Walking with Offa 15: Ratlinghope, Darnford Valley

Walk directions

1. Step 1

   Start from The Bridges, Ratlinghope SY5 0ST.
   With the pub on your right walk up to T junction and turn right. Pass the Bridges Youth Hostel and just before the stone bridge take the stile on left. Follow the Shropshire Way along the path through trees. Turn left to go over stile then continue to a stile into conifer plantation. Follow the narrow path beside the Darnford Brook to a stile onto a stoned track. Cross the track to stile ahead and follow path through garden.

2. Step 2

   Turn left onto a track which continues up above the Darnford Brook, along the side of the valley below Ratlinghope Hill. Follow the Shropshire Way to the old road at Lower Darnford. After the gate turn left and follow track through two gates. Leave the Shropshire Way and keep to stoned track climbing left uphill through more gates onto track. Ascend with some pools on your right up to road.

3. Step 3

   Turn right onto road and follow past Thresholds, visited frequently by Mary Webb, the Shropshire author, on her walks where she gathered ideas for her novels such as Gone to Earth and Precious Bane. Pass house and take the next lane on right which is The Portway, an ancient drover’s road, which continues along the length of the Long Mynd.

4. Step 4

   Follow the surfaced lane to a kissing gate on your right. You have rejoined the Shropshire Way and this section of route is also a part of WWO route 16. After the gate descend through the Golden Valley, scattered with bright blooms of gorse, down to a stile. Continue along the path, down over a plank bridge then up to rejoin the track walked on outward journey.

5. Step 5

   After two gates keep to the track and descend to small footbridge over brook. The stoned track runs past Lower Darnford then becomes surfaced and ascends to road. Turn right and follow road back to Ratlinghope where you can visit the small church and look for the memorial of, Richard Munslow, said to be the last sineater in Shropshire. A sineater attended the funeral of those who had died without recanting their sins. By making a short speech at the graveside the sineater took upon himself the sins of the
   deceased.

6. Step 6

   Back on the road pass through Brow Farm and continue down to the Manor House. Take the stile on right and follow path which will take you back to the Darnford Brook.
   Turn left and follow the Shropshire Way back to The Bridges.