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The Wrekin & Ironbridge / 1 day / 21 miles (34km)

OS Route Map → Map GPX Route file →

Date: 05 Jun 2003
Start / Finish: Little Wenlock. Village hall car park.
Maps: Explorer 242 Telford, Ironbridge & The Wrekin.

Day 1The Wrekin & Ironbridge21 miles / 2750 feet (34.0km / 838m)

An odd day of good weather was a good opportunity to climb The Wrekin and visit the industrial heritage of the Ironbridge and Coalbrookdale area.

Day 1 - The Wrekin & Ironbridge

Taking the road NW a footpath leads off L down to the base of The Wrekin and a track going NE. Forking L up a side track the NE end of the spine of the hill is reached and the main wide track SW, resembling a walkers' M54, is joined giving an easy walk with spacious views to the summit. This is the Shropshire Way (SHW) and continuing SW over Little Hill the now narrower path bends L down to the lane. We returned along the SHW and followed it first to Braggers Hill at 645060, where we took the farm track L at the highest point rather than the route on the map which descends into the wood and climbs back up L. The SHW leads through Loamhole Dingle to Coalbrookdale with its ironworks and steam engine museums, climbs the far side of the gorge and descends to Ironbridge.

View from summit of Wrekin
View from summit of Wrekin (05 Jun 2003__08:30:23)
View from summit of Wrekin
View from summit of Wrekin (05 Jun 2003__08:30:39)
View from summit of Wrekin
View from summit of Wrekin (05 Jun 2003__08:31:05)
Caer Caradoc from Wrekin rocks
Caer Caradoc from Wrekin rocks (05 Jun 2003__08:42:26)
Engine at Coalbrookdale
Engine at Coalbrookdale (05 Jun 2003__11:21:21)
Ironbridge
Ironbridge (05 Jun 2003__11:58:46)

Turning W it climbs through woodland and arrives at Bradley Farm 634014, where we left it NW to the A4169, turned L and took the lane down to Homer. Past the phone box a footpath heads N to Sheinton Brook and climbs through Bannister's Coppice where the path deviates from the map at the top end, but it emerges on the road somewhere around Hilltop Farm 617037. We then joined the Severn Way E and crossed the river to the B4380. A short distance W along the road a byway leads R back up to Braggers Hill and back to Little Wenlock.

View S from Ironbridge
View S from Ironbridge (05 Jun 2003__12:01:32)
View N from Ironbridge
View N from Ironbridge (05 Jun 2003__12:01:59)