SHROPSHIRE

Shropshire! It stole our hearts, left us memories to last a lifetime and reduced me to tears several times. It was here that we made some big life decisions!

Watch this space for more details about that ….

Day One

We arrived late afternoon at Small Batch Campsite which is set beautifully in the Shropshire hills. It is a small, quiet, family run site where all guests are personally shown to their pitch by the owners. Established by the family in 1969, the campsite is in the heart of the Shropshire Hills and is surrounded by beauty. Directly from site, you can walk Ashes Hallow which is a stunning valley in the Long Mynd! This was the selling point for us. We decided to base ourselves here for the duration of our trip – five nights which is the most we have ever stayed anywhere.

On arrival to the site, it was raining but the owners checked us in (cash only site) and helped us to our pitch. Large lattice, heavy duty matting was provided to ensure we could safely move off and on our pitch in the terrible weather conditions.

The anticipation was too much and later we set off towards Ashes Hallow. We didn’t on this occasion get very far, because the girls found a fabulous rope swing in the trees which provided us all with much entertainment.

I had pre-made a chilli which I reheated on the Cadac and served with some boil in the bag rice.

Day Two

To our delight, we woke the following morning to bright sunshine. We fueled ourselves with an easy breakfast of croissants, fresh fruit, plenty of coffee and set off early for our long walk to Ashes Hallow and up towards Carding Mill Valley. There was plenty to keep the children entertained on route. We passed the rope swing again, countless rocks to climb, streams to cross, narrows paths to navigate, sheep to watch and we even got our first sighting of the wild ponies. We walked for about four hours, stopping at the top of the valley to take in the views and for lunch.

On our return to the campsite, we decided we would make the most of the weather and drive to Ludlow. Here, there are lots of beautiful period buildings and the castle is quite remarkable! Ludlow Castle is open seven days a week and tickets do not need to be pre-booked.

Dinner was a delicious curry which I part made at home (click for recipe).

Day Three

August Bank Holiday Sunday and after making a morning cuppa we realised we had run out of gas. Never fear – on these occasions, it is always worth talking to the owners of the campsite as they will be able to direct you to the nearest place.

After a brief detour to refill our gas cylinder, we were on route to The Stiperstones. The trigpoint is located on a seriously rocky outcrop called Manston Rock but it is one that definitely needs bagging. Characterised by its jarring jagged rocks that seem to pierce the sky, the Stiperstones look very different to its neighbouring hills. The Stiperstone rocks are easy to get to as there is a car park not too far from the summit but it is worth noting that all roads approaching it are single track roads. We parked at the National Trust Nature Reserve.

Not wanting to waste a moment of the glorious sunshine, we drove on the find a quiet spot to enjoy a picnic lunch before setting off to climb The Wrekin. This felt really challenging after the Stiperstones earlier on in the day but the views were breath-taking and I am so glad we made the extra effort.

Day Four

We awoke and were delighted to see the sun was still shining. The girls ‘helped’ me make breakfast – egg muffins on the Cadac and hey only dropped one egg which I then stood on! But we still took it as a win.

Today we decided we would have a more chilled day with only one hike planned - Caer Caradoc.  We drove to the Willstone on the western side of the hill and walked from there rather than the more popular route from Church Stretton. The climb to the summit was short but seriously steep. We needed to keep Luna (our dog) on her lead due to grazing sheep but fortunately Savannah decided she wanted to take a million photos on route so luckily we kept stopping so I could catch my breath. There are some great rocks to climb and a hidden cave at the top – don’t forget to look out for it!

Dinner was quick and easy too. Beef burgers!

Day Five

Day Five and we still felt we had only just scraped the surface of everything Shropshire had to offer. We were being blessed with spectacular weather and just as everyone else was returning back to work/school, we were lucky enough to be able to continue with our travels for a few more days. Despite feeling like there was so much we wanted to see, today we planned nothing! We decided we would drive the Long Mynd Valley and see what happened. Having previously hiked to the top of the valley on Day Two, we knew the views would be wonderful and we just wanted to enjoy them.

The drive is seriously steep, with a sheer drop most of the way on one side. It is also virtually a single track road with very few passing points so not for the faint hearted. We couldn’t resist pulling in just before we reached the top. There are several designated parking bays at the top but we were impatient and didn’t realise until we had passed them. We stopped, put the kettle on, and enjoyed the views whilst the girls wanted to played cards! As we turned round, we noticed some amazing wild ponies a short distance away. We slowly approached (keeping a safe distance), I was reduced to tears! I couldn’t believe I was so lucky to be there, surrounded by beauty and felt as free as a bird.

We had the most memorable time that day. We thoroughly enjoyed our time and drive around the Long Mynd Valley. Afterwards, we drove to Shrewsbury – which was a mistake. After the tranquil time in the valley, the hustle and bustle of a town was a mistake for us! It was a nice town that is situated right next to the River Severn. There are lots of lovely period properties and a great park but it just wasn’t for us on this occasion.

Day Six

Our final day in Shropshire and we awoke to drizzle. With no firm plans and the weather clearly on the turn, we decided to pack up, head home with one last detour to drive the Long Mynd Valley and spend some final time with the wild ponies. I will never forget these precious moments and can’t recommend a visit to Shropshire enough.