This easy 1.5 mile walk takes you round some of the historic place in the village of Knockin, Shropshire, located approximately 5 miles south east of Oswestry and 11 miles north west of Shrewsbury. The walk has no stiles to cross and can be done at a leisurely pace so you can enjoy the historic buildings in the village. This walk was devised by Knockin Parish Paths Partnership and many of the improvements made to the route have been achieved through the work of the group.
Knockin Village
Knockin is a small village located in north-western Shropshire. It is made up of several large detached houses in a picturesque rural setting. Large parts of Knockin have previously been owned by the Earl of Bradford before being sold off to finance other projects. Today the Earl still owns the village Cricket pitch and other small areas dotted around the village. the local pub is appropriately called the ‘Bradford Arms’ and displays the coat of arms of the Bradford family as its pub sign. Interestingly enough, there is also a three faced clock located outside the pubs main entrance.
St Marys church in Knockin was founded by Ralph Le Strange between 1182 and 1195. The building was restored in 1847 but retains its Norman chancel, nave and north aisle. The graveyard was only consecrated in 1817 before which all burials took place at the nearby village of Kinnerley. Adjacent to the church is a derelict castle and a bricked up doorway can still be seen in the chancel of the church which dates back to when the priest would have entered from the fortress side.
Today little remains of Knockin Castle other than a tree-covered mound of earth. Originally the castle would have been a moated site that may have been built by Henry II in the 12th Century. Over the years the castle passed into the Le Strange family. Over the years many of the rocks comprising the castle walls were robbed away and a featured in many of the buildings around the village. Amusingly (to some people) the local shop was affectionately named ‘The Knockin Shop’ by the locals sadly the business has recently closed.
Interestingly enough Knockin plays host to a radio telescope that forms a part of MERLIN (Multi-Element Radio Linked Interferometer Network) a Joderal Bank initiative linking six observation stations that together form a powerful telescope with an effective aperture of over 217 kilometres.