Walking the Shropshire Way. John Gillham

Way begins to climb in earnest late in the day with the ascent of Wilderley Hill and it follows the course of the ancient Portway. By now the iconic Stiperstones tors have come into full view. The day is ended with a very pretty descent into the Golden Valley where the path weaves between grassy folds in the hills down to Ratlinghope.

      SHREWSBURY

      Although it might have been the site of Pengwern, an early capital of pre-Roman Powys, Shrewsbury, or Scrobbesbyrig as it was then known, was developed as a town in Saxon times, probably around the eighth century and under the rule of Mercia. Previously the largest settlement was the Roman town of Viroconium Cornoviorum (Wroxeter) about 5 miles away, but Roman artefacts have been found in Shrewsbury proving that they would have had some form of settlement here. The town was strategically sited within a tight loop on the river.

      Three years after the Norman Conquest of 1066, William I had a primitive timber castle built but this was burned down by Welsh invaders. Roger de Montgomery, a relative of William I, was made Earl of Shrewsbury and he built a more powerful castle on the mound where the current castle lies. The abbey was founded in 1083 as part of a Benedictine monastery and town walls were built in this period and Shrewsbury became the county town of Shropshire. The town fell to Llewelyn the Great, Prince of Wales, in 1215 and it would be a Welsh frontier town for nearly 70 years. In 1283 Edward I, the scourge of the Welsh, had Dafydd ap Gruyffydd tried and found guilty of high treason at Shrewsbury. This last Welsh Prince of Wales was subsequently hung, drawn and quartered. Edward would make his son Prince of Wales thus ending the Welsh dynasty.

      In 1403 Henry IV defeated Henry Percy (Harry Hotspur) at the Battle of Shrewsbury, which featured in Shakespeare’s Henry IV Part 1. You can visit the site at Battlefield in the north-east part of the town.

      In the Middle Ages Shrewsbury grew into a sizeable town, its wealth largely coming from the wool trade. Many of the beautiful half-timbered buildings that grace the town today were built in Tudor times. The town centre still retains its medieval street pattern with numerous narrow passages known as shuts. Henry VIII is said to have offered Shrewsbury cathedral city status, something that the townsfolk declined.

      The public library sited beneath the castle was built in 1552 as Shrewsbury School. Pupils included the ‘hanging judge’ Judge Jeffreys and Charles Darwin. The school was moved to its present site at Kingsland in 1882.

      The sandstone castle you see today was built in 1643 and further repaired with additions, including Laura’s Tower by Thomas Telford in 1780. Telford, who at this time was Surveyor of Public Works in Shropshire, oversaw the building of the original A5 London to Holyhead road, which crossed the English Bridge. Many of the monastic buildings of Shrewsbury Abbey were demolished in the process. The A5 now by-passes Shrewsbury.

      The railways came to Shrewsbury in 1848. The station buildings were built from stone quarried at nearby Grinshill – you’ll see it later on the northern part of the ‘Way’. The classical mock-Tudor Victorian building has a fine castellated and pinnacled clocktower.

      Today, Shrewsbury has over 650 listed historical buildings. As its industries declined, this rich heritage, along with its beautiful position on the River Severn loop, has enabled the town to flourish as a place of tourism and leisure.

      Getting to Kingsland Bridge

      Many Shropshire Wayfarers will be coming from the railway station so the description starts from here, and the route will take in as many of the town’s sights as can be fitted into a logical course to the official start on Kingsland Bridge.

      With your back to the railway station entrance turn left along Castle Gates, past the Bulls Head pub, then the impressive library with its statue of Charles Darwin. The castle lies to the left and it would be worth a visit if there’s time; otherwise continue to the High Cross, where the street ahead becomes pedestrianised and where you should turn left along St Mary’s Street. This passes St Mary’s Church, which has Saxon origins.

      The now redundant St Mary’s Church is maintained by the Churches Conservation Trust. It has one of the tallest spires in England and the interior with the nave’s oak ceiling and its wonderful stained-glass windows should be a must-see on your itinerary.

      Turn right on Church Street by the Loggerheads pub to reach St Alkmund’s Church. Turn right, then left on a paved street along the perimeter of the churchyard before descending the Bear Steps, which lie in a passageway through the half-timbered Bear Steps Gallery building. These lead down to Fish Street, where there are several more of the Bear Steps’ historic half-timbered buildings. Turn right for a few paces along the narrow, cobbled street, then left down Grope Lane, one of Shrewsbury’s ‘shuts’. This brings the route onto High Street where you should turn right to the Square. Here you’ll see a statue of Clive of India and the Old Market Hall. Pass to the left of both before turning left along Princess Street. On reaching a raised church green, that of Old St Chad’s, turn right, then turn left along the passageway by the church.

      Old St Chad’s was once a substantial square-towered church but by the late 18th-century it had fallen into disrepair, a fact noted by engineer Thomas Telford, who advised restoration. The church collapsed in 1788 and was largely demolished with only the Lady Chapel and crypt remaining. It was rebuilt as a neo-classical round church overlooking the Quarry Park.

      Turn right along the narrow street (Belmont) and follow it to the junction with Town Walls. You’ll see the old town walls to the left overlooking sports fields. Turn right to pass the 14th-century Town Walls Tower, then turn left by Shrewsbury High School. The road leads to Kingsland Bridge. If you’ve walked along the riverbank to get here you’ll have to walk along a passage on the east side to get on the bridge by Shrewsbury High School.

      Shrewsbury School from Kingsland Bridge

      Official start of the Shropshire Way

      The grand brick-built building high above the opposite bank of the River Severn is that of the ‘new’ Shrewsbury School. Cross the Kingsland Bridge and follow the winding Kingsland Road beyond to a T-junction, where you turn left, then right along Beehive Lane. Beyond the houses this transforms into a stony track through trees and bushes. Turn left at the next junction to cross a bridge over Rad Brook. The path comes out to a road opposite a cemetery.

      Turn right along the road, ignoring the next right fork (Old Roman Road). Turn left at a busy roundabout, crossing to the pavement on the far side as soon as possible. A Shropshire Way signpost highlights the path along the edge of the school’s playing fields in Meole Brace and alongside the road.

      Novelist and poet Mary Webb (1881–1927) grew up in the village of Meole Brace. Holy Trinity church on the roadside to the left is where she and Henry Webb were married. Mary was known for her poetic descriptions of nature and landscape and her first published novel Golden Arrow took inspiration from her new home in Pontesbury. Precious Bane, a novel from 1924, won her the Prix Femina Vie Heureuse, a French literary prize. After a life of ill health Mary died at the age of 46.

      Bear right as the route pulls alongside a railway line, then cross the tracks with care at the next footpath sign. A hedge-lined ginnel then takes the route between houses to a road. Turn left here, then right along a busier road. Turn left again by a vicarage and along Church Road. This passes a small recreation area on the right and Holy Trinity church on the left, where the road turns right, eventually to pass Meole Brace primary school. A little further on, the path forks left by some railings to enter the woods of the Rae Brook Valley.

      The Rae Brook Valley is managed by Shropshire Council as a local nature reserve, which stretches from the Abbey Foregate almost