High Vinnalls - Burrington Common - High Vinnalls

David James

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High Vinnalls - Sunny Dingle Wood - Burrington Common - High Vinnalls

Close to the Welsh border and in the Welsh Marches and with nearly 500 listed buildings, mediaeval Ludlow is an attractive and busy market town within a bend on the eastern bank of the River Teme. It is noted particularly for the quality of food offered in its restaurants and hotels and is known as the gastronomic capital of Shropshire, if not of England; until very recently, it was the only town in the country to feature three Michelin-starred restaurants. The Georgian streets, market square and Norman castle are well worth a visit after your walk.

This lovely walk starts some three miles west of the town at High Vinnalls car park, to follow a route along the side of a tributary valley for the River Teme. At Burrington Common it joins the Herefordshire Trail and turns south, shortly turning east in peaceful countryside, past Elton Farm (where there are often delightful piglets to greet you), to Elton Hall. This is noted for its landscaped park, created by the horticulturalist, Thomas Andrew Knight, between 1791 and 1808. He was brother to Richard Payne Knight, one of the chief theorists of the Picturesque, the movement in taste that, in the late 18th and early 19th Centuries, advocated designing gardens and buildings as if they formed part of a picture: this proposition obviously influenced his brother Andrew at Elton Hall.

The route then climbs to the summit of the High Vinnalls, where you will be rewarded with spectacular panoramic views: the famous clock tower at Abberley School is clearly visible to the east, Hay Bluff to the south-west, the Malvern Hills to the south-east and Black Mixen to the west. From this viewpoint, the route takes you back down to the car park along a well-signposted trail. The climb to the summit is fairly steady and not arduous. There is only one steep section, in Brush Wood, but it is only for a fairly short distance.

England - Central England - Shropshire - Shropshire Hills

Features

Birds, Butterflies, Flowers, Great Views, Hills or Fells, Nature Trail, Stately Home, Wildlife, Woodland

7/14/2021 - David James

Thanks for the feedback, Tim, which is appreciated. Yes, this time of year is when vegetation thrives so long trousers, and a stick for beating down nettles, is a must on some summer walks. You make a valid point, regarding under-used walks. The old saying is apposite in this context: 'use it or lose it'. It is so important that we walk footpaths to maintain their accessibility.

7/11/2021 - Tim Mitchell

Enjoyed most of this walk although I'm pleased we had an Ordinance Survey map otherwise we’d have lost our way a few times. We walked this in July 21 and the section between 5 and 7 were at points very difficult due to low hanging trees and shrubs and paths that nobody has walked in a long time. Long trousers and sleeves are a must for this section as the nettles and brambles make the path at times indiscernible. The rest was lovely though.