New Year, new section of our walk! Marie declared herself fit after a poorly New Year and all happy to brave weather (forecast a bit iffy) so off we went! Christmas always seems to scramble the brain, so lots of careful thought needed as to what to take, where to meet etc!
Early meet at Longville as this is a longish section and we know the pull up out of The Gorge! Given the time of year, we also wanted to make sure we finished before dark! So, one car safely stashed at Longville, back to Ironbridge ready for the off. Which way would the route take us? Interestingly, it took us a way that we rarely go, right to the end of the old railway, almost at the base of the cooling towers.
We're all getting very sentimental about the cooling towers now that their days seem numbered. This is probably their last year and they are so much part of The Gorge. I remember being horrified to find a power station in the middle of a World Heritage Site when we first moved here. Actually they are so appropriate - this place is all about industry and functionality. They are also a rather pleasing shape and colour (specially dyed to blend in) and an excellent navigational aid!
From the towers we wound up The Shropshire Way - always a pull and generally muddy - but there are plenty of more brutal ways up out of The Gorge! We finally popped out at the top of the woodland on familiar territory - funny how places look different in different seasons and from the opposite direction!
Down the track and round the lane through Wyke, passing the view of Ticklewood Hall and then following The Shropshire Way back over fields towards the barns with the lovely curved walls! The very muddy spot was as muddy as usual, and it was raining, but at least not lashing down!
Continuing on The Shropshire Way, we were heading for Much Wenlock, coming in past Downs Mill and along the lane running past St. Milburga's Priory. As locals we do tend to take Much Wenlock for granted but it is lovely and a very busy, lively community with lots going on. Here we met Graham, our Ironbridge Walk Leader, with his son, for coffee at our usual coffee stop. He'd come to cheer us on (or laugh at us in the rain).
After very welcome hot chocolate, we cracked on, remembering Wenlock Edge is very long! The walk up the High Street took longer than it should - some very interesting shops - then out of town and up to The Edge. Fortunately, the up wasn't as bad as anticipated but the walk along the top of the quarry was as long as remembered! If it hadn't been raining and so soggy underfoot, I'm sure it would have been lovely, but I was starting to regret not putting on over trousers at the coffee stop. At least it wasn't cold! We took in the view at Major's Leap (where a Royalist major supposedly leapt off The Edge on horseback to avoid capture during The Civil War - rather him than me it's steep ) and at Wrekin Viewpoint !
It was still raining!
The route then took us past the bases of the old lime kilns and Knowle Quarry - somewhere else I knew nothing about! There is also a bird hide here and this provided a very welcome shelter and perch for a quick lunch stop. We didn't stop long - time was ticking and you get cold - but we at least had dry sandwiches and Irene's excellent Christmas cake!
Next comes a short section on road, which comes with lots of safety warnings but neglects to mention puddles. A massive one had formed, stretching half way across the road and it must have been deep, as lorries produced huge sprays. Very judicious timing was needed - I ran. Mind you, could we have got much wetter?
Then off road again, down a track to fields, on what seemed a rarely walked section of The Shropshire Way. We had to find our own way across ploughed fields, heading for the next stile. Our boots weighed a tonne!
Just as we had worn off the worst of the mud - another ploughed field - so axle deep in mud once more. Directions over fields are often tricky to follow, but we made it to Easthope, with the remainder of the day's route following lanes back to Longville, via Lushcott. It had even stopped raining, with a slight glimmer of sun trying to break through, so all positive. Only one little snag, Easthope is on one side of Wenlock Edge and Lushcott, the other, so the lane climbs up and over! The view as you drop down to Lushcott would be super on a clear day, so worth a return visit.
Then a steady plod back to Longville. Enough time to dry out and back before dark.
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