Deer Park Walk.

Today walk will take us through our local Deer park at Attingham Park Near ShrewsBury in Shropshire. The walk through the park is mostly on good woodland parkways which had been build by staff at Attingham park with help from The National Trust.

Attingham Park is west of Telford on the old A5 (Roman Road called whiting street) in the small village of Atchum. Nearby there is the Town of shrewsbury with its museums, Theatres, Abbey, shops. Shrewsbury is The birth place of Charles Darwin.

Also nearby the the village of Wroxeter where there is an vineyard growing and producing wine as well as a old Roman village which is well worth visiting.

The cost of entry into the hall and grounds of Attingham Park is £3.80 with family tickets around £4-5 .

The park opens at 10am and closed at 5pm although there is planned longer opening hours in the summer months.

Our walk today starts in the courtyard of this House build for lord Berwick who's ashes are buried in the Deer park.

Walking though the archway we follow a tarmac path right as it swings around the walled garden of the great hall until we are at the front of the house under the arches of the front door theses arches are a grand example of stone work as indeed is the hall itself.

While from here you will have grandstand views over the parkland with the Wrekin in the distance and the River Steven not far way. Going on to our left we move down hill towards the deer park and the River Tern on the sides of the path there is a few very old trees planted by lord Berwick theses are Atlas Pines, Beech and oak with under planting of Snowdrops and other spring flowers Primrose, Bluebell.

Passing the tree we cross over the River Tern and walk toward the gate leading into the deer park ( please if you got dogs put them on leads while in the deer park) There is a good size herd of fellow deer in the park and you all have a good chance of see them. the best time to visit at the weekends and during school holidays when they feed the deer in the park at 2pm every day.

Walking up hill over grassland we are now walking in the deer park, if we go forwards we meet another path running right to left we turn left and walk along the top with an wood area on our right ( we could have gone right but its only gos so far then we would have had to turn back) While walking along here we get a smashing view of the hall and ground from the deer park while over head we could see buzzards swirling on the warm air as they eye the countryside looking for a meal. To the left there is a small pool, here you can find the deer drinking during the late summer evening while during the day dragonflies and Damselfly's can be seen including some rare ones.

Passing the pool we meet a path going off to the right, although we could carry on straight ahead we turn here a take a short walk though some woodland with chestnut, oak,sliver birch, fir,beech being the main trees seen. Here during the autumn you can find many fungi growing in the woodland and if you wanted you could join one of the many fungi walks that take place at Attingham during October early November.

Walking through the woods we circle around and meet the same path we were on earlier passing at the same time the last resting place of lord Berwick which is to our right under the fir trees in a little clearing. Turning right onto the path again we walk until we meet the gate (we are now leaving the deer enclose) passing through the gate we enter woodland again (Here dogs can be let off the leads) we now follow the woodland path as it cuts through the woods which in spring is covered with millions of Snowdrops, following theses we get Bluebells and other woodland plants but its during late February and early March when you really see the beauty in theses woods

We follow the path until its turn left at the wooden carving and walk under the trees in the shade of beech, oak, chestnut, and ash while listening to the sounds of wood warblers and other woodland animals during the summer soon the path turns a corner while in front of us is the rope bridge across the River Tern crossing this we follow the pathway as it swings right and left through the trees along side the garden here we find hazelnut trees and sliver birch mixed with the beech,oak,chestnut and ash along with others shrubs as we find oursefts following the path around the meadow were longhorn cattle can be seen until we pass the house and are back at the Hall.

The walk is about 3/4 mile over fairly even ground and would take about 1-1.5 hours.

The Shropshire Way

Today's walk will take us along part of the Shropshire Way that's runs through the valley of the Ironbridge Gorge in Shropshire.

The walk will be over 2-3 hours and takes in some of the most beautiful sights seen in this world Heritage site.

We start the walk on the Broseley side of the river parking in the car park of the Station Inn in Ironbridge ( Theres a charge for parking add Machine set at £2.00 per day) Disabled is free.

In Front of us is the worlds Famous Ironbridge( which give its name to the town) This was build by Abraham Darby 111 in 1779 after he successfully melted Iron using Coke at his furnace in nearby Coalbrookdale.

We start by walking along the old railway line ( going right) and heading up stream, this railway line was part of a network of steam railways that linked the gorge with Shrewsbury,Bridgenorth,with other links to the main networks taking goods,people to London and other parts of the uk.

The Bridgenorth based StevenValley Railway is trying to reopen this line from Bridgenorth to Ironbridge for visitors again.

