Shropshire Hill Walking: Don't stray into the dingle!

20 Oct 2012

Beacon Ring on the skyline

We've returned to Marton for the second week running for more familiarisation in the area ahead of the South Shropshire Circular. This time we were heading west from Marton and started off on a path through the caravan park at Marton Pool. The path is reasonably well signed although it does zigzag around the caravans and we did head off in the wrong direction at first.

Once through the park we entered some extremely boggy fields. It's essentially a flood meadow which has been drained but then grazed by cattle which have made it pretty much a mud bath again. Fair to middling signage meant we held the path pretty well, guessing that the plastic covering over an electic fence meant a crossing point and after passing a couple of walkers going the other way, we made it to Lower Wood and the lane to Betton.

And then it all went pear-shaped. A simple enough looking path through Betton Dingle, a nature reserve, was our aim but we should have noted the hesitation in the voice of the angler who said, 'yes there is a path up there'. He was right; there was no such path, just some footpath signs which led into a dense thicket. With fallen trees and rampant brambles barring the way, we fought our way through for about an hour before finally giving up and deciding to go back. However, this was easier said than done as there was no discernable path and so we couldn't find our way out again. Eventually, in desperation, we climbed a tree and hurled ourselves over a barbed wire fence to escape. It was then we realised we had gone hardly any distance at all and must have been going round in circles. I feel an email is imminent to whoever is responsible for Betton Dingle.

After escaping from the bramble jungle of Betton Dingle we retraced our steps back to Betton, and then made good progress along the lane to Bromlow Callow, which has connections with Mary Webb's Down to Earth. It was now 3pm, and we had only gone 7km but this was a recce after all. Once we went past the Callow Inn, looking like it was being refurbished, we found good signs and a footpath from Ganderbeach which led to Castle Ring, another hill fort, and on to Valley Knoll, a very interesting heathland landscape. We took a path, after a forced diversion along a sheep track, towards Stapeley hill and eventually reached the stone circle at Mitchell's Fold. This lies under the shadow of Corndon and according to the sign at the stone circle, there are a number of important prehistoric sites in the immediate vicinity.

Bromlow Callow

Forested promontory of Ganderbeach

Castle Ring hill fort

It was now 4.30pm however and we needed to get back before dusk as we had had not bargained for dark and had no head torches in our packs. A simple path led west and we found the lane to Rorrington and on towards Marton fairly easily, arriving back in the village at 5.45. A rather longer walk than it should have been, but such is the joy of navigation.

Next time we will probably take in Corndon and Lan Mawr.