Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.

Username: Password:

Follow NI-Wild

Author Topic: Overnighter on Round Hill, Shropshire  (Read 12560 times)

whoRya

  • Has Camped With NI-Wild
  • Hero Poster
  • ******
  • Karma: 165
  • Posts: 1798
Overnighter on Round Hill, Shropshire
« on: August 29, 2014 »
We spent our family holiday this year staying with relatives in the rural English county of Shropshire.  As with previous occasions I took the opportunity to get out and spend some quality hill time in the Shropshire Hills. 
On previous overnighters on the Long Mynd and Caer Caradoc I had been blessed with some beautiful weather.  This year I had opted to make a return to the Long Mynd and the forecast was looking just as promising.

Setting off from the quaint village of Little Stretton my route would take me up a well defined pathway as it gently ascends above the ravine-like Small Batch.  With the sun already dropping behind the hilly ridges ahead I took plenty of time to look behind as the last of the warm colours lit up the Stretton Hills and the clouds above.   

The path above Small Batch


The hill line of Ragleth Hill, Hope Bowdler Hill and Caer Caradoc from R-L


Leaving the main path I then contoured the open hillside of Callow before cutting straight up the last 100m or so to the summit at 411m.  From here the views opened down the steep western flank into Sleekstonebank Hollow.  I watched a hill farmer rounding up his sheep deep down in Callow Hollow and wondered at the sheer effort required to get down in there, and back up again!

The track contouring Callow


 I then set off for Round Hill (463m).  With the light beginning to fade and treading unfamiliar ground the solo wild camp thrills started to kick in.  "Will I find a suitably flat place to pitch?"  "Can I avoid the well-trodden paths?"  "Where will the best views be in the morning?"

Trees on the ridge


As the saying goes "it'll be all right on the night", and so it was.  Before long I had found a nice pitch and was tucking into creamed rice, washed down with some Carmenere.  And if you didn't know that they go together, well they do - on a mountainside they definitely do!

After spending way too long lying on the heather and watching the stars overhead (probably should have bivvied!) I turned in for the night and before long was sleeping like a baby.  I awoke just as day was beginning to break.  Whilst it would have been a great show to watch, I just about mustered the mental capacity to calculate that about 4 1/2 hours sleep wouldn't set me up well enough for a busy day holiday-making with the kids.  So I grabbed another couple of hours sleep and a quick photo instead. 
 
Day dawns as the moon still presides over the sky 


 The view towards the high moorland on the Long Mynd


The morning view from Round Hill


The track descending Round Hill gave fantastic views into the upper reaches of Ashes Hollow




After descending to the col at Barrister's Plain a tough heather-bashing pull took me to the summit of Grindle (459m).  This offered a 360 degree vista, from the views back towards Round Hill, to the extensive views over Church Stretton and the hills beyond.



Grindle summit cairn with views to Yearlet and Ashlet and beyond to Hope Bowdler Hill, Caer Caradoc, The Lawley, and a very distant The Wrekin.


Callow Hollow cuts between Minton Hill and Round Hill


I got plenty of interest from this guy who circled above me effortlessly for several minutes.


It was another fantastic trip in an area that is simply stunning.  What the hills lack in height they make up for in intrigue, with numerous streams and rivers making their way through dramatic deep-cut valleys.  The hills have some well-trodden and clearly mapped paths but the eagle-eyed traveller will pick out many unmarked interesting and more informal tracks leading off in different directions. 

Having visited a few times now to what is a relatively small hill area I feel I have only scratched the surface of what there is to be explored and I can't wait to return!     
Logged
"Not all those who wander are lost."

Fred

  • Has Camped With NI-Wild
  • Top Poster
  • ***
  • Karma: 44
  • Posts: 219
Re: Overnighter on Round Hill, Shropshire
« Reply #1 on: August 29, 2014 »
Thanks for sharing that with us. The area definitely looks like its worth a visit.
Fred
Logged
Theres nothing like an Irish summer...
...Except an Irish winter

specimanYak

  • Has Camped With NI-Wild
  • Hero Poster
  • ******
  • Karma: 105
  • Posts: 821
    • Videos
Re: Overnighter on Round Hill, Shropshire
« Reply #2 on: August 29, 2014 »
Great write-up and fantastic photos of a wonderful area, there's a very tranquil feeling to them and looks like you enjoyed every second of it.
Logged

Glenn B

  • Has Camped With NI-Wild
  • Hero Poster
  • ******
  • Karma: 86
  • Posts: 897
  • Keep your high hand low and your powder dry!!!
Re: Overnighter on Round Hill, Shropshire
« Reply #3 on: August 31, 2014 »
A great write up and breathtaking pics, its looks like a beautiful part of the country... 8)
Logged
Take your time you'll see so much more!
Without goals you cannot score!

sjh1

  • Top Poster
  • ***
  • Karma: 7
  • Posts: 234
Re: Overnighter on Round Hill, Shropshire
« Reply #4 on: August 31, 2014 »
Nice write up. Shropshire's a great county. The raptor in your last pic is a Red Kite (the forked tail and slimline wings distinguish it from a Buzzard).
« Last Edit: August 31, 2014 by sjh1 »
Logged
What would the world be, once bereft
Of wet and of wildness? Let them be left,
O let them be left, wildness and wet;
Long live the weeds and the wilderness yet.

