Shropshire 2023 Part 2

Sunday, 9th July - Tuesday, 11th July

My legs felt better, so I risked a walk, initially intending for it to be a short walk but it ended up being around 24km.

I walked up Batch Valley and worked my way up onto the Mynd, where I encountered a wild pony and foal.  I fed the mare one of my apples and took a few photos while it munched.

 

Crossing along the top of the Mynd I ran into a procession of tractors (there must have been 30 to 40 of them), which were noisy, smelly, annoying, and pointless - I found out later that this is an annual event, where farmers trek their tractors across the Mynd, but to me it's still pointless.

On the west side of the Mynd I started descending, but realised I was heading down to Ratlinghope, which I did not want to do, so I came back up below Pole Bank and found another route further along to descend now to a tiny place called Mendicot or Wendicot (I forget which), stopping at a bench on the way down to eat lunch.

Looking across to the Stiperstones

 

I followed a lane south for some time, and then walked up a track that brought me back onto the Mynd near the gliding club.  I headed back north along the Portway, then took the track down past the Lightspout Waterfall to Carding Mill Valley.

It started to rain, so I stopped at the National Trust building there for an ice cream while the rain came down very heavy, watching people rushing down toward the car park totally drenched.  When the rain eased, I headed into Church Stretton for a cider and a late lunch / early dinner of a ploughman's lunch.  I bought some more food supplies before returning to All Stretton and the bunkhouse.

On Monday it rained on and off so I stayed in, did some laundry, read, napped, and chatted with the bunkhouse owner, Mike.

On Tuesday I walked over to Church Stretton, via a route that went up Bodbury Hill above the golf course, with a wander through Rectory Wood, for more food supplies, but spent the afternoon back at the bunkhouse reading and avoiding the rain.  My left calf is aching again.

 

 

 

Part 3: Wednesday the 12th