Walking is one of the best things you can do in Shropshire. It’s a beautiful county: hills to be conquered, woods to amble through, and rivers for that wonderful sense of peace that the sound of gently trickling water imbues. Unlike other scenic areas of the UK, the highest point is 540m and none of the hills are ‘difficult’; all can be walked without the need for special equipment or enormous reserves of stamina.
Many hillforts rise out of the landscape. The ancient history of the Iron Age (700 BCE to 43 CE) reveals itself in misshapen lumps on the side of a hill, or in the ditches and ramparts on the very top. It adds something special to a walk, imagining how people lived in such spectacular locations.
Walking the well-known landmarks
There are about 50 known hillforts in the county. From the walker’s position on the ground, it can be hard to see the whole fort, but drone footage reveals the size and contours of the ancient site: Bury Ditches (393m) in south Shropshire dates from about 500 BCE and is one of the best-known in the county. For the technically-minded, it’s a multi-vallate fort with four ditches and ramparts. A uni-vallate fort has just one ditch and rampart. It’s an easy walk with amazing views at the top.
Old Oswestry hillfort (27m – a stroll, not a climb) in the north of the county is very well-preserved and it’s an easy walk from the town centre. In 2023, a meeting of Shropshire Council and the council’s Northern Planning Committee voted to give planning permission to build 83 homes in close proximity to the fort. Protesters had been fighting against the scheme for 10 years, and are dismayed at the decision which may set a precedent for other councils to do the same elsewhere.
The third well-known landmark is on Caer Caradoc, a hill near Church Stretton. It’s popular with walkers, but be warned. It’s a steep climb to the top at 458m but it’s worth the effort for the views. This was the site of Caractacus’ (Caradog) last battle against the Romans, according to legend, and after the battle he hid in the cave near its summit.
Walking the road less travelled
The ‘big three’ hillforts mentioned above are popular, and feature on many a visitor’s to-do list when visiting Shropshire. For those who prefer lesser-known forts, away from the summer crowds, the county has many more to offer.
Burrow Hill Camp (358m) is in the south among some of the most scenic hills in the county. Near Craven Arms on the busy A49,it’s a world away from modern life. It’s unusual in that it has two springs, as well as three entrances. The ramparts are huge. It’s a long upward trek but the views are some of the best you’ll see. Described as a “hidden gem” in Jo Jukes’ book Finding Home, she goes on to say: “This little unassuming hillfort became imprinted on my mind,” and that she “realised there was a feeling of utter magic about these quiet ancient places”. Burrow Camp does that for me too.
Caer Caradoc hillfort (399m) at Chapel Lawn in the southwest near Clun is not to be confused with the hill of the same name at Church Stretton. This one is quite hard to find, and well out of the way of the usual visitor attractions.
As you head south out of Clun, passing through the curiously-named village New Invention, Chapel Lawn suddenly appears round a bend in the lane. We’re very near the Welsh border here, and the hillfort above the village could well have been another of Caractacus’ battle sites.
It’s a moderate climb to the fort, steeper near the end. It has the usual earthworks, with deep ditches and the enclosure of the inner settlement at the top. The views to the west are dramatic and beautiful and you feel miles and miles away from anywhere. The feeling of peace, calm and something like euphoria is exactly what Shropshire hill walking delivers here.
Walking is good for you
This is obvious. Any exercise is good for you. But walking is probably the easiest form of activity – no special equipment (apart from good walking boots) or gym membership. You don’t even have to walk very fast to improve heart health, lose weight, lower cholesterol and alleviate anxiety that comes with stress. A weekend walk readies you for the Monday morning return to a desk feeling refreshed and energised for the week.
But there’s something else. Walking in the countryside is a meditative exercise, as you have the space and time to contemplate your life surrounded by a vast landscape. Those who live in the country are lucky enough to see this every day. And when you climb up to a hillfort you’re back in history thinking about the inhabitants’ lives and the world they lived in.
Then, most of all, there’s a feeling that you’re a minuscule part of the universe when you’re standing on top of a hill with spectacular views stretching into the far distance. Humans are small and the landscape is huge. It’s good to be reminded of this.
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