Passing under the brick bridge we walk along a bridleway, this is the Shropshire Way on the right we got the River Steven while on our left we got Benthall Woods along the sides of the Bridleway grows many wildflowers such as Ramsons, Lords-and-Ladies, Bellflower, Campion as well as Orchids, ferns and Mosses with Oak,Ash, Chestnut and Beech Trees making up most of the tree cover.

There is lots of wildlife in the area and as you walk along you could find yourself face to face with Deer, Foxes and Badgers during early morning or late evening walks, while most of the time you can see many different species of Birds, Butterflies, Moths,and Bats, indeed during the 1970s this area was the last place in Shropshire where a Nightindale ( Luscina Megarhynchos) was heard and Nested, Althrough there has been a few reported sightings since theses sighting have never been confirmed.

While walking along looking to our right over the river we look at Linton Hill and the Rounda why its called the Rounda i'll never know, but its been called that for many years so the name kind of shuck.

Now we are coming up to the end of the Bridleway and in front of us we should see through the trees the cooling Towers of the Buildwas Power Station this is the ( new) station build in the 1920s to help with demand and to replace the old power station that was knocked down in the 90s The towers are over 100 feet height and can be seen from miles around, Here we turn left and walk up a woodland path for about 50 yards until coming to a patch in front of a gate, We can continue along this pathway( Shropshire Way) or pass though the gate and turn right onto an old part of the Shropshire Way ( which is what we are doing) in front of us on our left we should see a number of steps( we will be coming down theses later on) keeping right we now walk up a little incline on old woodland pathways, this is infact a incline used by horses to transport coal, clay and other goods down to the river to be loaded onto Ferries to be transported to the big city's like London, Birmingham and the world, after a while the pathway starts to get a little overgrown and Narrower this is because we are walking on the old footpath where others don't go, the path is also a little steep here also but the quietness, and loneliness more then makes up for it as you walk along with only the sounds of the birds to be heard.

We push on pass the back of the power station following the pathway until the path meets another path going left to right ( this is the New Shropshire way marked path) joining this path we follow it for about 300 yards until we come out onto a wider path, here we can choose weather to go right and walk towards Benthall Hall or turn left and walk along the private Driveway ( you are allowed to do this) which is the way we are going today, Please keep any Dogs of their leads here as there may be Deer in this area.

We are now joining the path we walked before and will pass the little white cottage in the wood on our right after about 300-400 yards, turning left we now walk down a winding path under the power lines that comes up the gorge from the Buildwas power station which you should now be over looking on our left, along the pathway heading toward Benthall we pass under towering beech trees and come to a pathway going off to your left with a gate in front of you, Here we turn left and walk along the rocky pathway with limestone working on our right following the pathway( new Shropshire way) until we top out overlooking the Ironbridge Gorge again while below us is the old Quarry in Benthall woods to the left here is a path follow this and we should come to the wooden steps go down theses ( there is alot of them) until at the bottom where you'll find yourseft back in the patch of wood where you were early on.

How we turn right and still on the Shropshire Way we walk along the top of the woods over looking both the old bridleway below us on our left and the River Steven here you'll find lots of Hazelnut Trees as indeed there is in other parts of the woods, keep on this path and you meet a few more steps leading down hill and at the bottom you pass though a Sile and find yourseft in Hodge Bower, This is were many of the boat used to ferry goods down river were build and moored we now rejoin the bridgeway walking back towards Ironbridge until we again end up back at the start in the station Inn carpark.

Granville Nature Reserve

Our walk today is around my lotal Nature Reserve in Telford, the walk will take around an hour to two hours, and is mostly on the flat through woodlands paths.

Firstly i would like to inform you all about the reserve, Granville has a complex history that is deep in lagacy of past mining and ironmaking thats dates back to medieval times when monks at the nearby Lilleshell Abbey mined coal and worked an iron smithy.

The land was mostly deer forest was acquired by the Laverson Family after the Dissolution on the Monasteries and used as a Hunting park. In 1562 wood from the deer park was used to fuel one of the Earliest charcoal furnaces in Shropshire-Evidence that the shallow seams of coal,ironstone and stone were worked on an incresingly large scale from the sixteeth century onwards.

Today the deer are long gone, but foxs,Badgers still live in the newly regenerated woodland as over the years the deer forest was gradually cleared as the mining intensified, greater quantities of waste material were brought to the surface and large spoil heaps were formed.

Theses steep-sided,flat-topped pitmounds are characteristic of the Telford Landscape.

Theses later became colonised by a succession of differance Vegetation types ranging from mosses and lichens to grassland, scrubs, Oak and birch woodland.

