Church Stretton and Long Mynd, 26th September 2026

This year's Weekend Away, organised by Scott, was based at HF Holidays' Longmynd Hotel, Church Stretton, formerly a hotel built in 1900 as a hydro-spa when Church Stretton enjoyed a brief period of celebrity as a health resort. Three days of walking were planned, long and short ones on Saturday and Sunday and a short one on Monday. 

Seventeen members took part with walks led by Scott, Barbara, Elaine and Dave.  Thanks to Paul, Bill and Rab for the photos and Sue for the quiz on the final evening - and everyone else for coming on an enjoyable holiday in (mainly) good weather.

Both of Saturday's walks started in the hotel car park. The longer (7.6 mile) walk went up the Carding Mill Valley, location of a carding factory built in the 18th century, and named after a stage in making cloth.  This very steep-sided valley rises gradually to the famous Long Mynd plateau whose geology dates back to the Precambrian era. There, the route meets the Shropshire Way which took us along good tracks to Pole Bank, the highest point on the Long Mynd at 516m with excellent views to the west. Then we walked over Round Hill and down over open country for a stop for lunch and then down to Little Stretton and eventually back up to the start.

Easy going at first up the Carding Mill Valley

Not so easy going (290m of ascent to Pole Bank)

Taking a breather looking back

Busy day on the Long Mynd plateau

Dave tries to take a decent photo of the toposcope (and fails due to his short arms)

... whereas Paul suceeded somehow.  Interestingly, figures shown are not miles but heights of "visible" features including the Brecon Beacons (886m), The Wrekin (407m) and Cader Idris (892m)

Fine view towards Little Stretton - the way back

Lunch stop

Almost back

The shorter (6.8 mile) walk ascended Townbrook Valley to meet and greet the long-walkers near Pole Bank, before turning back along the Shropshire Way and descending Carding Mill Valley for refreshments in the National Trust cafe.

Dropping down to the Town Brook ---

--- once the source of the town's water supply

A steady climb up Townbrook Valley

Meeting of both groups at Pole Bank

Start of the descent of Carding Mill Valley on the Jack Mytton Way

Carding Mill

Much Wenlock and Wenlock Edge, 28th September 2026

From the National Trust car park on the outskirts of Much Wenlock, the 4.7mile walk took us along the Jenny Wind trail and up to Wenlock Edge which we followed for 2 miles before dropping down to pass Wenlock Priory and walk into the beautiful medieval town of Much Wenlock for refreshments

Waymarked trails on Wenlock Edge

Steady ascent on well-marked tracks

One of only a few views through the trees to the NW

Much Wenlock Windmill overlooking the town

Shadwell Quarry

Wenlock Priory, a ruined 12th-century monastery (not visible from the public road)

Much Wenlock Guildhall from the grounds of Holy Trinity Church

Jubilee Fountain, restored to commemorate the 40th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth's accession to the throne, 1953 - 1993.
Lunch stop

Craven Arms, Nortoncamp Wood and Stokesay Castle, 27th September 2026

Both walks started at the Shropshire Hills Discovery Centre in Craven Arms.  After crossing the River Onny and climbing up to the edge of Nortoncamp Wood, the two groups separted, the long- walkers climbing up to the Norton Camp - a renowned double rampart and ditch of Iron Age defences which may be over 2500 years old and the short-walkers taking a lower path overlooking the valley of the Onny.  

Both groups then dropped down to reach and cross the River Onny to reach Stokesay Castle by different routes before  returning to the Discovery Centre with its interesting museum where you can meet the Condover mammoth, a popular, replica skeleton of an adult male mammoth discovered in 1986 in a local quarry.

River Onny

Guard of honour as the fast group catch up with the short-walkers

Distant view across the River Onny of Stokesay Castle

Lime kilns near one of the many local limestone quarries

Bridge over the Onny

Approaching Stokesay Castle (English Heritage)

Gatehouse to Stokesay Castle, one of the best preserved 13th-century fortified manor houses in England

Lunch outside Church of St John the Baptist (1150)

  

Replica of the Condover mammoth

Laxton Village Circular, 20th September 2026

Fifteen VBR members and vistors on Howard's 8.9 mile, figure-of-eight walk starting in the car park at the rear of the Dovecote Inn, also the location of the very informative Laxton Visitor Centre.

The first loop took us through and around Egmanton Wood where we had a brief coffee stop overlooking the village of Egmanton.  Then onwards to visit the site of Laxton Castle which was the main seat of power for Nottinghamshire in the late 12th and early 13th centuries. King John often stayed here.  After returning to Laxton, we had lunch at the restored pinfold just in front of the Dovecote Inn.

The second loop took us along little-used footpaths that skirted around the South Field and then Mill Field before returning via the village fish ponds (disused) and the impressive St Michael's Church with its collection of dramatic gargoyles.

Thanks Howard, Val and Paul for the photos, route and explanations.

Laxton retains a significant part of the medieval open field system.  Fields, divided into strips, were farmed in common among the landowners of the village.  Today, there are three open fields remaining; the Mill Field, the South Field and the West Field.  In 1655, about 346 acres of West Field were worked as open fields in 412 strips.

More information about Laxton and particularly its farming heritage can be found at http://www.laxtonvisitorcentre.org.uk/index.htm

Leader's briefing at the start

The sort of thing we gentlemen do for ladies

Egmanton Wood

Round Egmanton Wood

Laxton Castle
The remains of a medieval castle built by a great Norman landowner Robert de Caux. In the 12th century, he was appointed hereditary Keeper of Sherwood Forest.  The size of the castle reflected this important role, and many royal visitors were received here.
In the 1230s, the castle and responsibility for Sherwood Forest passed to the Everingham family.  In 1286, Robert de Everingham was imprisoned at Nottingham for trespass on the king's deer – he had been poaching.
The castle fell out of use during the 14th century.  When the Roos family acquired the manor of Laxton in the mid-15th century, the old castle was no longer a desirable place to live.

On top of the earthworks of Laxton Castle

St Michael's Church, Laxton first time round

The pinfold as you see it now is a relatively recent construction. There was a pinfold adjacent to this spot up until 1897, when a replacement was built across the road.  Then, in 1969, the pinfold was rebuilt in its present position.  No fines have been collected since the 1930s, though a pinder is still appointed by the manor court (now one person acts as both Pinder and Bailiff).

Our Leader, appointed Pinder for the day

Bridge over Moorhouse Beck, draining eastwards to the Trent 5 miles away

Lincoln Cathedral

Just south of Laxton and along the valley of the local stream are nine fishponds made by digging out earth from the hillside and then banking it up on the streamside at each end

Gargoyle in St Michael's Church