Five afternoon walks around Stanton Upon Hine Heath

Introduction

Shropshire is a fascinating place with an incredible variety of scenery and whilst these five walks are confined to only a small area of the county they do justice to it's reputation for outstanding natural beauty. The walks are through the countryside to enable a good variety of wildlife to be seen, so the walker is advised to wear sensible shoes.
Each walk has a written description followed by a sketch map of the route to be followed. If a more detailed map is required, the 05 Explorer map No. 241 covers all the walks and all the rights of way described are taken from this.
Each walk begins at the same venue - THE STANTON ARMS. This enables the walker to par-take of some liquid refreshments either before or after the walk (or both!).

For other walks in Shropshire please see John Harris' website Walking in Shropshire  Please note that the Parish Council is not responsible for the content of external websites.

Walk 1

Distance: 3 miles (5 km) Time: 1 4 - 2 hours
From the pub, take the path down towards the church for a couple of hundred yards before turning left down Church Lane. At the gate, marked with the first of the Shropshire Way signs, the public footpath begins. Cross to the right hand corner of the field, over the stile and turn left following the right-hand side of the hedge to a further stile. Cross the stile and the lane, go through the gate and turn right to follow the left hand side of the fence. Continue over a further two stiles keeping the woods on the right. These woods contain much interesting wildlife and jays and cuckoos can be heard on a summer's evening.
The path continues through a wrought-iron gate into a dip, (which will be boggy when wet) and then over a stile and up a slope towards the farm buildings at Sow-bath. Head for the left-hand side of the buildings, follow the farm track onto the road and turn left up to the main road. This road can be quite busy so cross it with care to the stile immediately opposite.
There is another Shropshire Way sign on the stile to confirm that the path re-starts at the centre of a field. Once over the stile make your way across the field, round any crops, aiming in a
direction of 1 o'clock to cross the stile to the right of the buildings. Keep your eyes open for the kestrels and buzzards that like the open areas to hunt in. Cross over a small field and an-other stile on the far side. With the houses on the left, the footpath then passes through the middle of the field. Head for a group of farm buildings, in the distance, across the field. Cross the stile and turn left down the road, following it to the junction with the main road again. Turn right along the main road and then the first left, signposted to Stanton. There are gaps and views over the hedges giving the walker a chance to savour the beauty of the Shropshire countryside. This road leads you all the way back to the starting point - THE STANTON ARMS.

Walk 2

Distance: 4 miles (6 km) Time: 2 - 2 4. hours
From the pub take the sign-posted road to Booley. There is no pavement along this road, so be careful of any oncoming traffic. Keep on going past the village hall and continue along the pleasant hedgerow-lined road. There are plenty of blackberry bushes along the hedge, so keep a lookout when they're in season! Pass the vicar-age on the right and Harcourt on the left. As height is gained, gaps in the hedge give fine views especially back to the Wrekin.
Where Booley House is on the right, the road turns sharp left, but follow the track dead ahead, through the gate and through the field beyond. Walk along the track all the way down the gently descending slope, with the wooded outline of Top Moss ahead, and through the gate at the bottom. Continue on the rough lane and after it bears right, pass the farm on the left, and then leave the lane over the way-marked wooden stile to walk down the path at the side of the coniferous wood. Keep straight ahead staying on the edge of the wood. This wood and the next are full of wildlife, including pheasants and rabbits, the latter being abundant on an early evening throughout the length of the walk. Do not be led astray by false trails in the wood; stay by the edge of the field.
At the edge of the wood cross the stile into the field. This opens into a lovely view with pastures and wooded slopes beyond. Follow the right-hand edge over the stile into the next rather mixed wood. Keep on going up the hill, over the crest and through the gate. Cross the field and pass through a further gate, onto the road by the next wood. Turn right and follow the road back towards Stanton. After the dogleg, continue past the stud farm and the kink in the road. Having passed beyond the houses, take the sign-posted track on the right that leads up towards the thinned out wood on Blakeley Hill.
Keep going straight ahead, through the double gates, and through a third gate beyond. Cross the field aiming towards a solitary tree at a direction of 11 o'clock. Cross the way-marked stile by the gate and fol-low the right-hand side of the hedge, over a further stile and on past the triangulation point in the hedge on the left. Just beyond that through a gap in the hedge, on a clear day, there are lovely views over Stanton, Moreton Corbet Castle and RAF Shawbury. Continue along the right-hand side of the hedge and after a short distance cross the track into the field and turn left down the hedge to cross the style. Follow the enclosed footpath to meet the road at the bottom. Turn right down this road and then right at the T- junction, up the slope to the welcome sight of - THE STANTON ARMS.

Walk 3

Distance: 3 miles (5 * km) Time: 1 - 2 hours
From the pub, turn right down the road, heading towards Wem and follow the signpost to Moreton Corbet. The first bridge is an excellent spot for a game of Pooh sticks!
Turn left at the signpost just before the main road and continue on through the quiet village to the church and on to Moreton Corbet Castle. Access to the remains of the castle is via a gate in the hedge by the tourist information display. The castle and its grounds can make a pleasant interlude before the walk continues.

Continue along the road, past the disused hangars and beyond. Back to the left, across the field, there is a fine panorama of Moreton Corbet Castle whilst to the right of the road the Wrekin is soon in view. Just beyond Moreton Mill Farm cross the River Roden again, which this time has more pace under the bridge. Carry on to the main road, turn left and walk along the grass verge for 150 metres to Sow-bath farm. Turn left and follow the Shropshire Way signs through the farmyard.

