Several of us spent the first weekend in Semtember in Shrewsbury, and the local area, Margaret has kindly provided the following report.
Photos courtesy Margaret Brown and Steve Foxley.
Friday 1st September 2023
After travelling down on the previous day, 4 of us set off, Jim, Jackie who were staying in their caravan in Frodsley, Roger who cycled from home the previous day then stayed overnight at the travel lodge at Bayston Hill, then camped for the rest of the holiday and me, I stayed at the travel lodge. We set off in prefect weather no wind and warm and sunny to find 2 clues for Jim and Jackie’s cycle quest.
We met at All Stretton and cycled to Church Stretton to catch the train to Ludlow to look for the first clue on the cannon in the castle gateway. Ludlow was busy being market day, so we didn’t stay long and made our way to the river and pick up the cycle route number 44 to Bishops Castle. It was as bit confusing as to which was the best road out of town so Jim asked a traffic warden, he asked about the Burnley and Pendle jerseys and said he was going to the area in a few days and was staying at a farm in Salterforth, which was very close to where I grew up!!!. After being put on the correct road we continued on to Bishops Castle for the second clue. The route was very hilly though very pleasant countryside. There did not seem to be much flat ground we were either going down hill on amazing descents or puffing up hill on very steep climbs. Like all the days we had a picnic lunch as cafes were a bit thin on the ground. The cycle quest clue was of course at the top of a very steep high street in Bishops Castle, an interesting town with lots of very old buildings. Not much time for sight seeing as we had a train to catch at Craven Arms (not a pub but a small town). We decided not to go back via the cycle routes as these meandered up hill and down dale we cycled back on the much straighter and flatter A road, which being late in the afternoon was fairly quiet. We caught the train to Church Stretton with 10 minutes to spare. As we were cycling back through town we passed a chip shop it smelt wonderful, we were all hungry so we finished off the day with a chippy tea, a prefect end.
Saturday 2nd September
9 of us set off we were joined by Steve and Marjorie, Sue (Chris arrived later) Roger, David L. & Paul The route took us around the many lanes south of Shrewsbury, again prefect cycling weather. Calling at Condover, Longden, Pontesbury where we have a picnic lunch in the church grounds, Hebberley, Dorrington. We had an evening meal at the Horseshoe pub in Dorrington. Another good day out and not as hilly as the previous day.
Sunday 3rd September
10 (Chris had now joined us) to ride to Much Wenlock and Bridgenorth. We had morning coffee in the square in Much Wenlock another old and interesting town. Steve had a puncture but fixed it quickly with a foam cannister, what a wonderful invention so we were soon on our way to Bridgenorth this too was an interesting Georgian town on top of a hill over looking the River Severn, the clue was on the information board of the small railway. We had another picnic lunch overlooking the Severn.
The holiday was prefect, the weather gorgeous, the area interesting though hilly, lots of cycle routes so on the whole we were on quiet lanes most of the time. We used Roger’s Komoot app and Jim’s downloaded maps so between them they lead us safely through the maze of lanes.
Thanks Jim for another wonderful cycling holiday.