Second training day

Sun 16 June

Lamb and mother near Lightspout.

Day two of our training programme. Failed the 8am departure target - again. Left at 8.30 with plan to walk over to Stiperstones and get bus back from Bridges. Forecast was medium level cloud - whatever that means. But it was wrong in any case, light rain started as soon as we got into Carding Mill Valley and Sue stopped to put her coat on. (She had remembered proper hat this time at least!)

Lightspout waterfall.

Steps at Lightspout.

Towards Lightspout.

Watermint at Lightspout.

Lovely climb up to Lightspout after passing a couple of groups of walkers arriving in the valley. Housemartins were busy at the old mill flats and then a grey wagtail accompanied us, bobbing up and down the stream towards Lightspout. First photo stop of the day was caused by a very young lamb who helpfully posed for Sue. Arrived at the waterfall at 9.11, pedometer reading 2.95km. Lots more photos here, including close-ups of watermint growing in the stream. Steps up from the waterfall are fairly wet but not too much of a problem. Decent path above up on to the Long Mynd. 

Bales by the Shooting Box.

On the Long Mynd.

Great view of blue-tinged hills to the south east, is that the Malverns in the distance? Shooting Box at 10.45am and a coffee break at 5.06km. This time we had brought extra supplies which proved welcome, although still need to find better quality, lighter flasks. Three school minibuses parked here, which we saw later driving up and down, maybe it was a bus tour and not much of a walking party after all.

Quick walk up to Pole Bank which is checkpoint 5 on the Hike. Arrived 10.12 at 6.22km and over 8,000 steps. Good view of Corndon which is one of the later peaks on the Hike, looks pretty formidable now and will be dark when we have to climb it! (In fact it is slightly lower than Pole Bank at 517m.) On return from Pole Bank we found a waymarked path to Priory Cottage which avoided going all the way back to the Shooting Box. Good path through the heather which drops down on the edge of National Trust land. Very noticeable difference between the improved grassland outside the boundary and the moorland on the NT side. Boggy on lower part of the descent before it joins the stone path from the Shooting Box.

At Pole Bank.

Corndon seen from Pole Bank.

Stopped for sandwich and Sue’s fantastic flapjacks made with linseed porridge at 10.45, pedometer reading 8.58km just before the western boundary of the Long Mynd. We definitely need stocks of these flapjacks for the walk.

View towards Stiperstones.

Priory Cottage.

View from Long Mynd westwards.

Track on the Mynd.

Different sheep breed noticed here, long legs and bigger angular heads, although lambs were different so must be different ram breed. These were noticeably more timid, or at least camera-shy, than the sheep on the other side. Passed Priory Cottage which appears to be nothing of the sort. Looks like an institutional building, now derelict, would make a great bunkhouse. 

Long-necked sheep.

Sheep near Priory Cottage.

Coates sign.

Arrived at Coates at 11.19, 9.94km and joined what is allegedly a road to Bridges. Lots of swallows in the farmyard as well as great tit and goldfinch. Further down the lane, by the path marked Adstone Walk, heard our first curlew and shortly after saw three of them flying over. Our best view of a curlew since North York Moors in the 1980s.

Got to Horseshoe pub at Bridges at 11.40 and 11.34km. Noted on the Hike that this is only the 12-mile mark - not even a quarter of the way!

Outside Bridges.

The Horseshoe Inn at Bridges.

Slow down for walkers - some people didn't.

Tough climb up the lane to Stiperstones car park. Very steep road, with signs at the top to warn drivers to slow down because of walkers in the road, something which was ignored by those who passed us. Saw a redstart in the fields and an unidentified warbler-like bird. Sue was taken with the name Squilver on one house/settlement and there was what looked like a mine ventilation shaft on the other side of the road.

Squilver sign.

Stiperstones.

Ventilation shaft at Squilver.

With the Stiperstones now well in view stopped for lunch at 12.30, pedometer 14.35km. More sandwich and flapjack and rest of coffee. At entrance to Stiperstones there were notices about the Phytophthora fungus problem affecting the bilberry. It’s related to the fungus which led to Irish potato blight and is clearly a concern with instructions to wash your boots on leaving the reserve. It is at least reasonably easy to control access here as most people probably exit through one end or other. Wonder if this will be a problem when there are 500+ walkers on the Hike?

Healthy whinberry.

Unhealthy whinberry.

Realised it was quite a while since we had been up Stiperstones and Sue recalled a photo of F and M clambering up one of the cairns.

Near the top the path is very rocky indeed - note to selves, try to make sure we arrive here in the light for the Hike! Arrived at checkpoint at top at 1.15, having covered 14.35km. Fantastic rock formations on top including some layered rocks which look a bit like an abandoned building project.

Devil's Chair.

Lichen at Stiperstones.

Rock outcrop at Stiperstones.

Sue at Devil's Chair.

Path at Stiperstones.

Began to realise that our aim to catch the bus back at 2.40 was looking a bit doubtful and more importantly, would we be in time to have a beer at the pub? Turned right before reaching Shepherd’s Rock onto path that rejoins the Shropshire Way.

Posing calf.

Calf-like ram.

Cockerel on tractor.

Easy downhill section after the jagged rocks of Stiperstones. Very attractive calves meant more photos and then just after we passed through The Hollies farm where a cockerel was riding a tractor, some very well-endowed rams that looked more like calves themselves, with huge heads and shoulders, and other large parts as well.
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Final flapjack stop of the day. (It’s only one flapjack each by the way, we’ve just had a bit at a time as it is very filling and great for energy while walking.)

All downhill on the lanes now but it starts raining properly for first time in the day, although only light.

Pint and a half of Solstice.

As we went down the final hill one of the Shuttle buses passed us and we had definitely missed the 2.40, but the good news is that this meant we had time for a beer. (Sue accused me of deliberately slowing us down to miss it.) Arrived at the pub at 2.47 having just passed the 20km-mark. Lovely pint, and a half, of Solstice watching the curlews swoop over the field with five seen flying at once, as well as swallows and wagtails.

Hurray for the Long Mynd Shuttle.

The Shuttle bus arrived on time although this was surprising since the very helpful and friendly driver told us he had broken down just after we had seen him and had to call out an engineer. He told us he’d had to walk 100m to get a phone signal which is nothing unusual on this side as there is no signal at all at the pub at Bridges. Nice route back through Ratlinghope, High Park and Jinlye, before driver dropped us off at the end of our road at 4pm.

Next outing will be on less familiar routes to Earl’s Hill and beyond ...