... from 'Inversnaid' by Gerard Manley Hopkins.

Rumblebum

  • Has Camped With NI-Wild
  • Hero Poster
  • ******
  • Karma: 194
  • Posts: 695
  • Fred! Come over here and smoke the meat!
Re: Overnighter on Round Hill, Shropshire
« Reply #5 on: September 01, 2014 »
Nice write up mate, its definately a sweet looking place for an overnighter.

Now i wonder have many people camped there before  ???
Logged
Youl never walk alone, youuul neveeer walllk......

RedLeader

  • Has Camped With NI-Wild
  • Hero Poster
  • ******
  • Karma: 175
  • Posts: 1977
Re: Overnighter on Round Hill, Shropshire
« Reply #6 on: September 01, 2014 »
Brilliant, looks like a lovely place. Some awesome photos there too.
Logged

whoRya

  • Has Camped With NI-Wild
  • Hero Poster
  • ******
  • Karma: 165
  • Posts: 1798
Re: Overnighter on Round Hill, Shropshire
« Reply #7 on: September 01, 2014 »
Cheers guys, it's class having somewhere nearby from which I could get out and have a wee explore.  The weather was lovely, I'm due a stinker next time!

Quote from: sjh1 on August 31, 2014
Nice write up. Shropshire's a great county. The raptor in your last pic is a Red Kite (the forked tail and slimline wings distinguish it from a Buzzard).

I had a wee google about Red Kite's and they really aren't that common in many parts.  Wikipedia reckons there are about 12 pairs on the whole island of Ireland, and that is an increase of 12 from 7 years ago!  It is a real privilege to be able to watch one of them in flight, tricky to track in the zoomed lens of a point and click camera though  ;D

Quote from: Rumblebum on September 01, 2014
Now i wonder have many people camped there before  ???

I've only seen a couple of references about wild camping there on other forums/blogs but not too much else mentioning it.  I don't think most of the Brummies have realised how close it is, shush  ;) 
Logged
"Not all those who wander are lost."

polroger

  • Top Poster
  • ***
  • Karma: 32
  • Posts: 140
Re: Overnighter on Round Hill, Shropshire
« Reply #8 on: September 04, 2014 »
Great write up.

Should have entered the photo comp, though.  Red kite gets my vote!!
Logged
Reason and rationality are chasing us....... but we are faster

sjh1

  • Top Poster
  • ***
  • Karma: 7
  • Posts: 234
Re: Overnighter on Round Hill, Shropshire
« Reply #9 on: September 04, 2014 »
Quote from: whoRya on September 01, 2014
I had a wee google about Red Kite's and they really aren't that common in many parts.  Wikipedia reckons there are about 12 pairs on the whole island of Ireland, and that is an increase of 12 from 7 years ago!  It is a real privilege to be able to watch one of them in flight, tricky to track in the zoomed lens of a point and click camera though  ;D 

No not common. There are c12 breeding pairs in NI, all in Co. Down where they were reintroduced by RSPB a few years ago. There's also a reintroduced population down in Wicklow with breeding pairs but I'm not sure how many. In recent years there have been reintroductions throughout the British Isles so they're now much more widespread than 30 years ago when they were confined to only a small area of Wales. A great bird.
Logged
What would the world be, once bereft
Of wet and of wildness? Let them be left,
O let them be left, wildness and wet;
Long live the weeds and the wilderness yet.

... from 'Inversnaid' by Gerard Manley Hopkins.

LandyLiam

  • Global Moderator
  • Hero Poster
  • *****
  • Karma: 166
  • Posts: 3824
    • Team BLRC
Re: Overnighter on Round Hill, Shropshire
« Reply #10 on: September 05, 2014 »
There's a nest a couple of miles from me, occassionally one flies over my house quite low, thought he was coming in the window one day!
Logged
think outside, no box required
 

Bottom Sponsor

Recent Topics

Lough Shannagh by Scribble [March 22, 2023]
Where has everyone gone? by Glenn B [March 02, 2023]
Hello 👋🏻 by RedLeader [March 13, 2022]
Overnighter on 21st August by Wolf_Larson [November 02, 2021]
crabbing by Glenn B [July 19, 2021]
Slieive Binnian Hike by Rugged Track [November 06, 2020]
Silent Valley by Binnianboy [June 28, 2020]
Is it safe... by Rugged Track [June 02, 2020]
You've got a mention... by NorthernSky [December 12, 2019]
Hen Mountain Wild Camp by Rugged Track [November 28, 2019]
Happy Valley by Binnianboy [September 30, 2019]
Seven Sevens 10th August by RedLeader [August 20, 2019]