The Shropshire Hills – The road trip underdog you’d be a fool to miss

monstay farm campsite

The Shropshire Hills - The road trip underdog you’d be a fool to miss

The hills in eastern Shropshire are an underappreciated playground for the campervan or motorhome weekend warrior. 

Normally when road tripping to beautiful parts of the country we have to worry about tiny roads, narrow accesses, steep and nerve wracking descents and traffic everywhere. 

Not here though – for whatever reason the Shropshire hills appear to have been largely overlooked by the campervan and motorhome communities and frankly, we’re at a loss as to why.

This walks in the Shropshire hills make it worth visiting alone, plus activities ranging from the downright crazy to the more leisurely ensure that the Shropshire Hills  caters for everyone from thrill seekers to young families. 

You’ll find outstanding local food on offer and delicious Shropshire made beverages. 

Whether you’re in the market for an upscale campsite, a back to basics spit’n’sawdust site or something a little more wild then you’ll be covered here. 

Table of Contents
    Add a header to begin generating the table of contents
    shropshire hills view 2
    Rainy view over the valley

    Walks in the Shropshire Hills

    We’ve picked out our favourite three walks and hikes the first being a nice easy amble for all the family, the second a slightly more strenuous exercise and the third will surely test the sturdiest of walks – when we visited on the wettest UK day on record (October 3rd 2020 before you start googling) we undertook the second walk, and despite being what we’d consider fairly hardy, we were forced to turn back after around an hour and a half (It was Lyds birthday and we had cake waiting in the van so that might have also had something to do with it!)

    #1 Mardu Circular walk

    A short and sweet trail taking in the best views across the Shropshire Hills in just a shade under 4 miles, you should allow an hour to an hour and half to complete. This trail is best option if time is limited or a longer walk just sounds like too much hard work!

    #2 Long Mynd walk

    Waterfalls, sheep, ponies and wild horses, outstanding views and rocky climbs – whats not to like! 8 miles consuming the very best of Shropshire this makes for a really good way to explore the area and earn those pints later! 

    long mynd climb
    Long Mynd on a very wet day!

    #3 clun circular walk

    The longest and probably the most difficult hike on our list for the most adventurous out there this one will definitely test even a seasoned hiker. Bonus points on this one as it includes a section of the famous Offas Dyke.

    Wild Swimming in the Shropshire Hills

    Shropshire hosts a number of great spots for those cold water thrills, whilst we’ve heard that they do get busy when the weather turns for the best, enjoy these spots early or out of season and you’ll really be in for a treat.

    #1 Carding Mill 

    Park at the Carding Mill National Trust car park and take an amble down to the reservoir. Lifesaving equipment is available at the shore and a lack of river or sea currents making this an excellent place for newbies. 

    #2 The River Teme

    There are multiple places available on the river Teme, but the best two are near Tenbury and near Ludlow. In both places the river is wide, shallow and low flow river making this another excellent choice for the less confident swimmers out there or those who just fancy a paddle in the clear waters. Plenty of parking available in the nearby village of Tenbury or Ludlow. 

    #3 Boyne Water 

    It’s a bit of trek from the Brown Clee roadside parking so make sure you pack a towel and warm clothes to change into before coming back. This deep manmade lake (pond…) is to be found right on the top of the Shropshire Beacon so expect a bit of a climb to get up!

    Adrenaline seekers

    Mountain bikers sit up and take notice – you don’t need to go to the hills of Wales or the mountains of the North – there are plenty of trails at your disposal here in the hills in Eastern Shropshire. 

    These have been documented by many before us so it seems a little pointless for us to go into details ourselves when the good folks over at Komoot have put together an excellent list for you

    In addition there are plenty of hair raising adventures available from the adventure enablers over at into the blue.

    long mynd falls
    We're excited to come back on the mountain bikes soon!

    The best Shropshire Market Towns

    Shropshire has its fair share of pretty market towns that are just aching to be discovered and put on your map! Here is our favourites:

    Ludlow

    Surely the most famous of the market towns in the area, and for good reason. Nestled on the banks of the river Teme and with an imposing castle as its centre piece Ludlow should be the go to for any foodie as it hosts a wealth of independent shops and cafes as well as a market about four times a week!

    Bishops Castle

    Bishops castle is a great base for exploring both the Shropshire hills and Wales. A starting point for ample walks and with numerous pubs to quench your thirst after a hard day on your feet Bishops Castle is well worth using as a base if you’re in the market for a good hike!

    Ellesmere

    Yeah fine we know that Ellesmere can’t really be counted as a market town in or near to the Shropshire Hills. But is a market town. It is beautiful. And it is in Shropshire. And we just can’t leave it off our list. Located on the banks of the Llangollen canal Ellesmere is made up of houses dating right the way back to the Tudors and you can see every style of building righ through to present day. 

    Creepy Forest

    Food & Drink

    You’ll not go hungry or thirsty in Shropshire with local delights everywhere you turn. Some of our favourites have been:

    Campsites and stopovers in the Shropshire hills

    Our favourite parkups and stopovers across the area:

     The Hopton Crown (BritStop)

    Monstay Farm Campsite – great Shropshire walks from your doorstep and great views down the valley

    monstay farm campsite
    Monstay Farm Campsite

    Parting Thoughts

    So there you have it – you really have no reason not to go on a Shropshire adventure! Get after it and let us know what your best bits are in Shropshire in the comments below! Go Explore!

    Share this:

    Leave a Reply

    error

    Did you love this article? Share it!

    Discover more from The Weekend Warriors

    Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

    Continue reading