The mine at Muxton ( Granville) closed in 1912 but the remains of the winding house are still to present with the remain of the up and down shafts marked with a ring of bricks to the East can be found in the wooded pitmound called The Freehold in the reserve just off the Donnington Wood Roundabout. Also found nearby is the remains of an early pumping engine house, Scheduled as a momument by Engish Heritage.

Sometimes the pitmound contained calcareous clays which in turn provided idea conditions for a wide variety of wildflower to grow especially where past grazing has pervented woodland from forming. Two sites worth looking at are the Waxhill Meadow and Barnyard Pitmound where a diverse range of wild flowers, including species of Orchid, Oxeye Daisy and Hay rattle can be found during the Months of June and July.

Also found around here are species of Butterflies such as the Dindy Skipper and Green Hairstreak which can be seen taking Nectar from the many wildflowers found.

So lets start our walk today....

Firstly Granville Nature Reserve is Found just off the B5060 Donnington Wood Way in Donnington Telford turning into Granville Road at the Roundabout following the Signs to The Shropshire Goft Course follow the road for about 1000 yards untill sign shows the main carpark.

( Warning here this carpark is locked during the winter months at 5pm so ensure you are back at your car before then or you'll be locked in for the night but its stays open untill 8pm in the summer) So once at the carpark we head left meet a wide path,(Bridle) here we can go forward keeping to the wide flat path thats spits the mounds or climb the 10-15 steps up the Barnyard to the top from the top of the barnyard Pitmound you are given a great vantage point in which to look over the surrounding countryside as on a clear day you could see the clock tower of the church in nearby St Georges to the south, with the hills of the Wrekin,and Ercall, Hawkstone, Chetwynd and Lilleshall. At the other end of the top we come to a kissing gate pasting through this we how have to climb down the barnyard ( here there are more steps and it is a little Steeper ) getting to the bottom we again met the wide Bridle path turning right and following the path we walk on along the old canal line towards Muxton Bridge Colliery Pit Mound Here you will find the remains of the winding house and shafts and pass the remain of the pumping house near to the carpark in Muxtion Lane turning left we walk along keeping to the main pathway untill after a time we come to the road this is MarshbrookWay turn right and walk along a little bit looking for the pathway on the Opposite side of the road and picking it up walking along it into the Freehold Colliery Pit Mound we follow this path around the pool untill its meets a path from our left here we turn right keeping the water on our right through the woodland along the path before turning Right at the second path from our right this takes us through the woodland untill is bears left at Muxtion Marsh. Muxtion Marsh is an SSSI--- Site of Special Scientific Interest formed as a resuilt of the water from the canal flowing into it via Culvert and along Ditches near Donnington Wood Roundabout. The Marsh is unusal as its contains a variety of Habitats ranging from dry to wet conditions here there is a attractive wildflower meadow with Orchids and other Interesting plants,marshy grassland, wetter areas of reed bed dominated by sedges with willow woodland and Oak behind on the mound. This Area is not accessible to the Public because the land is used for grazing but can be viewed from the footpaths nearby. Walking along the wild path ( Bridle way) we again meet the Marshbrook Way road crossing it we again pick up the path of the old canal and follow it walking along side the mound of waxhill Meadow the path (Bridle way) can be muddy around here passing the flower meadow on our left along side of the barnyard again untill we see the gate back into the carpark we can now return to the car or continue along the bridle path to the end and crossing the road (Granville Road) following the path around past the Reservoir and the LODGE Furnaces... This is a very atmospheric area of Granville Nature Reserve with its sandstone walls rising Mysteriously out of the secluded woodland Reminiscent of a lost Inca city hidden in a Jungle, it is indeed hard to imagine that on this spot stood the Furnaces which were once the most Productive in Europe.

The earliest furnaces were built around 1825 by the Lilleshall Company and had expanded to 5 furnaces by the time they closed in 1888. The forty-foot walls are all that remain of the charging ramps that would have allowed the materials to be tipped into the top of the furnaces, of the farnaces all that remain are the two rings of melted firebricks at the base of the ramps. Passing the old canal basin we now continue untill we again meet Granville road turning right we how walk along the road before crossing into the carpark again and end back where we started.

The walk is mosly along a flat Bridle pathway and takes you through some beauitful countryside were there is lots of intrest to be found. Its is one of my most Favourites walking areas being near my home, somewhere i can find inner peace.

Walking Amongst The Bluebells In Limekiln Woods.

Ok not really walking amongst them in January But in May we will be. Todays walk is through the forest of the Wrekin in Limekiln Wood.

Limekiln wood was once part of the Royal forest of Wrekin, and is one of the most botanically interesting woods in Telford surporting a range of limestone Flora. Over 150 plant species have been recorded here. You may see at the side of the path Sanicle, which as tiny white flowers on a upright stalk. Also later on you'll see the flowering spikes of Orchids. The woods is made up mainly of Ash but do have some old Oak and Sycamore Trees with Hazel and hawthorn providing the understory.

