SHROPSHIRE HILLS

Pitch up and enjoy this National Landscape, which features a mix of rugged uplands, valleys and historic villages. Walks can be challenging, with trails over hills such as the Long Mynd and Stiperstones, but offer panoramic views

- 

WALK ONE

STIPERSTONES RIDGE CIRCULAR

Level Moderate Elevation gain 164m Length 4.8km (1hr 25min)

Description A rugged walk across a dramatic ridge with panoramic views over the Shropshire Hills, featuring unique rock formations and heathland. This trail takes in Stiperstones Ridge, a quartzite ridge formed around 500 million years ago, revealing spectacular geology, wildlife-rich upper heathland and a wealth of myths and legends.

From the car park, follow the grass path through one of the best surviving areas of upper heathland in England. Managed by Natural England, a recent project called Back to Purple has helped to restore the heathland, removing encroaching woodland and allowing the spread of the heather and whinberries. Some of the UK’s rarest and most enigmatic species have responded well.

The walk up to the ridge is a fairly steep climb, and the ridge-top path is awkward terrain, being an uneven rocky surface that will test the strength of your ankles. At the top, you will come to a small pile of rocks. This marks the junction with the Shropshire Way, which runs across the top of the Stiperstones Ridge.

The path leads you past a large rocky cairn. The remarkable ridge of the Stiperstones is made of quartzite, an extremely hard, crystalline rock which sparkles in the sun. The freezing and thawing cycles of the last Ice Age shattered the rock, building up layers of scree and creating the jagged outcrops that we see today. Not surprisingly, the area abounds in legends and myths.