Last walked July 2012
Reccy walk for the Telford Outdoor group for their walk in September. Parking is free at Chirk railway station. Really varied walk of about 12 miles, through woodland with wild garlic, dingles, meadows, canal/river and open hill-side. Some paths a bit over grown with nettles and thistles and can be muddy in places.
There are at least 25 stiles and only two have doggy planks (that lift up) near the end by the railway line so not very dog friendly.You will find a few kissing gates so great for walking with someone you fancy 😉 and the walk goes across some of the recently extended Shropshire Way. Other features include tunnels (one of 421 metres and a head torch is advisable), lime kilns, a stone henge style temple (maybe a film set??), an aqueduct (for more on this and the long tunnel see my Nomansland? page). And of course it includes an excellent section of Offa’s Dyke, dont forget to look back at the imposing Chirk Castle on the hill behind you.
Selattyn Hill gives an amazing vantage point across most of the Shropshire plain and across into Wales and has its very own tower and the coolest information sign. The tower was built in 1847 by Mr Crewe of Pentrepant and stands within the circular embankment of a 4000 year old Bronze Age Ring Cairn. This has always been an important view-point, in WW II it was an observation post guarded by the local defence volunteers who kept their bayonets permanently fixed as they had no bullets! There is a Tower and Rampart audio walk available from www.ShropshireWalking.co.uk.
Find a map of the walk here (incl an extra little loop round Selattyn Hill when we missed a turning :). There are some reasonable steep bits but most of the climbing is in the first half of the walk. Selattyn Hill is a great place to stop for lunch.
Below a sample of what awaits you on this walk.
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