The Wrekin.....

Here we are with another walk, this time we are going to climb our lotal landmark here in Shropshire the Wrekin Hill. Firstly the Wrekin is located some 4 miles west of Telford on the border between Shrewsbury and Atchum and Telford and Wrekin and can be accessed by leaving the m54 motorway at( j7) before its turns on to the old A5 which continues to Shrewsbury. The Wrekin Rise to the height of 407 metres( 1335 feet) and is part of the Shropshire Hills Os Grid Reference SJ628080. So we will start at the foot of the Wrekin in the old forest Glen carpark we how cross the road and enter the track up the wrekin by the old toilet block(sadly not in use) The track is well used and the ascent is steep in places.

We walk upwards for about 500-1000 yards rounding a bend and climbing untill we reach the haftway point at the haftway house, this house is lived in and offers drinks and light snacks during the summer for visiters to the hill, also on sale are lotal books about the Wrekin

after the house you turn left and start to climb up though the beech trees that overhang the pathway up towards the gateway of the old hill fort.

The Hill Fort is iron age and is almost 8 hectares in size where the lotal Celtic Cornovil tribe lived from the bronze age to the first century corn found during an archarological dig that was carbon-dated to arrive at this date ( 900 BC ). The last ruler was Virico when the conquering Roman army arrived and the Roman build there fort 4 miles away to the west calling it Viroconium in Honour of their defeated foes. The gateway is the outer gate of the hill fort and called Hell's Gate and is to big to defend so would have been used by animals and would have had a inner gate with ramparts to the side ( a schoolboy found a Roman spear in the ramparts years ago) we how start to climb into the fort and onwards to the summit passing on the way the inner gate called Heavens Gate and more ramparts just off to the right you'll see the lotal Tv and Radio Mast in this area there is remains of the set of House circle bases with the second set of house bases found nearby under the trees.

We are now near the summit and should be able to see its trig point and toposcope ( Viewfinder)

pinpointing the lotal countryside points of intrest where you'll get some of the best views of Shropshire countryside to the left will be the lotal power station in the steven gorge while abit to the right you'll see the Melvern Hill's as well as the Welsh hill's and Chester, in fact from the top of the Wrekin you can see 15 counties looking ahead we can see the south-west gate just off from the mound we can if we wish containue and walk down this way or turn around and go back the way we came following the tack back down untill we come to the road again.

It Is claimed that the inspiration for Tolkien,s Middle Earth in the acclaimed series of Books-The Lord of The Rings came from around the Wrekin as Tolkien used to live nearby and drew inspiration from the Shropshire Landscape.

Nearby to the North theres is a smaller, wooded hill known as the Ercall with many pleasent way marked paths which is notable for its extraordinary geology and exposed quarries and beauiful wildlife but thats another walk in coming weeks.........