A hidden treasure and ponies behaving badly

15/12/12

This was a walk we had postponed a couple of times and thought we might not manage before Christmas, but a decent forecast and good progress on Christmas shopping meant we could get out for the day.

Enticing sign seen at the start of the walk.

We parked near Mitchell’s Fold stone circle and headed on the track opposite past Corndon. A mixed flock of redwing and fieldfare spotted in the field.

We didn’t really have a precise route planned and thought we could make it up as we go. Seeing a good path up to Corndon we decided to divert up there first. It is certainly an easier ascent from this side than we are used to on the Hike, but still a decent climb. From the top we kept close to the fence and alongside what the map shows as woodland but is now a field of felled stumps. The path took us back down to the track opposite Lan Fawr where we turned left towards Roundton. 

Former woodland on top of Corndon.

Corndon summit.

Track towards Lan Fawr.

Rainbow over Lan Fawr.

Near Corndon Cottage.

We diverted across a field to Corndon Cottage and then past the Malt House and onto the lane. The entrance to Roundton Hill is well marked with a Montgomeryshire Wildlife Trust sign and there is a well marked track to the top via the crags. At the summit we met Paul from Maldwyn Harriers who was setting out the track for the next day’s Corndon 3 Peaks run. Sounds like one for the future.

Towards Roundton.

At summit of Roundton.

Crags at Roundton.

Roundton Hill.

Crags on Roundton.

We got a bit lost on the descent, following the wrong arrow but eventually found our way down and saw the highland cattle that Paul had pointed out from the top. They look fearsome with huge horns but seemed unperturbed in a mixed group a bull alongside two calves as well as several females. Paul had marked out a return track along the bottom but we decided we had time to complete the final hill, Todleth. After a couple of wrong turns we identified the track up the hill, where there is an open grassy summit. We continued on towards Churchstoke in sight of Harry Tuffins, now owned by the Co-op. 

Highland cattle at Roundton.

We returned along the road through Old Churchstoke and Priest Weston, but unfortunately the Miners Arms here was not open so we missed out on a drink. A 17% incline sign was not terribly welcome and it was a tough slog back up to Mitchell’s Fold. So tough in fact that we felt the need to stop off at the Stiperstones Inn on the way back and very glad we did as it was a great pub and the shop lived up to its reputation as a great treasure trove where you can buy anything you need. We might even return for the Boxing Day Devil’s Chair Dash!

Path to Todleth hill, looking back towards Roundton.

Pond on Todleth.

Approaching Todleth summit.

On our drive home it was getting dark over the Long Mynd and we came across a group of ponies. Sue wanted some photos so we pulled up and wound the window down, but this was obviously a signal for the ponies to investigate as two of them came right up to the car and stuck their heads through the window. They were presumably looking for something edible as the pair did have a go at chewing the wiper blades and one of the door handles as well as rubbing their bum on the bonnet.

The Miners Arms at Priest Weston.

Marauding ponies on the Long Mynd.

Head right through the car window.

Perhaps this mirror is edible?

Back on the stones

1/12/12

Our first return to Stiperstones since the Long Mynd Hike was a walk with the Shropshire Wildlife Trust as part of their 50th anniversary celebrations. Led by Jan McKelvie, the walk went over Stiperstones and through two of the trust’s reserves, Brook Vessons and The Hollies.

As we had passed this way lots of times we were keen for a chance to actually find out where the reserves were, although we realised that we had been within yards of one of them on many occasions.

Jan and her colleagues stopped to provide information along the way, including the very helpful identification of red grouse poo. The stones were as hard-going as usual, although I am not sure that the suggestion from one of the group that there should be a ‘proper path’ with tarmac or concrete is likely to get much support.

The path diverted near Shepherd’s Rock down towards Brook Vessons. This was a very muddy stretch on the remnants of an old track which leads to a ruin of one of the former squatter cottages. The area was a thriving little community when mining was prevalent with the workers making the daily trek across the hill and down to Snailbeach. The trust has identified lots of ‘veteran trees’ (a new term for me) and wants to preserve them, even though they might not be the ‘natural vegetation’ here. A path leads up from here back to the path from Stiperstones and emerges at the back of the Blakemoorgate cottages that have been restored. 

Blakemoorgate.

We had lunch in the shelter of the cottages as the group had keys and it gave us a chance to have a look inside both restored buildings. 

Second restored cottage at Blakemoorgate

Next stop was The Hollies which is in fact just along the path before the track down to Upper Vessons Farm and Eastridge that we knew well from the Hike. This is one of the trust’s most recent acquisitions and includes several hundred ancient trees. It is believed they were planted to provide winter feed for livestock. A prickly snack perhaps but the upper leaves are much less spiky apparently and as an evergreen, they provided a good winter food source.

The Hollies.

The trust is in the process of inspecting and tagging all the trees and has fenced some to prevent the sheep nibbling the bark. Another new concept for us was ‘cuckoo trees’, where rowans grow within a holly and eventually split it apart. The rowan is not long-lived however, as reserves manager Carl explained, and the holly eventually recovers and regrows from the base. He pointed out a good example of a ‘cuckoo’.

Lord's Hill Chapel.

We then headed on the path down to Snailbeach and stopped briefly at the Lords Hill Chapel, which features as the vicar’s home, God’s Little Mountain, in Mary Webb’s Gone to Earth.

The final stop was Snailbeach mine where the volunteers had put on tea and Christmas cake before the minibus ride back to the start at The Knolls car park.

View across to Wales with snow-capped Berwyns in distance.

On the way down to Snailbeach.