A new series of rambles cuts the 185-mile Shropshire Way into train-accessible loops, offering fine scenery, historic towns, and great pubs. The county tourist board's Rail-Ready Short Breaks are designed for those without time to tackle the whole route, focusing on loops easy to reach by train, with illustrated PDF downloads, GPX files, accommodation suggestions, and highlights along the way.
The two-day Heart of the Hills hike covers about 27 miles from Shrewsbury to Bishop's Castle via Ratlinghope, perfect for a weekend. The journey begins in Shrewsbury, a historic market town with independent shops, restaurants, and Tudor architecture. Notably, beavers have been reintroduced here by the council and the Shropshire Wildlife Trust, with the first kit in the county in 400 years born late last year.
Beaver Reintroduction and Shrewsbury's Charms
Tom Freeland of the Shropshire Wildlife Trust shows visitors around the Old River Bed nature reserve, two miles north of the town centre. A boardwalk crossing wetlands offers an up-close view of the rewilding project. Although the elusive creatures aren't spotted, herons and moorhens are visible, and there's much to learn. "It's been a great success in inspiring the community to find out more about our local wildlife," says Tom. Nature talks and guided tours of the beaver enclosure are in the pipeline.
Back at the 16th-century Lion + Pheasant townhouse hotel, the walker dines on pan-roasted trout in the beamed restaurant. The next morning, the first leg to Ratlinghope begins, crossing the River Severn and passing through quiet country lanes to Lyth Hill Country Park, where expansive views open across Shropshire.
Scenic Hike to Ratlinghope and The Bridges Pub
The route climbs steadily to Wilderley Hill, past fields of rape, with stops under an oak tree for a picnic. The landscape changes on the approach to Ratlinghope, tracing a brook, crossing wooden bridges, and winding through woodland. Just off the path lies the 12th-century St Margaret's Church, burial place of 19th-century farmer Richard Munslow, the last known "sin-eater," whose job was to eat bread and drink ale over corpses to absorb their sins.
At The Bridges pub on the banks of the Onny River, the walker enjoys a drink in the beer garden. The pub offers seven minimalist rooms around a courtyard, with access to a lounge above. Food includes Guinness rarebit and duck terrine, while the restaurant focuses on organic fare from the owners' regenerative farm on the Linley Estate and the Welsh Marches. The pub even drives locals home if they've had one too many, as general manager Sam Thompson notes.
Stiperstones Ridge and Bishop's Castle
Day two is a 12-mile hike across rugged moorland and pastures to Bishop's Castle. The route heads north to the Stiperstones, a national nature reserve with a dramatic ridge of quartzite rock formations. Passing Devil's Chair tor, skylarks and buzzards soar overhead. After several hours, a magnificent avenue of Linley Beeches lines the descent into Bishop's Castle, a town of half-timbered houses.
Accommodation is at Bank House B&B, a Georgian renovation with an oak-panelled drawing room and five antique-filled rooms. A visit to the Poetry Pharmacy offers prescriptions of poems chosen to spark specific emotions. Although little remains of the medieval castle, the grand Castle Hotel with its gardens and restaurant is worth a visit.
With more time, one could continue and add another loop of the trail, but the train back home beckons from Craven Arms station, a short bus or taxi ride away. The trip was provided by Visit Shropshire, and train travel from London to Shropshire was by Visit England. The Bridges has rooms from £120 a night, the Lion + Pheasant from £140, and Bank House B&B from £110. Luggage transfer was provided by Silver Sherpa, costing from £30 a day for 1-3 bags.
