Walking Guides
Bishop’s Castle and Clun are excellent centres for exploring the unspoilt hill country of the area – most of it in the Shropshire Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
Well way marked paths go through many of the hillside and valley villages of the Rivers Clun and Upper Onny, making walking straight from the towns and villages a real pleasure. Both towns are on Shropshire Way, a short distance from the Offa’s Dyke Path, a national trail, and near the pre-bronze age Kerry Ridgeway.
The Jack Mytton Bridleway goes through Clun and near to Bishop’s Castle. The Shuttle Buses can be used in the summer to walk the Long Mynd & Stiperstones ridges. They, the scheduled Bishop’s Castle to Shrewsbury bus and Bishop’s Castle Dial-a-Ride make it easy to choose these linear routes as day or half-day walks. Further details available in the Transport Section at the bottom of this page.
Bishop’s Castle is a “Walkers are Welcome” town, one of five in the Shropshire Hills, and a special effort is made to ensure public footpaths are in good order.
Bishop’s Castle & Clun are ideal centres for walking group holidays offering a variety of accommodation and places to eat.
See the Walking the Hills and Places to Stay for details.
Walking for Pleasure
The local Tourism Company produces a very useful set of printable walks leaflets. These long and short walk leaflets are available from the Town Hall Visitor Information Centre or you can download them in the download section on the right.
The Bishop’s Castle Ring
Five days of walking in the area and the Bishop’s Castle Challenge Walk and Round & About Walk are challenges for seasoned walkers.
Clun Walks
Clun has excellent walks straight from the town.
The latest edition of “Clun Valley & borders, 33 favourite walks” is available for £7.95.
Written by members of three local walking groups, this book caters for all walkers, from beginner to advanced. The walks start from Clun, or points within a 10 mile radius, and range in length from 2-14 miles. Fully illustrated, each with an OS Explorer map, the book includes notes about local wildlife, history, archaeology and literature, making it the perfect companion for any walking enthusiast.
Available locally from Spar, Maltings Café, Museum of Clun, Caractacus, Bright Flowers, Postcard Café and Craft Creations or on-line from Clun Walking Group website or The Poetry Pharmacy
Profits from the book go to local charities.
The following walks are downloadable:
- Route 1 - The Shropshire Way
- Route 2 - Bishop’s Castle to Clun
- Route 3 - Clun to Craven Arms
- Route 4 - Jack Mytton Way
- Route 5 - Plowden to Clun
- Route 6 - Clun to Llanfair Waterdine
There are also 3 Clun walks leaflets available from the Town Hall Visitor Information Centre and downloadable as pdfs from the walking section of www.bishopscastle.co.uk
Other walks in the Shropshire Hills AONB area are in the “Walking with Offa” series – twelve way marked pub walks and four Days Out in the area, available as a £5 walks’ guide, free leaflets or downloadable from Shropshire's Great Outdoors
WALKING EVENTS
The biggest walking event in the area is the Bishop’s Castle Walking
Festival 1 – 7 days of walking in May. Starting on Thursday 16th May and running through till Sunday 19th May 2024, you can take part in long and short guided walks with experienced guides to interpret the landscape.
Bishop’s Castle Round & About Walk
A circular 22 mile walk from 20th May to 2nd June 2024, from Bishop’s Castle via Clun for Leukaemia research. Shorter 13 and 9 mile routes offered.
Want to take Part? CLICK HERE for more information.
The Clun Valley Challenge Walk
A 16 or 26 miles circular walk from Clun on Saturday 11th May 2024. E-mail:
www.clunvalleychallenge.co.uk
Bishop’s Castle Russet Ramble
A 12 mile sponsored walk in October. E-mail: ramble@gmail.com.
Easy Walks In And Around Bishop’s Castle using mainly lanes.
A local family have compiled their own favourite walks and are happy for these to be used.
They haven’t been checked out by the Tourism Company so contact them if you find anything that needs changing.
Both towns have walking groups which visitors are welcome to join.
WALKING Groups
Bishop’s Castle Footpath Walking Group
Organise weekly walks throughout the year from the Harley Jenkins St. car park at 9.30 a.m. Some quite strenuous all day walks of 9 – 15 miles (A), moderate all day walks of 8 – 10 miles (B) and gentler morning walks of up to 6 miles (C). a.m.
Current Programme. Visitors are very welcome. Guided countryside walks available.
Contact: the Tourist Information Office (01588) 630023
Clun Ramblers meet every Wednesday for an 8+ mile walk. We meet at the start of each walk at 9:30am. Walk details are sent by email, so if you'd like further information about the group or would like to be added to our members list please contact Mike Starr.
Contact: Mike Starr wednesdayramblers@btinternet.com
Clun Amblers/Shamblers meet on the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays throughout the year starting at 10.00am in the Memorial Hall car park for 3 – 5 miles walks.
Contact: Chris Lewis (01588) 640545
Clun Peramblers meet every Wednesday at 10.00am in the Memorial Hall car park for 7 – 8 mile walks.
Sorry but no dogs on any of the Clun walks.
For easier day-long parking in Clun, walkers should use the 70 space Clun Memorial Hall free (donations appreciated) car park, at GR: 302811, easing pressure on the essentially short stay Clun Bridge car park.
Bishop’s Castle and Clun Parish Paths Partnerships (P3 Groups), whose volunteers look after the paths, extend a warm welcome to all walkers.
TRANSPORT
Bishop’s Castle Dial-a-Ride buses and volunteer car scheme can be used to help people walk the excellent linear walks in the area: The Southern Shropshire Way, recently upgraded, Offa’s Dyke Long Distance Footpath and the ancient pre Bronze Age Kerry Ridgeway.
Contact: Adrian Varcoe (01588) 638350 giving at least 24 hours’ notice. Dogs by arrangement but bus passes cannot be used.
The Long Mynd & Stiperstones Shuttle runs in a figure of 8 with the Bridges Inn at Ratlinghope at the centre. It links Church Stretton with Pontesbury and Minsterley on the Shrewsbury/Bishop’s Castle scheduled bus route. It runs from April 30 to October 2 every Saturday & Sunday & Bank Holiday Monday. Dogs by arrangement.
Bishop’s Castle to Shrewsbury scheduled bus service gives walkers access to the Stiperstones and Mitchells Fold and Corndon uplands http://www.minsterleymotors.co.uk/html/bishops_castle__shrewsbury.html