Stapeley Hill
Stapeley Hill is a sacred saddleback shaped hill in South-West Shropshire, near the village of Priest Weston, not far from another landmark, Corndon Hill. The hill is a very special place where monuments bear witness to early inhabitants and today people enjoy walking across the Bronze Age landscape centred on Mitchell’s Fold stone circle. There are wonderful views to Corndon Hill in the south, the Welsh mountains to the west and the Stiperstones ridge in the east. To the north, Castle Ring Iron Age hill fort provides another vantage point in this ancient landscape. There are two Bronze Age cairns at or near the summit, and such round cairns are a common feature of Welsh mountain summits. The hill rises to an elevation of 403 metres (1,322 ft) and lies in the civil parish of Chirbury with Brompton.
Mitchell’s Fold
Mitchell’s Fold is a Bronze Age stone circle in South-West Shropshire, located near the small village of White Grit on dry heathland at the south-west end of Stapeley Hill. Erected sometime during the period 2000-1200 BC it is a striking testimony to the importance of south-west Shropshire uplands to the local Bronze Age communities. It comprises of stones 27 metres in diameter, of which 15 stones survive. Along the path leading from the Fold which crosses Stapeley Common, lies the Cow Stone, a single standing Stone or “Menhir.”
As with most sites of this type, its true history is unknown. However, there is a traditional folk story that a giant whose marvellous cow gave unlimited amounts of milk used the circle until a malicious witch milked the cow using a sieve until it was drained dry, as a result of which it fled to Warwickshire where it became the Dun cow. As a punishment, the witch was turned into stone and surrounded by other stones to prevent her escaping.
Castle Ring Hillfort
The earthwork rampant of this Iron Age hillfort can clearly be seen form the path. The defences define a roughly oval area of 3 acres with an in-turned entrance at the northern end. The hillfort occupies a commanding position and is likely to have been the defended settlement of a hilltop community resident here sometime during the 1st millennia BC.
Holy Well Brook
On the far north end of Stapeley Hill, two springs close to each other emanate from the hillside, converging into one brook. For centuries these springs were venerated, even as late as the 19th Century. On Holy Thursday, there would be a procession here, and the springs decorated and dressed. Ritual dropping of pins into the water, drinking of a brew made from water and sugar, and eating of cakes were observed. All this followed by a fair in Rorrington village itself.
Rorrington Lead and Baryte Mine
Today, forestry conceals the old Rorrington Mine. Initially producing lead and latterly barytes, Rorrington Mine worked between 1850s-1884 when it closed due to the company going into liquidation. It started up again soon after and finally closed in the 1930s, now only scattered remains exist of the once productive mine which tells a further chapter in the long history of man’s exploitation of these hills.
Corndon Hill
Corndon Hill is a hill in Powys, Mid Wales, whose isolated summit rises to 1,683 ft above sea level. It is surrounded on three sides by the English county of Shropshire and forms a prominent landmark in the Wales-England border. Corndon’s prominent western edge appears to form a separate hill and is known locally as Lan Fawr (Welsh: ‘Big Hill’). It is frequented by walkers and ramblers from car parks nearby at Mitchell’s Fold for example. There are spectacular panoramic views from the summit and is itself an important landmark for the surrounding countryside and towns like Montgomery. It is close to villages such as Church Stoke and Hyssington.
The hill is geologically part of the Shropshire Hills range of hills lying mainly to the north, east and south of the summit. The immediate area to the west is the Vale of Montgomery and the River Severn. The Cambrian Mountains are visible beyond to the far west. The Stiperstones and Shelve lie to the immediate north, with Caer Caradoc and the Long Mynd to the east.