrook valley, retracing our steps only for the last half-mile down the cutting. As forecast, the day gradually brightened, and the sun began to break through towards the end of this very pleasant ten-mile trip.

Map

Or view OS map on Streetmap http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=398585&Y=317851&A=Y&Z=120

A Wilderhope Walk

On By geoffspagesIn Shropshire hills, Walks2 Comments

We’ve done it before, more then once – from the end of the surfaced lane up onto the edge, then south-eastwards along the crest to the point where it peters out, almost at the main road. There’s a red kite quartering Corvedale, gradually working its way southwards and out of sight. The return route follows the stream, barely a trickle today, before tending away to its west and up to the manor house, where there’s tea and coffee, but we’re too late for the cakes – they’re all gone. A Twix will suffice – it’s not far back to the car.

Callow Hollow

On By geoffspagesIn Photography, Shropshire hills, WalksLeave a comment

The Long Mynd’s eastern valleys are several and varied – some are valleys, some (most) are batches. There’s a dale and a gutter too – and a couple of hollows. If we count the side valleys off those main valleys… Perhaps not. I’ve been exploring the Mynd for many years, but until very recently, I had not quite digested one rather odd fact born out by the 1:25,000 map: many (perhaps most) of those side valleys have names – except for Ashes Hollow, whose side valleys are nameless. (I’m sure they’re not, but there are no names on the map).

Ashes Hollow runs down to Little Stretton. Next, joining Ashes at its foot, is Small Batch (aptly named), then there’s Callow Hollow. Ashes Hollow is perhaps the next-best known after Cardingmill (Valley), not least due to the camp site occupying its last few yards. Callow is one of the least known, despite being of comparable scenic value, largely because, until relatively recently, there was no easy access to its foot. We met no-one else on foot throughout the walk (just one cyclist, and a farmer in his pickup). And, like so many of these valleys (batches, hollows etc….), once we’re just a few yards in, there’s nothing man-made in sight, until we reach the plateau and the road.