ARS Stiperstones Walk Saturday 15th Sept

Steve Elliott is leading the next walk on Saturday 14th September; meet Audlem Car Park for 8 am departure

The Walk

Along Stiperstones Ridge and takes in a little of the nearby National Nature Reserve.

It is 7 miles long with a height gain of 1200ft.

We are suggesting meeting at Audlem car park for an 8.00am departure. It takes about 1hr 15 to get there and we re planning a small detour during the walk to visit The Bog Visitor Centre – in the 1870s the Stiperstones area was one of Britain s main sources of lead. The Bog Visitor Centre is one of few remnants of a once bustling mining village.

click here for Bog Visitor Centre info:-
https://www.bogvisitorcentre.com/history-information

There is a coffee/cake bar there if anyone wants to buy some, otherwise there are picnic tables for us to have our usual late morning coffee stop. Hopefully we ll then be up on the Stiperstones ridge for lunch a bit later.

Parking:

Stiperstones National Nature Reserve Car Park SY5 0NL – Signposts say The Stiperstones NNR. Grid Ref SO369977. No toilets there but its free!

Directions:

Sat Navs will get you close – via a number of different routes. We believe that the easiest route is to leave the A5 at Shrewsbury and take the A488. Keep on this road for 12 miles, through Minsterley, then through a small hamlet called Hope. Shortly after you pass a gravel works on the LHS and a crane hire place. Look out for the next road on the LHS signposted Shelve and The Bog Visitor Centre. Take this road.

After 3.5 miles you will reach The Bog Visitor Centre on the RHS. The road bears left and past a car park on the RHS – carry on along this road. Its narrow and bendy. After 0.5m bear left, signposted Stiperstones NNR. The car park is on the LHS after less than 0.5m – the signpost is slightly hidden!

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The area is a wild and atmospheric landscape, with a geology of national significance. The Ordovician Stiperstones Quartzite , which makes up the ridge was shattered during the last ice age to create the jagged, boulder-strewn landscape seen today.

Manstone Rock is the 2nd highest point in Shropshire (1732ft, 536m). There are numerous other unique rocks – Shepherd s Rock, Devil s Chair and Cranberry Rock and on the second ridge – Nipstone Rock and Falconer s Rock.

The walk is very varied in terrain. The 2.5mls of Ridge walking is VERY uneven and rocky. Whilst the views are wonderful, you can only see them whilst stationary!! Other parts of the walk could be muddy and undulating and there is a lot of gorse/heather/prickle terrain so wet legs are common!

Dogs. There are plenty of areas where dogs can roam, but there are sheep in a few places and possibly some cattle. There are 7 or 8 stiles – most are Not dog friendly so lifting is required!

We start the walk from the car park and head SW across fields (might be a bit muddy) and then a short section down a quiet country lane.

At Frog s Gutter we head up into forest and continue SW until we reach gorse-land and start heading up towards Falconer s Rock and round past Nipstone Rock heading NE.

There is a gentle route across a field before we head WNW towards The Bog Visitor Centre.

We retrace the short path and then head ENE on rocky terrain up to Cranberry and Manstone Rocks and then on past Devil s Chair and Shepherds Rock before a reasonably gentle descent and walk back to the car park. There should hopefully be fabulous 360 views if the weather is on our side!

NB All walkers must have suitable footwear and be prepared for adverse weather, carry food and water to last for the entire walk and be suitably fit for the various lengths of walk.

Non-members of Audlem Rambling Society (ARS) are welcome to come on a walk but are expected to join ARS and pay the membership fee after a trial walk or two.