All walks are weather dependent

We will be staying at The Longmynd Hotel in Church Stretton, which is set in ten acres of private woodland, high in the breathtaking Shropshire hills overlooking the country market town of Church Stretton. This three-star HF (Holiday Fellowship) hotel commands panoramic views across the Welsh Borders and offers a unique blend of personal attention and high standards of service with an excellent range of amenities including an outdoor swimming pool. We think that the Longmynd Hotel is the perfect venue for our trip with very good food, superb location, excellent accommodation & facilities, and most importantly, professional & friendly staff.

To allow you to choose a walk that suits you best, we will provide a minimum of two walks on each day, led by professional and knowledgeable walking guides. On both days there will be a harder walk of 10-12 miles with up to 2000ft of ascent, (please be realistic about your own fitness and undertake the walk that will give you the most pleasure) and a gentler walk of 7-9 miles with less ascent.  

Maps: The map(s) for this event are: 1:25 000 EX217: The Long Mynd and Wenlock Edge

You MUST have:

• Walking boots

• Face Covering & Hand Sanitiser

• A Water bottle (minimum 1 litre)

• A Rucksack with a plastic liner

• Waterproofs: jacket and trousers

• A Warm hat

• Warm gloves (not leather)

• Thick walking socks

• Base layer: (thin thermal or warm T-shirt. Best not to be cotton as it gets cold when wet)

• Over layer: (warm sweater or fleece)

• Extra layer: warm top for when cold (eg. when stopped for lunch)

• Comfortable walking trousers (not jeans as they are too cold & heavy when wet)

• Personal Medication

• Smart casual clothes for the evening.

You may wish to bring:

• Trekking Poles

• Vacuum flask (if you like hot drinks on the hill)

• Medium size Tupperware container or plastic bag, to put picnic lunch in.

• Sit mat 

• Sun glasses

• Lip salve

• Camera

• Personal first aid kit

In good weather and/or summer, you may also wish to bring short trousers, T – Shirts, Sun hat, Sun tan lotion In poor weather and/or winter, you may also wish to bring: Gaiters, Balaclava, Extra warm clothing.

Enjoy walking and discovering the wonderful hills, valleys and villages of Shropshire. Those of you who are fortunate to know this area will think of it fondly indeed as it’s one of the most delightful and unspoilt counties in England. We are quite simply surrounded by excellent walking country. The hills to the south have been designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and Church Stretton is immersed in its heart, in a beautiful valley under the broad moorland of the Long Mynd.  

On Saturday for the hard walkers there will be an exploration of the steep sided valleys of the Long Mynd, with a climb to the highest point, Pole Bank. We start by dropping through the grounds of the estate and along the valley bottom before making our steady ascent through Small Batch and onto Round Hill. Next, we swing onto Pole Bank and it seems we can see almost everywhere at once. There are plenty of options, all of which could involve the Visitor Centre café before a nice stroll back up to the hotel. For the moderate walkers we begin from the hotel as we initially wend our way along tracks and lanes to Little Stretton, a quiet hamlet at the very heart of Shropshire and nestling at the foot of the mighty Long Mynd. From here though our route takes on a different feel as we ascend the beautiful Ashes Hollow at a more reasonable pace to the ridge. Finally, we take care of business, by swinging along the ridge and taking the excellent Jack Mytton Way to the National Trust Visitor Cafe where we may partake of refreshments before nipping back home.

On Sunday for the hard walkers again we wander from the hotel and tackle the quieter Eastern side of the valley en route to the lovely, steep-sided Caer Caradoc Hill, famous as place of a Celtic chieftain’s legendary last stand. It’s from here we get the best views back to Long Mynd and Church Stretton itself. Staying on the high ground we then tackle the rounded Hope Bowdler Hill before we nip back the hotel! For the moderate walkers we too shall wander from the hotel and across the valley to follow an ancient track onto the flanks of the brooding Caer Caradoc. Our route then takes us around this impressive hill, with fine views back to Church Stretton & The Long Mynd. Now re-crossing the valley further south we pass through All Stretton back to Church Stretton and the hotel to bring to end a wonderful weekend! 

BY TRAIN: The nearest railway station to Longmynd House is Church Stretton, which is less than a mile from it. However, the house is at the top of a steep hill (it has great views!) so a taxi is recommended.

For train times and route planning by train visit www.nationalrail.co.uk or phone 03457 48 49 50.

BY TAXI: The journey from Church Stretton railway station takes approximately 15 minutes. You can pre-book a taxi from our recommended taxi company, Alan’s Cab. As a guide price, it costs £17 per 4-seat taxi in 2022. 8-seat taxis are also available at a higher rate. Please pre-book your taxi at least 7 days in advance by contacting:

Alan's Cab* Tel: +44 (0) 7970 683126 Email: alanbrough207@btinternet.com The return taxi journey can be arranged on your behalf by the Longmynd House Manager. *Alan's Cab is not owned or managed by HF Holidays

IMPORTANT NOTE: All taxi companies in Church Stretton are booked for school runs between 2:00 pm and 4:30 pm.

BY CAR: Follow the A49 to Church Stretton. At the traffic lights turn off the A49 into the town. At the first T junction turn left into the High Street. Go straight over the mini-roundabout, and then take the next right into Cunnery Road. Follow the road up a steep hill and around a hairpin bend. Longmynd House is at the top of the hill on the left-hand side. Look out for our sign. A car park is available in the grounds with free parking.