Cross the field to the far corner and continue on through the dell. Keep the wood to your left and follow the signs up to Stanton village. Nearing the church, at the end of the hedge-row, turn right over the stile and cross the short field to a further stile by the house. Cross the stile and continue up the track. If you wish you could divert here to the church, but otherwise, turn right and head back to the starting point -THE STANTON ARMS.

Walk 4

Distance: 5 miles (8 km) Time: 2 * - 2 * hours
Turn left out of the pub car park and continue along this road to-wards Ellerdine. This is a rather lengthy on road" start to the walk but the lack of high hedges allows delightful views to be enjoyed around the local area. Cross the main road and continue along the road opposite. Pass the Y-junction and keep the plantation on the right-hand side. Follow the road along to the red brick houses on the left and turn between them and the bungalow, along the public foot-path.
Continue, with the hedge on your right, to the corner of the field and then through the hedge and straight ahead across the next field to the stream. Cross the bridge and head across the field at a direction of 2 o'clock to cross the stile. Follow the right-hand edge of the field and go through the gap in the hedge ahead. Cross the next field and from the right-hand corner the path leads down the left-hand side of the farm and the side of the field beyond to the cream painted house. Walk to the right of this to join the road. Turn left and although the road is not busy, be careful because there is no footpath. Pass by the small wood and on the right, just before you reach the house that is painted lemon, climb over the stile and cross the field heading for the house oppo-site. There is a stile in the hedge but be very careful crossing it as
you are then immediately onto the main road. On the opposite side of the road, cross the stile to the left of the house and follow the left-hand side of the hedge along the path as it winds round to a gate at the far end of the field. Continue through the gate, cross the lane and take the sign-posted track opposite that leads up to-wards the thinned out wood on Blakeley Hill.
Keep going straight ahead, through the double gates, and through a third gate beyond. Cross the field aiming towards a solitary tree at a direction of 11 o'clock. Cross the way-marked stile by the gate and follow the right-hand side of the hedge, over a further stile and on past the triangulation point in the hedge on the left. Just beyond that through a gap in the hedge, on a clear day, there are lovely views over Stanton, Moreton Corbet Castle and RAF Shawbury. Continue along the right-hand side of the hedge and after a short distance cross the track into the field and turn left down the hedge to cross the style. Follow the enclosed foot-path to meet the road at the bottom. Turn right down this road and then right at the T- junction, up the slope to the welcome sight of -THE STANTON ARMS.

Walk 5

Distance: 3 I miles (5 1 km) Time: 2 - 2 hours
From the pub take the sign-posted road to Booley. There is no pavement along this road, so be careful of any oncoming traffic. Keep on going past the village hall and continue along the pleas-ant hedgerow-lined road. There are plenty of blackberry bushes along the hedge, so keep a lookout when they're in season! Pass the vicarage on the right and Harcourt on the left. As height is gained, gaps in the hedge give fine views especially back to the Wrekin.
After passing the en-trance to "Harcourt" cross the stile that is 100 yards further up the road, to the left. Go straight across the field to meet up with the wood line and when the trees are bare you will spot RAF Shawbury away to your left. Turn right to follow the tree line and immediately beyond a disused stile, pass through an iron gate. Still following the tree line, cross the stile in the left corner of the field. Cross the lane, passing in front of the cattle grid on the left and proceed through the wooden gate. The Top Moss "mountains" loom up on the right, possibly with snow-capped peaks in winter! Continue, with the house fence to your left and cross the stile in the left hand corner.
Head straight across the field to cross a way-marked stile and continue across a short field to cross another way-marked stile into the trees.
At certain times of the year, the route can seem a little obscure here but forging straight ahead you are soon onto a lovely de-fined pathway and threading through the pines keeping the dyke to your left. Emerging from the trees, cross the wooden stile and head straight across the field following the line of three large trees. Make your way to the right of Moston Lodge to cross the stone stile and emerge onto the road.
Bear left down the road between the converted chapel and Harcourt Farm, keeping a good lookout 350 yards on your left for the stile that bears the mark of the Shropshire Way. Cross this, keep the fence to your left and head for the stile into the trees taking care down the hill through the woods. Cross a further stile, walk down the lane and through the thicket keeping the old walled garden on your left.
Keep ahead, with views of Preston Brockhurst and Preston Hall to your right just beyond the A-49, over two wooden stiles and then diagonally left across the field with the ruins of Moreton Corbet Castle now in view. Just beyond the large oak tree, pass through the gate on your left following the Shropshire Way mark diagonally across the field towards the distant Wrekin. Cross the stile by the double farm gates and turn right down the leafy lane. After 320 yards bear left, just before the bend, and follow the Shropshire Way keeping the fence to your left. At the gate, cross the way-marked stile and head diagonally across the fields towards the houses, crossing two stiles to rejoin the lane at a third stile just above Mill House. Turn right and follow your nose back to - THE STANTON ARMS.

PLEASE HONOUR THE COUNTRY CODE
• Leave no litter - Take it with you
• Respect the life and work of the countryside
• Keep to the public paths across farmland
• Safeguard water supplies • Go carefully on country roads • Keep dogs under control • Guard against all risks of fire
• Fasten all gates
• Make no unnecessary noise
• Leave livestock, crops and machinery alone
• Use gates and stiles to cross fences, hedges and walls

All the walks in this booklet follow public rights of way, but at certain times of year the right of way may lead straight across a cultivated field. Rather than incur the farmer's wrath, walk round the inner edge of the field and then rejoin the footpath.