Walking the Shropshire Way. John Gillham

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      On Wilderley Hill

      Ignore a vague left fork but follow a faint track roughly parallel with the hedge on the right, aiming for the right edge of a conifer plantation. The continuing path follows the edge of the plantation. It soon becomes a wide grassy track climbing Wilderley Hill. You’ll have noticed a fine if small rugged craggy hill to the north. This is Earl’s Hill, which has an ancient fort on the summit.

      From the hilltop continue southwest through a kissing gate in a hedge not shown on the current OS map, then across two fields. In the second field there is a standing stone to your right as you reach a roadside kissing gate. Go straight ahead across the road on a tarred lane, which is part of the Port Way.

      The Port Way in an ancient track linking the Kerry Ridgeway at the River Onny, south of the Long Mynd and the Wrekin-Oswestry track. It used high ground wherever possible to avoid densely wooded, marshy valleys. The numerous barrows alongside the route are from the Bronze and Iron ages. In medieval times the Port Way later served as a drovers’ route between the markets of Bishop’s Castle and Shrewsbury.

      After a short distance the tarmac surface becomes crumbled and there are views into the Golden Valley of Darnford Brook, with the crag-serrated ridge of Stiperstones on the horizon. Your peace may be disturbed by the sound of trail bikes on the Picklescott Enduro Track on the left. Go through a kissing gate on the right, descending the clear path signed ‘to Bridges and Stiperstones’. The path winds through folds of pastured hills, past the renovated farm of Lower Darnford and passing close to the houses of Ratlinghope. Finally, it enters pretty woodland, emerging on the lane east of Bridges Youth Hostel. For those staying at the Bridges Inn (formerly the Horseshoe Inn), continue down the road to the first junction and turn left.

      The impressive Gothic-looking Bridges Youth Hostel, complete with bell tower, was commissioned in 1866 by Lady Scott as a village school but soon closed as there were not enough children in the Ratlinghope area to keep it going. It became a youth hostel in 1931 and remained part of the YHA until 1991 when it became a privately owned hostel. The name Bridges refers to the three bridges over Darnford Brook and the East Onny.

STAGE 2

      Bridges to Bishop’s Castle