Church Stretton makes a great base for cyclists with miles of lovely quiet country roads to explore and mountain bike riding over the Long Mynd for the more adventurous.

All Stretton village nestles in a narrow valley, stretched out along the old Shrewsbury Road, about a mile north of Church Stretton. The village of All Stretton has changed very little over the centuries. Its pub the Yew Tree has been operating since at least the early 19th century. There is a footpath from All Stretton which takes you up Batch Valley and onto the Long Mynd.

Impressive ruins of a Cistercian abbey, including its unusually unaltered 12th century church, beautiful vaulted and tile-floored chapter house, and recently re-opened crypt chapel. Situated in a wooded Severn-side setting, not far from the Iron Bridge and Wenlock Priory.

The bus climbs the Long Mynd with its panoramic views of the hills from Snowdonia in the north to the Malvern Hills in the southeast. The view from the bus is exceptional, and not without thrills, with sheer drops on both sides of the road. From the Mynd, the bus descends to the charming villages of Ratlinghope and Wentnor, passing some of the finest pubs in the area. From here it climbs again to pass the jagged tors and purple heather of the Stiperstones National Nature Reserve and the Bog, with its unique community run visitor centre in the restored Victorian school. From here it’s a winding road that threads along the edge of the Stiperstones, passing the Stiperstones Inn, famed locally for its excellent Sunday lunches. A few miles on, it turns at Snailbeach Mine Heritage Site to return to Church Stretton.

The summit of Caer Caradoc is crowned by an Ancient British Iron Age or late Bronze Age hill fort. It is this which the hill is named after - Caer Caradog in Welsh meaning Caradog's fort. Local legend has it that this was the site of the last stand of Caractacus against the Roman legions during the Roman conquest of Britain, and that after the battle he hid in the cave near its summit. Others say his last stand was in the locality but that this was one of his fortresses.

Only a five minute walk from Church Stretton town or as you park up at this Shropshire beauty spot, the children will be scrambling to get out of the car to play in the brook and climb up the grassy banks (don't forget a plastic bag or cardboard box so you can slide down the slopes!). In winter this is a sledgers heaven for all age groups with snowy gentle slopes for the young and old and steeper slopes to challange the best of the rest!

Caus Castle is a hill fort and medieval castle in the civil parish of Westbury in the English county of Shropshire. It is situated up on the eastern foothills of the Long Mountains gurarding the route from Shrewsbury, Shropshire to Montgomery, Powys on the border between England and Wales.

Church Stretton is a historic Market Town situated in the heart of the South Shropshire hills on the English/Welsh border known as The Marches. It is the only town in the Shropshire Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The area provides fantastic opportunities for walkers with a range of routes to suit all tastes and abilities.

The town of Church Stretton and the adjacent All Stretton and Little Stretton have a host of great cafes, pubs and shops to keep you refreshed and satisfied before or after your walk.

We don’t do chain stores in Church Stretton, just lots of independent, locally-owned businesses which can help complete a magical visit to our lovely town. And as we are blessed with a beautiful natural environment, we have a strong commitment to looking after and cherishing our place. Help us keep it in good shape by taking note of our
motto: ‘Take only Memories; Leave only Footprints’

Find more information on places to stay, eat and shop on our website. Get your boots on and explore!

These 8 short walks have been updated and tested by Friends of Church Stretton Library. The sketch map is not to scale and should be used with the text. Reproduced by kind permission of Ian R. Jones’ family in support of Church Stretton Library.

Click next page to find maps to download and descriptions

Church Stretton lies in the heart of one of the most varied geological areas in the UK, with rocks representing 11 of the 12 recognised periods of geological time occurring in the county. You can observe the remains of ancient volcanic activity on the hills to the east of the town and the tightly folded strata of the Long Mynd to the west, with signs of ancient sea life and a long since eroded plateau.

Church Stretton is a busy, historic, market town and is the only town in the Shropshire Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It earned the nickname ‘Little Switzerland’ from its picturesque setting in the Shropshire Hills.Today Church Stretton, together with its immediate neighbours All Stretton and Little Stretton, is a centre for outdoor activities: walking, mountain bikes, cycling, running and orienteering.

The town and its immediate neighbours is home to independent and interesting shops, brewery and free-house pubs, cafés and restaurants and a variety of accommodation including B&B’s and self-catering.

The Aerospace Museum at Cosford is only about 45 minutes away, very close to junction 3 of the M54. There are collections of Missiles, Warplanes...

Atmospheric house, featuring 485-hectare (1,200-acre) country park and formal walled garden

Widely acclaimed as one of Britain's finest historic houses, Erddig is a fascinating yet unpretentious early 18th-century country house reflecting the upstairs downstairs life of a gentry family over 250 years.

Geocaching is an outdoor recreational activity, in which the participants use a Global Positing System (GPS) receiver or mobile device and other navigational techniques to hide and seek containers, called "geocaches" or "caches", anywhere in the world. Click the more info button to find links to local geocaching trails.

