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Home > Guides > Surrounding Villages

LYDBURY NORTH, BROCTON, EDGTON & PLOWDEN, NORBURY, WENTNOR & MYNDTOWN

Lydbury North just three miles from Bishop’s Castle, was an important Saxon Manor predating Bishop’s Castle and has a fine Norman church and a community shop run entirely by volunteers. It has a pub, a camping & caravanning site, B&Bs and self catering accommodation, a primary school and a new village hall. In the village is Walcot Hall, a Georgian gem and a famous wedding venue with an arboretum and fishing lakes. Visit https://www.lydburynorthparishcouncil.org.uk They also have a FaceBook page

Brocton is a hamlet to the west of Lydbury with a ford over the River Kemp. Edgton is to the east of Lydbury on the Shropshire Way while the hamlet of Plowden, with the only Catholic church in the area, is where the minor road joins the A 489 in the Onny Valley at the southern end of the Long Mynd.

Norbury is an upland village lying in a loop off the Bishop’s Castle to Pulverbatch road. It nestles under the Norbury hills which offer good walking. It is largely a stone built village with stone walls bordering farms, attractive houses and cottages. The village road bends in nearly a circle round the church which has an unusual painted ceiling and a Norman tower topped with a broach spire. The massive yew tree in the churchyard if one of the largest in Britain and attracts many visitors.

Wentnor is further along the “main” road to Pulverbatch on the lower slopes of the Long Mynd just above the River East Onny valley which separates the Stiperstones and Mynd upland ridges. It has pubs, shops and a camp site.

Myndtown & Asterton are hamlets at the base of the steep escarpment of the Long Mynd.

LYDHAM, MORE, LINLEY & SNEAD

These hamlets to the north east of Bishop’s Castle lie in the undulating land of the Camlad and West Onny Valleys. The Shropshire Way goes through Lydham, More and Linley where there are views of the private Linley Hall, built in 1742.

Linley Beeches thought to be planted c.1730 are a landmark on Shropshire Way. The Church and churchyard at Lydham are next to Norman motte and bailey and former Mill, mentioned in Domesday ‘paying one pig’ in taxes. The Lydham Manor Oak is one of one of England’s largest trees (girth 39ft/12 metres).

At Lyham Heath there is the site of the station at the end of the old Bishop’s Castle Railway.

More is a tiny village with ancient farms and cottages. There is evidence of Roman building associated with lead-mining in this area, an extensive motte and bailey castle on the Way and an ancient church on circular site.

Snead has an Isolated tiny church (across field) beside the River Camlad – the only river flowing from England into Wales.

 

RATLINGHOPE & PULVERBATCH

Are all in the valley of the Darnford Brook and River East Onny on the lower slopes of the Long Mynd surrounded by wild upland. Ratlinghope has always been a resting place and a refuge for travellers in the Shropshire Hills and has been inhabited since before history.

There is a history of lead mining in Pulverbatch.

SHELVE, THE BOG, PENNERLEY, STIPERSTONES & SNAILBEACH

These hamlets and villages of the Stiperstones Ridge have a long history of mining for lead and other minerals which all finished in the 1950s.

The former school is now The Bog visitor centre.

PRIEST WESTON & HYSSINGTON

Hyssington to the north west of Bishop’s Castle is over the border in Wales on the lower slopes of Corndon Hill.

Priest Weston, an attractive village with a pub on the far side of Corndon, is in Shropshire! Mitchell’s Fold Stone Circle is nearby on Stapeley Hill.

More about the villages in this area can be found in a local book: “The Upper Onny Valley” published 2005.

CHURCHSTOKE, MELLINGTON & PENTREHYLING

Churchstoke is a Welsh village on the main A489 to Newtown with a church and pubs and a large supermarket on the Bishop’s Castle side.

The nearby hamlets of Mellington (in Wales) and Penreheyling (in Shropshire) are in the valley of the River Caebitra. The Offa’s Dyke Path passes through Mellington and there is cross roads pub.

KEMPTON, LITTLE BRAMPTON & PURSLOW

These hamlets south of Bishop’s Castle are in the valley of the Rivers Kemp & Clun with the landmark of Clunbury Hill.

CLUNTON & CLUNBURY, ASTON-ON-CLUN AND CLUNGUNFORD

These are all attractive villages/hamlets in the valley of the River Clun as it flows downstream towards the River Teme and Ludlow.

They vary is size and facilities.

ASTON-ON-CLUN

Aston-on-clun has a community shop in the grounds of Village Hall. Open from 8.00am to 6.00pm every day except Sun, 9.00am to 12.00pm.
The shop stocks a wide range of locally produced food, newspapers, fresh vegetables & fruit, dairy produce etc.
There is a sitting out area, where tea, coffee & ice creams can be enjoyed.
Tel 01588 660849.

NEWCASTLE-ON-CLUN, BETTWS Y CRWYN & ANCHOR

Newcastle is the first village west of Clun up the valley and has a pub and campsite. It is near the Offa’s Dyke river crossing.

Bettws y Crwyn, which despite its name is in Shropshire, is just south of the River. Anchor is a hamlet even further up the Clun valley. These are all in the Clun Forest upland.

MAINSTONE

A village of scattered houses in the deep Clun Forest valleys of the River Unk and Cwm Ffrydd.

The Offa’s Dyke Path passes near to its church and it has a WI Hall.