Shropshire Way
Encyclopedia
The Shropshire Way is a waymarked long distance footpath running through the English
county
of Shropshire
. It runs 224 kilometres / 139 miles around the interior of the county in a large loop.
. The route then runs south to Wem
and then to Clive
and Grinshill
where the circular loop begins, taking you to Shrewsbury
, then via Lyth Hill further south into the Shropshire Hills.
an additional loop on the route takes you to Stiperstones
, Bishops Castle and Clun
linking back to the main route via the Onny Valley at Little Stretton
and the Long Mynd
.
, Ludlow
and via the two Clee Hills
, Titterstone Clee Hill
and Brown Clee Hill
over high ground.
The path then traces Wenlock Edge
to Much Wenlock
, Ironbridge
, Coalbrookdale
over the Wrekin and Haughmond Hill
back to Clive
and Grinshill
.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
county
County
A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain modern nations. Historically in mainland Europe, the original French term, comté, and its equivalents in other languages denoted a jurisdiction under the sovereignty of a count A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain...
of Shropshire
Shropshire
Shropshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. It borders Wales to the west...
. It runs 224 kilometres / 139 miles around the interior of the county in a large loop.
The Waymarked Route
The route when marked on a map of the county loosely resembles a 'hangmans noose' with the rope dangling from the northern border of Shropshire at Grindley BrookGrindley Brook
Grindley Brook is a small village in Shropshire, England, on the A41 trunk road around 1.5 miles north west of the market town of Whitchurch. It is the most northerly settlement in Shropshire and borders directly onto Cheshire, and is within the civil parish of Whitchurch Rural.It is also the name...
. The route then runs south to Wem
Wem
Wem is a small market town in Shropshire, England. It is the administrative centre for the northern area committee of Shropshire Council, which has its headquarters at Edinburgh House in the centre of Wem. Wem railway station is on the Shrewsbury to Crewe railway line...
and then to Clive
Clive, Shropshire
Clive is a village and civil parish in Shropshire, England, United Kingdom.Clive is situated around the west side of Grinshill Hill, with many in a rural setting. Grinshill sandstone, from the nearby mine at Grinshill is used throughout the village for building material from walls and houses to the...
and Grinshill
Grinshill
Grinshill is a small village, hill and civil parish in Shropshire, England, United Kingdom.The parish is one of the smallest in the district. There is a stone quarry here and the hill rises to 192m above sea level....
where the circular loop begins, taking you to Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury is the county town of Shropshire, in the West Midlands region of England. Lying on the River Severn, it is a civil parish home to some 70,000 inhabitants, and is the primary settlement and headquarters of Shropshire Council...
, then via Lyth Hill further south into the Shropshire Hills.
Additional Loop
In the Shropshire Hills Area of Outstanding Natural BeautyArea of Outstanding Natural Beauty
An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is an area of countryside considered to have significant landscape value in England, Wales or Northern Ireland, that has been specially designated by the Countryside Agency on behalf of the United Kingdom government; the Countryside Council for Wales on...
an additional loop on the route takes you to Stiperstones
Stiperstones
The Stiperstones is a very distinctive hill in the county of Shropshire, England. It is a quartzite ridge formed some 480 Million years ago. During the last Ice Age the summit stood out above the glaciers and was subject to constant freezing and thawing which shattered the quartzite into a mass of...
, Bishops Castle and Clun
Clun
Clun is a small town in Shropshire, England. The town is located entirely in the Shropshire Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The 2001 census recorded 642 people living in the town...
linking back to the main route via the Onny Valley at Little Stretton
Little Stretton, Shropshire
Little Stretton is a village in Shropshire, England.It lies on the B5477 to the south of the town of Church Stretton ; similarly, the small village of All Stretton lies to the north of Church Stretton on the same road...
and the Long Mynd
Long Mynd
The Long Mynd in Shropshire, England, is a part of the Shropshire Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It is south of the county town Shrewsbury, and has an area of over 22 square kilometres , most of which takes the form of a heathland plateau. Most of the land on the Long Mynd is owned by...
.
South Shropshire
The southern stretch of the loop runs through Craven ArmsCraven Arms
Craven Arms is a small town and civil parish in Shropshire, England, located on the A49 road and the Welsh Marches railway line, which connect it north and south to the larger towns of Shrewsbury and Ludlow respectively. The Heart of Wales railway line joins the Welsh Marches line at Craven Arms...
, Ludlow
Ludlow
Ludlow is a market town in Shropshire, England close to the Welsh border and in the Welsh Marches. It lies within a bend of the River Teme, on its eastern bank, forming an area of and centred on a small hill. Atop this hill is the site of Ludlow Castle and the market place...
and via the two Clee Hills
Clee Hills
The Clee Hills are a range of hills in Shropshire, England near Ludlow, consisting of Brown Clee Hill , the highest peak in Shropshire, and Titterstone Clee Hill...
, Titterstone Clee Hill
Titterstone Clee Hill
Titterstone Clee Hill, sometimes referred to as Clee Hill or Titterstone Clee, is a hill in the rural English county of Shropshire, rising at the summit to 533 m above sea level....
and Brown Clee Hill
Brown Clee Hill
Brown Clee Hill is the highest hill in the rural English county of Shropshire, at 540 metres above sea level. It is one of the Clee Hills, and is in the Shropshire Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.-Geography:...
over high ground.
The path then traces Wenlock Edge
Wenlock Edge
Wenlock Edge is a limestone escarpment near Much Wenlock, Shropshire, England. It is long and runs from South West to North East between Craven Arms and Much Wenlock. It is roughly 330 metres high...
to Much Wenlock
Much Wenlock
Much Wenlock, earlier known as Wenlock, is a small town in central Shropshire, England. It is situated on the A458 road between Shrewsbury and Bridgnorth. Nearby, to the northeast, is the Ironbridge Gorge, and the new town of Telford...
, Ironbridge
Ironbridge
Ironbridge is a settlement on the River Severn, at the heart of the Ironbridge Gorge, in Shropshire, England. It lies in the civil parish of The Gorge, in the borough of Telford and Wrekin...
, Coalbrookdale
Coalbrookdale
Coalbrookdale is a village in the Ironbridge Gorge in Shropshire, England, containing a settlement of great significance in the history of iron ore smelting. This is where iron ore was first smelted by Abraham Darby using easily mined "coking coal". The coal was drawn from drift mines in the sides...
over the Wrekin and Haughmond Hill
Haughmond Hill
Haughmond Hill is a small, shallow hill in the English county of Shropshire. It is covered by woodland for the most part, although there is an open cast quarry in use. Its proximity to the town of Shrewsbury has meant that it has become something of a forest park, with guided paths, car parking...
back to Clive
Clive, Shropshire
Clive is a village and civil parish in Shropshire, England, United Kingdom.Clive is situated around the west side of Grinshill Hill, with many in a rural setting. Grinshill sandstone, from the nearby mine at Grinshill is used throughout the village for building material from walls and houses to the...
and Grinshill
Grinshill
Grinshill is a small village, hill and civil parish in Shropshire, England, United Kingdom.The parish is one of the smallest in the district. There is a stone quarry here and the hill rises to 192m above sea level....
.