You couldn’t ask for a better place to ride than Shropshire. If you want to find out about the best places to walk, trot or canter, this is the site for you.

LLANGOLLEN RAILWAY is a mainly Steam hauled Heritage Railway Line starting at Llangollen Station located beside the Dee River Bridge in Llangollen Town, and continuing for 7 ½ miles upstream, following the River Dee to the village of Carrog.

The Railway remains close to the waters of the river for most of it's length, On the north bank at Llangollen Station, the river is crossed on to the south bank via the Dee Bridge, approximately one mile upstream from Llangollen.

We are a club of qualified pilots and do not train new recruits. However, there are local schools who will be happy to teach you to fly.

Midland Gliding Club is one of the oldest and certainly the highest gliding club in the UK sitting on top of the 1500' Long Mynd to the West of Church Stretton.

Hopton wood (post code SY7 0QG) is 16 miles from Church Stretton.

The Nordy Bank hill fort is located on a defensible spur of the Clee Hills at 343 metres above sea level overlooking Corve Dale and Wenlock Edge. The defensive ditch earthworks are in good condition although past quarrying has encroached near the site. The Jack Mytton Way long distance footpath passes adjacent to the site and the Shropshire Way runs 2km to the northeast.

The Society's museum can be found in School Lane off the High Street Bishop's Castle. Opening times are: Saturday and Sundays 14.00 hrs - 17.00 hrs from Easter to the end of September.

The SVR is a full-size standard-gauge railway line running regular steam-hauled passenger trains for the benefit of visitors and enthusiasts alike between Kidderminster in Worcestershire and Bridgnorth in Shropshire, a distance of 16 miles. The journey is full of interest, for the route follows closely the meandering course of the River Severn for most of the way on its journey between Kidderminster and Bridgnorth. One highlight of the trip is the crossing of the River Severn by means of the Victoria Bridge - a massive 200-foot single span, high above the water which, incidentally, features in the film 'The Thirty-nine Steps' with Robert Powell in the leading role.

The nearest place to pick up the SVR which is also the end of the line is Bridgnorth. All in all a great day out.

The Shropshire Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) was designated in 1958 and covers a quarter of Shropshire. Church Stretton is the only town to be found in the Shropshire Hills AONB but there are other remote villages, strong and active communities and many opportunities for both locals and visitors to enjoy walks and outdoor activities which respect the area's amazing qualities...

There is something here for everyone, whether you want a half hour easy stroll in Rectory woods or Carding Mill valley, or a strenuous whole day walk exploring the Shropshire Hills with a stop for lunch at a local village pub.

The delightful Stokesay Castle just south of Craven Arms is a must for everyone, for nobody could fail to be impressed by the charm and atmosphere of...

The Bog Visitor Centre, in the shadow of the Stiperstones in Shropshire, is a gas-lit Victorian former school which is one of the few remaining buildings of a lost lead and barytes-mining village.

The Longmynd Hike is a 50 mile competition hike open to anyone aged 18 or over, which takes place over the first weekend of October every year.

Take a walk on the Stiperstones - This is a National Nature Reserve with a difference - being the second hightest hill in Shropshire, the views are magnificent, and the countryside on the west side of the Long Mynd is a patchwork of hedgerows having so far remained unaffected by modern farming methods - quite different from the east side. Folklore abounds on The Stiperstones. There is The Devil's Chair, the northernmost tor, where His Infernal Majesty is claimed to take up residence at times. A thunderstorm will immediately occur should a human seek to sit in the place. There are several bronze age cairns along its ridge.

Looking for other activities around the county - All the information you need to plan your visit to Shropshire is here.

Church Stretton is a wonderful base for a walking holiday as there are so many footpaths that can be taken to explore both sides of the valley it sits in.

Wenlock Edge is a limestone escarpment created 400 million years ago when Shropshire could be found just south of the equator and boasted a Caribbean type of environment. Its ancient woodlands have excellent walks and are popular for cycling and riding. There are many fossils hidden in the area's rocks including ancient corals, crinoids and trilobites. The limestone of Wenlock Edge has been exploited for many years. The first use was for building material and for burning in small lime kilns.
The National Trust, who manage seven miles of the Edge, has now restored some of the old lime kilns to preserve a part of the industrial heritage of the area. The limestone edge also provides ideal conditions for many rare flowers and supports ancient woodland on its slopes.There are stunning views of the surrounding Shropshire countryside from the Edge.

Wroxeter (or 'Viroconium') was the fourth largest city in Roman Britain. It began as a legionary fortress and later developed into a thriving civilian city. Though much still remains below ground, today the most impressive features are the 2nd century municipal baths, and the remains of the huge wall dividing them from the exercise hall in the heart of the city.
The site museum and audio tour reveal how Wroxeter worked in its heyday, and the health and beauty practices of its 5,000 citizens. (There is also a Winery in Wroxeter so you can do both places in one day!)