Scenic Shropshire – explore traditional England | United Kingdom
The Wrekin, close to the Welsh border west of Telford, looms high above the Shropshire Plain – and on a cloudless day up to 17 counties in England and Wales can be seen from this ancient vantage point.
Hill-walkers will face far more difficult climbs for much less scenic reward – these really are some of the most spectacular views to be found in this part of the country.
Shropshire Plain, UK by Dpaajones
Legend has it that The Wrekin was the work of giants who still live somewhere below the surface. The name derives from the Celtic ‘wre’ and ‘ken,’ translated as ‘most conspicuous hill.’
One-time capital of the ancient British Cornovii tribe who recognised the value of its strategic position, The Wrekin rises 1,335 feet above the northern panhandle of Shropshire’s Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The Cornovii’s iron age hill fort stretches almost 20 acres across the summit.
For history lovers
Just a few miles from The Wrekin, one of the largest remaining examples of a Roman settlement exists at Wroxeter, where ‘The Old Work’ is an eight-metre high wall that once formed part of the fourth largest city in the province.
Originally part of a basilica in Viroconium – built beside the old Roman road of Watling Street – the Wroxeter Roman City was once home to 5,000 people in the 2nd century AD.
Extensive remains still visible today of this early feat of architectural engineering include parts of a market hall and tavern, and an underfloor heating system which once graced the communal bath-house.
For walking enthusiasts
Shropshire offers some seriously superb walking country, with over 3,500 miles of rights of way to choose from including Offa’s Dyke and the Severn Way.
From September 7th to 9th, the Oswestry Walking Festival offers five separate walks over varying distances, including the 12-mile Oswald’s Ring, nine-mile quarry and Offa’s Dyke, and a four-mile trip to the old hill fort and Hengoed.
Visit www.oswestrywalkers.co.uk for further information.
What else to see
Stokesay, Shrewsbury and Ludlow Castles, the Seven Valley and Telford Steam Railways, the Ironbridge Gorge Museums….there’s plenty for everyone in this most picturesque and diverse of counties.
For smaller visitors, the Hawkstone Park and Follies offers a fantasy land of cliffs, chasms, caves, labyrinths and woods – sharp-eyed youngsters will recognise many of the scenes from the BBC’s TV series Chronicles of Narnia.
The park’s Feather Falconry gives kids a chance to experience a nature lesson up close with owls, hawks and falcons, and a medieval weekend here from August 25th to 27th will take them back in time to experience life as it was in the 12th century.
Nicki Williams is a copy writer for Gear-Zone – on-line, outdoor specialists in walking and hiking footwear, wet weather clothing, and down jackets
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