B2B Day 62 Walking to Wenlock Edge

For an OS map of today's walk (6.55 miles; 10.54 km; 1,303 ft total ascent), click here.

There has been a delay in our blog posts because of a temporary inability to log in. But we're back on track now.

Today we walked from Church Stretton to Wenlock Edge, which is the first day proper of Part Three of the B2B, Day 62 in total. On the face of it, it was a simple 6.5 mile walk which is nice for a first walking day of a holiday; but the reality is that what the walk lacked in length it made up for with two big climbs: one in the morning up Ragleth Hill and the other near the end up onto the escarpment of Wenlock Edge.  

We got up after 8:00 a.m. and breakfasted on two baguettes I brought home from dinner last night, and the last of the strawberries. We left our shepherd's hut around 10:35 a.m. and went into Church Stretton. I wish I had taken a photo of my crushed water bottle, but we threw it out at the shepherd's hut. The huge dent had somehow broken the insulating materials and was making water condense in a small stream on the outside of the bottle. When we got into Church Stretton, we went to the outdoor store and bought a lavender-coloured CamelBak water bottle. The clerk was very kind, taking off the packaging (which I didn't want to carry) and even filling the bottle with water. We then went to a shop called "Mr. Bun the Baker" and bought two rolls, a flapjack, and a fruit scone for dinner because there is no place to eat within three miles of where we're staying. At the convenience store we bought a chicken tandoori sandwich for our lunch. 

A stiff pull up Ragleth Hill

We left Church Stretton at 11:35 a.m. and were just going to wend our way up a neighbourhood street when a young couple stopped us by asking if we were local and could give directions. Ken answered that we weren't local, but he was able to give directions. (Ken is always asked for directions while we are walking, and he is always able to give good ones!) The couple wanted to go to Caer Caradoc, and the woman thought the man was headed in the wrong direction (which he was). He had a Google map on his phone, which had much less detail than the OS map Ken had. Ken wished he had given him the small map he had bought and didn't really need anymore, but he didn't think of it till afterwards. They did set off in the right direction as we set off for our first climb of the day up Ragleth Hill.

We went straight uphill through a neighbourhood with lovely gardens, then onto a path that went steeply uphill, and then onto another path that contoured more gently around the side of the hill in order to get us to the top of Ragleth. We chatted with a nice woman who had a dog named Belle. The woman had several connections in the Vancouver and Seattle areas. We walked along the ridge until we reached the summit (Ken declared four small rocks to be the summit), then we went back aways and found a spot on the side of the hill that sheltered us from the wind a bit. We ate our lunch, and during lunch Belle the dog came down for a visit with us. I almost wished she had snatched and eaten my portion of the sandwich because it had a vinegary flavour I didn't like. The flapjack, however, was outstanding. We have had mixed experiences with flapjack, but this one was unmixed delight. As we ate lunch we watched a couple of sheep pour down their sheep trail on the hillside.

Looking down on Church Stretton

 

The views on Ragleth Hill in all directions were wonderful. We briefly chatted with an older man who said that he never tired of walking there. I could see why. 

Happy at the (windy) top, with Caer Caradoc at left and Hope Bowdler at right

 

After lunch we descended to Dryhill Farm, which had a small meadow project. They were letting wildflowers and grasses grow in order to nurture the insect life. As we walked along, I felt very happy. We walked a half mile to the hamlet of Chelmick, where every house and garden was stunningly beautiful, many with amazing views over the valley. We walked along a lane, then a bridleway, then down into Chelmick Valley and past a woman's house where she was reading a book in her garden. We loved the path through the wood of the valley, and after a succession of paths and road walking came to Ticklerton, another small and beautiful hamlet—alas, with no place to sit and rest.

The road to Eaton: inspiring oaks and Wenlock Edge in the background

A rest at Eaton before the climb

As we walked along the road to Eaton, edged with beautiful hedgerows and oak trees, I felt overwhelmed by peace. When we arrived at Eaton, Eaton Hall seemed like it was a holiday let, with a family happily chattering away in the garden. Outside the church there was a bench in the sun, and Ken just sat and enjoyed a good rest while I went into the church, St. Edith's. After joining Ken on the bench and having some water and ginger biscuits, we left at 4:00 p.m. to tackle the second major climb of the day, up the escarpment of Wenlock Edge.

Steeply up!

The path was immediately challenging, steep, with mud from the rain having been churned up by bicycles. It looked as though people had tried to stabilize the path with landscape fabric underneath the dirt and stones, but it hadn't proven very effective. There was exposed fabric in several places. We did smell the first wild garlic of the trip—it is just finishing its time of blooming. 

The path became easier after we angled off to the left, and we took turns in the lead in order to get to the top. We reached the top, and an amazing view of Hope Dale opened before us. The bridleway continued into a meadow full of golden buttercups that was so beautiful Ken wanted to cry. The meadows, trees, and views were incredibly beautiful. As usual, I also enjoyed the small details as well as the big views—I spotted a lovely purple orchid that grows wild (probably a "common spotted orchid," but I found it uncommonly beautiful). 

A Hopedale meadow: pictures do not do it justice!

 

 

On the home stretch now, we gradually ascended through the meadows and then walked a bumpy and occasionally muddy bridleway which turned into a rough road. Shortly thereafter, Ken saw our host Beccy bringing water to her horses. It was 5:15 p.m. Beccy made us feel immediately welcome and at home. In our room, we had our dinner of buttered buns, and later a dessert of the fruit scone we had bought in the morning from Mr. Bun. I read Elizabeth Gaskell's story Cousin Phillis and finished it. The room was at the front of the house and had a floor to ceiling window, and the view was incredible, of overlapping valleys and hills and in the distance, Titterstone Clee Hill. As it grew dusky, we watched two mature rabbits and one young one on the grass just outside. The young one occasionally touched noses with one of the older ones, and it hopped around in an amusing way. 

Looking towards Titterstone Clee Hill from near our B&B

 

I can't remember at what point in the walk Ken said, "My legs feel weak—but the only way to get stronger is to keep going." I felt like that is definitely a truth sometimes, that the only way to get stronger is to keep going. It was a good day of walking, and we will keep going to Much Wenlock tomorrow.