Blue Remembered Hills Bridleway: Route 4

Bishop’s Moat to Clun. Bishops and Brewing. PLEASE SEE TEXT FOR SLIGHT DIVERSION AT STEP 5

PLEASE NOTE – ROUTE DIVERSION to avoid Blakeridge Wood as permissive agreement has lapsed and gates are locked. STEP 5: At Cefn Einion turn right and continue ahead over the next crossroads along the lane to Bryn. At Bryn turn left at the road junction to follow the lane alongside Argoed Wood to rejoin the route at Step 7.

A 12 mile linear route from Bishop’s Moat to Clun through the farming land to the west of Bishop’s Castle. The ride takes you through some lovely woodland and up to the spectacular iron-age hillfort of Bury Ditches, widely regarded as one of the finest hillforts in Britain.

The Bridleway winds down from the Kerry Ridgeway through the farming landscape west of Bishop’s Castle. The town is only a further two miles along to the end of the Ridgeway and is well worth a visit. Formerly one of the smallest boroughs in England the town is a vibrant community. It was founded in Saxon times when the land was given to the Bishop of Hereford by the lord of the manor, Egwin Shakehead, after he was cured of palsy in Hereford Cathedral. A castle was built in the 11th century and the town gradually grew up around it.

The occupations and industries in the town are still predominately based on agriculture. Brewing has been carried out since at least the 17th century when the Three Tuns public house obtained a licence and the tradition continues in the town to this day. There are two breweries in the town and there is much of interest to the visitor among the historic streets.

The remote rural community of Mainstone is named after the stone which now stands in front of the pulpit of the Parish Church. It was most likely used as a weight for bags of grain as the settlement in medieval times was a trading post on the Kerry Ridgeway. However there is a local folk tale, dating from the 19th century, which recounts the stone (weighing 204.5 pounds!) was used by the young men of the locality to demonstrate their strength and win their lady love. According to the tale the young men competed in a test of strength which involved throwing the stone across the quaintly named river Unk. The one to throw the ‘mainstone’ the furthest won the hand of the lady of his choice. It is unlikely that the local youth of today would go to such lengths to ‘get their girl!’

Distance

12 miles

Start from

Bishop's Moat
View a map

Nearest towns

Bishop's CastleClun

Terrain

Stoned Tracks, lanes and cross field bridleways

Linear rides

Long distance

Wildlife heritage and geology

Print or download Add favourite Download GPX file

Bishop’s Moat

Standing at a height of 340m (1,115ft), overlooking the Powys-Shropshire border, is the remains of a motte and bailey castle known as Bishop’s Moat. It is now a gorse covered mound but it can be seen how its position, lying at a narrow point along the hill, could have helped control access along the Ridgeway. The earthwork is on a site founded around 1120 and named after the bishops of Hereford who held the area in the middle ages, the district known as Bishop’s Teirtref. The castle stood at the western end of this territory and would have played a role in the administration of the area.

Jack Mytton Way

Part of the Blue Remembered Hills Bridleway coincides with the Jack Mytton Way. This 68 mile route crosses Shropshire from the River Severn to the Welsh border at Llanfair Waterdine. The distinctive waymark depicts the legendary Jack Mytton, a characterful but wayward local landowner after whom the route is named. There is also a network of ten circular routes linked to the Jack Mytton Way which criss cross the Shropshire Hills, stretching from Wenlock Edge, across the Long Mynd, to the jagged Stiperstones.

Bury Ditches

Bury Ditches is a spectacular Iron Age hill fort which can be visited on foot. The fort occupies an area of about 3 hectares (7½ acres) and is widely acknowledged as one of the finest hill forts in Britain. The defending ramparts are up to seven metres high and were designed to help the inhabitants survive the most ferocious of attacks. It is only since the 1970’s that visitors have been able to see the fort in its full splendour as previously it was well hidden by forestry for many decades.

Ride directions

Step 1
At junction of roads take a right turn towards Mainstone. Turn off the road where it bears right, after about 400 metres, and take the lane ahead.
Step 2
As the lane begins to climb take a bridleway on the left which crosses fields then follows round the hillside to join a stone track.
Step 3
Just before Middle Woodbatch Farm there is a junction of bridleways. Turn right up a sunken lane which climbs uphill, crosses a field to a gate onto another bridleway.
Step 4
Turn right and follow track out to road. Cross straight over road and follow the track which takes Shropshire Way over Reilth Top.
Step 5
PLEASE NOTE - ROUTE DIVERSION to avoid Blakeridge Wood as permissive agreement has lapsed and gates are locked. At Cefn Einion turn right and continue ahead over the next crossroads along the lane to Bryn. At Bryn turn left at the road junction to follow the lane alongside Argoed Wood to rejoin the route at Step 7.
Step 6
Where a track joins from left keep right then follow the track as it bears to the right eventually reaching a track leading to the left out of the forestry into a grass field with a track leading out to the road by farm buildings.
Step 7
Turn left onto road and follow out to the A488 Bishops Castle – Clun Road.
Step 8
Cross straight over onto a minor road to Acton. In hamlet bear right towards Acton House then left onto a hedged lane which climbs up and along the side of Acton Bank to Brockton village.
Step 9
At Brockton turn right onto road and follow for about 2km to Bury Ditches car park.
Step 10
Keep left through the car park and here the route joins the Jack Mytton Way and runs along the hillside below the hillfort.
Step 11
The route turns left off the main forestry track. This joins the road at Guilden Down and descends into the town of Clun past the Youth Hostel and Memorial Hall.
Step 12
After passing the Memorial Hall turn left along Ford Street to High Street and the village centre.

Route leaflet

Other nearby horse rides

Jack Mytton Way Route 5: Plowden to Clun
Distance
9 miles
Blue Remembered Hills Bridleway: Route 2
Distance
5.25 miles
Jack Mytton Way Route 6: Clun to Llanfair Waterdine
Distance
8 miles
Blue Remembered Hills Bridleway: Route 1
Distance
7 miles

Discover walks in Shropshire

Cycling in Shropshire

Horse riding in Shropshire

Country parks & sites in Shropshire

More to explore in Shropshire's Great Outdoors