Long Mynd Loop from Church Stretton

Dog looking majestic by pile of stones

Overview

Difficulty: Medium

Distance: 7.2 miles / 11.6 kilometres

Terrain Type: Mainly dirt tracks and hiking paths with a little road walking. Contains some very steep gradients and uneven terrain.

Starts from: Rectory Wood, Church Stretton, Shropshire, SY6 6DQ

Closest Vet: Severn Edge Veterinary Group – Craven Arms

Introduction

This 11.6km circular takes you right into the heart of the Long Mynd in the Shropshire Hills Area of Natural Beauty. Starting from the market town of Church Stretton, the first part has some challenging gradients, culminating in the climb up Callow Hill. The second half of the walk is gentler however, barring some narrow uneven downhill sections by Town Brook.

We’ve marked the start point as Rectory Wood, but there’s no parking right outside if you’ve travelled by car. We managed to find a spot on the road a couple of streets away. There are plenty of pay and display car parks in the village to choose from too. To get to the start, turn off the A49 into the town centre. Follow the road to the end before turning left onto the B5477, then turn right onto Churchway. The entrance to Rectory Wood is at the end of the road.

While dogs don’t have to be kept on a lead for this walk, it’s recommended that they are kept under close control, especially during the spring and summer months. March to May is lambing season for the many sheep that live on the Shropshire Hills, so it’s best to keep your dogs on a lead to avoid stressing the pregnant ewes. The Long Mynd is also a breeding area for ground nesting birds like grouse and curlew. During the breeding season of March to July, keep your dogs on the paths to avoid the disturbing the birds.

If you’re attempting this walk in the winter like we did, be warned that it’s treacherous in places when the conditions are icy. Unfortunately, due to a mixture of heavy fog and battery issues, the photos we’ve got of this walk aren’t the best. Despite that, it was still a great route to follow, and the conditions did make it quite atmospheric! We’re looking forward to going back when it’s a bit clearer and we can enjoy the views more.

Rectory Wood to Small Batch

To start, walk through the gate onto the field at Rectory Wood. In front of you will be a large bank, with some wooden steps on the right-hand side. Climb up the bank, then keep to the path to the left until you hit Cunnery Road. Once here, you can turn right and follow the main road for a little while until you hit the bridleway. Alternatively, you can turn left then take the next right towards the holiday lets. Once you’re here, turn right once you see signs for the Allen Coppice Trail. This takes you through a little pocket of trees that has several paths running through it. Just make sure you continue your course straight on, and you’ll eventually meet the main bridleway.

Wooden sign saying Rectory Wood
Wooden sculptures of wildlife

Follow the bridleway for a while until it joins the main road. Once you’re at the end, head right and then turn right again almost immediately after where the public footpath marker is. Follow this path as it curves left up the bank, and it will eventually lead you to a field. There are a few stiles to cross on this section of the walk, so be prepared to help your dog over them if they’re precious like Flynn. Keep to the left-hand side of the field and exit it at the stile in the left-hand corner next to the outbuilding.

From here, continue along the trail along the ridge, where you’ll be able to see Small Batch Campsite in the valley below. The path will take you all the way to the valley floor and bring you out on a tarmac road. There’s a ford here with a small wooden bridge spanning it. Cross the bridge and continue up the gravelled road. You’ll eventually go through large wooden gate, which takes you through the Long Mynd.

Dog running up public footpath
White dog overlooking valley

The Long Mynd

Follow the main path for a while and keep to the left, ignoring the two paths that appear on the right. Just after this point, you’ll see a large hill right in front of you, while the main pathway itself veers off to the right around the hill. This is Callow Hill. If you fancy a challenge, head off the main path and continue straight up until you reach the 411m high summit. Be warned though – it’s steep with gradients of around 25%. Once you’re ready to head back down, set off in a northerly direction until you join the main bridleway.

From here on out, just follow the pathway as it winds around the hills. It’s a mix of uphill and downhill, but nothing too severe. The path does split off into two about halfway through this stretch, and we picked the right-hand path. You can pick either route though, just as long as you keep to the path – the two branches meet up with each other a short while later.

Eventually, you’ll hit a tarmac road running perpendicular to you with a trees on the other side. Turn right here and follow the road. There’s a big grass verge on the right-hand side, so you don’t need to worry about walking your dog on the road itself. If you fancy another climb, keep your eye out for signs for Pole Bank on the other side of the road. Otherwise, carry straight on until the road turns to the right sharply.

Dog on snowy heathland

Town Brook to Finish

After this right turn, the main road drifts away to the left, but you’ll want to follow the path straight ahead taking you back into the Long Mynd hills. From this point, you’ll be following the red markers that signpost the Town Brook route back to Church Stretton. The first part of this return leg continues along the rolling heathland. We saw a group of grazing horses here – just some of the livestock that live on the Long Mynd.

Eventually, you’ll hit a junction. Turn left, then left again at the next junction, then turn right after crossing the stream to follow the path down the valley with the stream on your right. This part of the walk is very pretty, but the path is narrow and it’s a slippery downhill when it’s icy (full disclaimer: I ended up on my arse here). Once you’ve reached the valley floor, you’ll go through a gate taking you back into Rectory Wood.

Follow the paths down through the wood, ignoring the paths going off either side up the hills. Once you’re further into the wood, you’ll be able to see all the features of this late 18th century site, such as the artificial pool, pumping house, summer house, and icehouse. After the pool, keep following the path to the right until it brings you out at the set of steps we encountered at the start of our walk. From here, head down the stairs and back out of the gate we started at to complete the route.

What to do after

Finishing the walk doesn’t have to mean your adventure’s over! If you’re not ready to go home just yet, there are several quality venues in this area great for putting your feet up after long hike through the Long Mynd, and we’ve picked out the top three.

The first is the King’s Arms in Church Stretton High Street, just a stone’s throw from the end of this route. This rustic Joules pub offers a cosy setting in which to enjoy a cold beer and hot food. The second is the Green Dragon, just down the road in Little Stretton. This country pub has great reviews, has a large beer garden and also stocks doggie ice cream! Last but by no means least is the Ragleth Inn in Little Stretton, where your dog can curl up by the log burning fire while you tuck into a home cooked meal.

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