30 June 2022
Maggi dropped me off at the Rileys house so that he could drive Bert and I up to Church Stretton. Mark drives very well and that means safely, but not too slowly.
We stopped at The Fox Inn, Bridgnorth Rd, Stourton, Kinver, Stourbridge DY7 5BL, which doesn’t have a web site. We have stopped in the same pub before. We sat outside and both ate a very nice steak sandwich. After a pint to swill down the sandwich and chips we moved on to the Belvedere Guest House at Church Stretton. We decamped at the B&B and took a short walk straight up the hill.
The next move took us down to the Malt House and had a very poor pint. This was a disappointment, on our last visit we had drank here regularly and enjoyed the beer.
In the evening we visited the next pub on the list and had a drink in the Kings Arms. We decided not only to have a drink here but also to eat. All three of us had the steak and ale pie and we were amazed by the size of the portions. Neither Mark nor I could finish our plateful of food, which was tasty. However Ian finished every bit.
On the way back to The Belvedere we met a woman looking at the church tower. She told us about the Swift Survey and had seen 13 swifts around the church tower.
1 July 2022
Ian, in the absence of Garry, took on the role of guide. He has all the technology to create the route and monitor it.
The walk took us over the Long Mynd and down to the Bridges pub at Ratlinghope. This is an excellent inn with good quality food and great beer. We only ordered starters and one drink, but both proved first class.
The rain held off, except for a very small shower, throughout the weekend, despite the low and dark clouds that passed us by all day. In total we walked 15 miles and climbed 2,000 ft.
Our trek total included 4 miles in the evening when we ambled down to Little Stretton for our evening meal at The Ragleth Inn. This pub has a very good reputation in the area for food and we needed to book in order to be given a table. All three of us enjoyed our food. Our return to Church Stretton could only be described as a stroll as we were all fatigue by our earlier exertions.
On getting back to Church Stretton Mark went straight off to the guest house while Ian and I had one last sup at the Bucks Head. A curious pub with absolutely no atmosphere at all. One drink satisfied our curiosity and we walked back up the hill for bed.
2 July 2022
Ian needed to get back home for early evening so he planned out a route to finish at the Kings Arms. We set off up the hill and very soon left the true path. This mistake led us to a very steep section with little or no foot holes. I slid down and grazed my leg, but just as bad, my leg was covered in mud. At this point we bumped into the swift surveyor who was out on her walk.
We continued on our way with more beautiful views of the hills and countryside.
We passed a fascinating tree that gripped the side of the rocky hillside with its roots.
After descending into Little Stretton our next objective lay, after crossing the A49, was a steep climb up Ragleth Hill. The path became more and more difficult as we rose to 1300 ft within a few hundred yards. It seemed as if we crossed a new contour line every couple of steps. However the views across Shropshire made it all worthwhile.
After recovering from our exertions we proceeded along the ridge and then descended back to Church Stretton and The Kings Arms. Waiting for us in the pub sat Mark’s friend Tim. He had a bad gash on his leg the result of a fall down a ditch at Cambridge University. Ian had a coke and left, while we shared a couple of drinks with Tim. We moved outside where a DJ had set up his kit to celebrate a couple who had announced their engagement. We soon started chatting to some of the guests, the DJ and his partner. I decided to go back to The Belvedere and left Mark and Bert at the pub.
In the evening Mark and I walked down to All Stretton to another hostelry for our final meal out. This time we visited the Yew Tree Inn. Most of the clientele appeared to be locals. We both had fish and chips. Mark said how much he enjoyed the meal. I thought it very average. However the staff were very friendly. We walked both ways off the road because I had managed to find a path that ran parallel to the road.
The views from this path were very attractive.
3 July 2022
Mark and I had agreed to get back to London fairly early. Tim had invited us over to his house in Ironbridge for a coffee. We arrived at the Library House which stands very close to the River Severn and the main thoroughfare through the town. After a drink in the back garden, which rises behind the house, we set off again to make our way back. Mark kindly dropped me off at the house even though his back was hurting. I shopped and prepared a salad Nicoise for tea.
