A 7 mile walk through woodland and meadows, and past relics of industry.
Distance
7.0 miles
Terrain
Hilly with some steep climbs
Start from
The Horshoes Inn
Nearest to
Pontesbury
Parking
Pontesbury
Map reference
Lat/Long: 52.649006722, -2.8983881286
OS: SJ39361
The route
A 7 mile walk up through woodland and forest, past relics of industry and gently back along meadows beside Minsterley Brook. The walk takes 3½ to 4½ hours.
From Pontesbury, you will climb up to Poles Coppice, famous for its geology and quarrying history. Then on to Eastridge Woods which leads to the historic mining centre at Snailbeach. The route then drops down to Minsterley village and back to Pontesbury.
The route
A 7 mile walk up through woodland and forest, past relics of industry and gently back along meadows beside Minsterley Brook. The walk takes 3½ to 4½ hours.
From Pontesbury, you will climb up to Poles Coppice, famous for its geology and quarrying history. Then on to Eastridge Woods which leads to the historic mining centre at Snailbeach. The route then drops down to Minsterley village and back to Pontesbury.
Poles Coppice
This is a Countryside Heritage site managed by Shropshire Council. There are numerous abandoned quarries which are geologically interesting and also support some rare wildlife such as orchids.
Snailbeach
This site was once one of the Country’s largest producers of lead and Bauxite. There are extensive mining buildings on the site and the Shropshire Mines Trust regularly runs open days and underground trips. Please check www.shropshiremines.org.uk for details of opening dates.
Minsterley & Pontesbury
The two settlements of Pontesbury and Minsterley offer opportunities for rest and recuperation. There are a variety of pubs and shops to visit in both villages.