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 to the A5. This green corridor through an urban environment is a mixture of streamside woodland and pastureland. Otters and kingfishers are said to live here. In medieval times the valley was farmed by the monks from the abbey. In later years until its closure in 1963 the Severn Valley railway line to Ironbridge and Bridgnorth forged its way through here.
After crossing two footbridges, the second over Rae Brook, take the right fork path between metal railings, then follow the Shropshire Way signs highlighting a short field-edge route leading to a busy road where you should turn right. This takes the Way over a bridge spanning the busy A5 dual-carriageway.
Over the bridge, go through a kissing gate on the left and cross a field to a country lane at Pulley. Turn right, passing Pulley House, before turning left through a gate and following the left edge of the first field. Beyond a stile at the far end, turn right by the hedge on the right. Turn left with the hedge to a large tree, where a waymarker shows the way right (southwest) across a large field. The houses of Bayston Hill are clearly visible ahead.
Go through a short ginnel between the houses, which leads to Castle Lane. Turn right at the end of the lane along the village’s main road. At the crossroads with Glebe Road go straight ahead but where the road starts to bend right take the lane forking left. Leave the lane at a tarred parking area, keeping to the left of a youth centre building. The enclosed path passes some allotments. Watch out for a waymarked left turn onto a farm lane that takes the route through Lythwood Farm. This gradually curves left across huge fields. Where it ends, aim for the left side of a covered reservoir at the far end of the field.
Turn right along the lane then at the Lyth Hill car park take the track on the right. This rises along the crest of the hill.
LYTH HILL
Although it is less than 170m above sea level, Lyth Hill, the first real hill on the walk, offers superb views over the surrounding hills and plains of Shropshire. Looking north among chequered pastures of grass, cereal crops and the odd bright gold of rape are the spires and rooftops of Shrewsbury, framed by the bold outlines of the Wrekin and the hills of the Welsh border. To the east the ridges of Lawley and Caer Caradoc dominate. The serrated outline of the Stiperstones lying to the southwest offers a promise of the day to come.
Three hundred years ago flax and hemp ropes for ships, mines and factories were built here and exported all over the world.
Spring Cottage on the edge of the hill was once home to Mary Webb and her husband Henry. After their separation and in ill health she returned to the cottage. She died in the same year.
Lyth Hill in blossom
The most beautiful part of the path descends and rakes along the southern side of the ridge, across slopes where gorse, broom and bluebells thrive alongside fruit trees. It continues through the trees of Spring Coppice, which were planted to commemorate the Queen’s Jubilee.
By a red-bricked dwelling take the left fork lane and follow it down to a junction, where you turn left, then right on an unsurfaced lane leading to Exfords Green. Where the lane turns left at a hedge-lined junction by a farm, take the farm track on the right, then almost immediately follow a waymarked path on the right, passing pens and enclosures. Go through a gate into a field and aim half-left to follow the hedge on the left side. At the far end an enclosed path over a stile leads out to the road near Little Vinnals.
Turn
