Wendy Hollinshead is leading the next Audlem Ramblers walk on the Long Mynd on Saturday 8th June leaving Audlem Car Park at 8.30 am.
This walk starts at Carding Mill Valley and is a strong 3 booter of about 9 miles with varied terrain and lots of hill work. It's a walk route we've done before with an ascent of 300metres to the summit of Pole Bank at 516metres where there are spectacular views weather permitting.
We plan to leave Audlem Car Park at 8.30am moving off to the walk start point: Carding Mill Valley car park at Church Stretton SY6 6JG.
From Shrewsbury I suggest using the bypass turning left onto the A49 towards Ludlow and Leominster. This goes to Church Stretton where you turn right following the brown sign to our destination. There is a nice cafe with toilet facilities which they state as being open 10am-5pm. Hopefully the toilets will open a little earlier as we have found in previous years which is beneficial as there are few opportunities on the open moor! National Trust members park for free, for non-members the charge is £5.50. When we went the hut was manned on entry so we paid the attendant on CC as we entered the car park. It always seems to be very busy with parking so I suggest meeting by the cafe and toilets after putting on boots etc. as a group, before we start the walk beyond this area. I would plan on starting the walk by 10.15am from the cafe.
The route climbs steeply initially on a rocky path reaching the open moor to join the Jack Mytton Way and The Portway along the ridge past the Shooting Box and Pole Bank to Pole Cottage with welcome nice going underfoot. Turning left towards Little Stretton we follow an undulating route through Cross Dyke and Barristers Plain with hopefully a sheltered hillside lunch stop opportunity, before descending into Small Batch across the stream at the back of Little Stretton. We then turn uphill again on a lovely wooded path which was muddy in places on our recce yesterday with lots of sheep. The route then descends and ascends again into Rectory Wood passing the entrance to The Long Mynd Hotel, ultimately reaching the delightful Rectory Pool in a hidden yew tree lined hollow. Our last ascent is up a stepped bank to cross The Burway and back into the car park at Carding Mill.
Please be aware there are a lot of sheep with lambs and wild ponies with foals when we recced so dogs need to be on lead the majority of the walk.
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