As with much of this area, these woods have a long history of Mining and Quarrying, which reached its heyday during the 18th and 19th centuries. Today the remnants of old workings are all that remain, including the ruins of old limekilns; the lime was used in nearby Coalbrookdale and for improving agricultural land. Coal was mined here in another part of the wood called Short Wood. The adits of abanddoned mineral working are known to have been rooting sites for Daubentons,Brown,Long-Eared and Pipistrelle Bats.

So Lets start our walk today..... We start at the Steeraway in Limekiln Lane, and cross a stile to take a path alonside the farm into the woods ( Following the Red way Markers). After about 200 Metres at a fork in the track bear right and continue uphill. Shallow limestone workings are evident on both sides of the path, which now starts to level off. At the Junction with another track we turn right, and continue downhill passing on our right Maddocks Hill Quarry while in front is the Wrekin Hill. Soon afterwards we turn Right along another path continue walking along with the Golf course on your left while enjoying the views of the Ercall Quarries untill the path swings to the left to cross the Golf Course ( Look out for Golfers!) here you get some beauitful views of the Wrekin also. Just pass the water tank on your left, and before you reach the club house we again turn right along another path here you will find the Bluebells in May with the area becoming a Sea of Blue as millions of Bluebells start to flower. When this path reaches a Junction we turn left downhill. There are paths leading off to both the right and the left but ignore theses and keep straight downhill untill you come to a path over looking a field, with the M54 Motorway and Wellington in Background here at the T junction in front of the field we turn right onto the broader pathway continue along this pathway behind the cottages untill you meet the gate pass through this and we return to the Steeraway.

Time Allow 2.1/2 hours.

Terrain... Mainly woodland paths

Follow Red Way Markers.

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.........

Walking off Christmas.....

Here we are on a cold day in early Janurary 2009 its 09.30am on a cold freezing foggy morning with a top temp of -4c we start the walk from the avenue opposite Benthall Hall for a walk of around 1 mile mostly flat walking keeping left we follow the lane pass the graveyard towards Benthall edge farm under the horse chestnut tree and pass the front door of the farm you start a gentle rise through the open countryside over looking Benthall edge in the lane you'll find many wild flowers as well as the birds and animals. You also get some very nice sunsets seen here while over looking the edge, the flowers found here include orchids, primrose, Daisy, Herb Robert and many other.
While there is butterflies to look out for during the spring and summer months ranging from the Tortoiseshells,Peacocks and Speckled wood to the rarer painted lady, fritillary and Holly Blues.
There is also a chance to see wild deer here as there a small herd running the woods although i have only seen them 4 times this year...
After the rise you walk down hill a little until you come to a fork in the lane it doesn't matter which way you go as the lane will meet up later on anyway but if you go to the right like i did today its takes you pass the woods keepers cottage you walk up his driveway, while hes happy to let you and other walkers do so, he does ask that dogs are put back on the lead as there is often a high chance the deer will be around here somewhere a small price to pay. Now you start to get in the woods which is mainly full with Oak, Birch, Ash and Beech following the path left you top over looking Buildwas Power station with its 4 cooling towers and the view over the Steven valley below. Following the way marker ( Shropshire way) you walk for around 500-1000 yards before meeting a gate across the path hopping over here you walk along keeping the old canal on your right hand side until you come out on to the pathway leading towards Broseley Wood The fields on your left are wild flower meadows and are left all summer for the flowers that grow there the farmer then cuts the hay and let horses use it until November when he stops them useing it and let the fields and the grasses start growing again, the hedges on both sides are full of flowers and ferns and many birds and animals finds their homes there.
After a sort time the lane come to a kissing gate, here you turn right and pass though the gate to walk across open farmland toward Benthall Hall and back towards your car the fields are sown with wheat mostly during the spring, here you may find and see buzzards and kestrel as well as owls hunting for mice and voles along the hedgerows. Near the Hall you pass the avenue of trees, here there are 33 horse chestnut trees as well as oak and yew a place where as kids we did spent many a Saturday afternoon getting our conkers under the watchful eye of the owner of the Hall, you are now nearly back at the start, staying on the path you now pass in front of Benthall Hall itseft, This is a beautiful Hall build in the 1700s its how been taken over by the national trust who looks after it, but its still the home of James and Sally Benthall and the little church ( St Barthlowmews) next door build for the locals again in the 1700s.
And now we are back at the start, the walk is both enjoyable and exercise for me and is just one of a number of walks through theses woods which i hope you will take with me again.