Church Stretton Circular Walk 7 – Battle Stone

Walk directions

1. Step 1

   Go along the High Street and turn right into Sandford Avenue. Follow this road to the traffic lights by the A49. Cross over and take first left into Watling Street North.  

2. Step 2

   As the road bends to the right, just before the Helmeth Road sign, go left up Cwms Lane, a tarmac farm road, signposted “Caer Caradoc”. Follow the road to a cattle grid just past a house called Eastwood. Go through the kissing gate on the right and proceed up the field keeping hedge on your right. 

3. Step 3

   At the far corner of the field the track bears right towards a farm gate /kissing gate. Go through the gate and keep on the path which crosses over a ford and goes up Hope Bowdler valley with Caer Caradoc hill on the left. Eventually pass through a gate where the highest point of Caer Caradoc is on your left. 

4. Step 4

   Shortly afterwards turn right in front of a clump of pine trees and cross the field. You will see a wicket gate in the hedge. Pass through and turn left keeping hedge on your left. Go through a kissing gate. Keep hedge on the left until it reaches a signpost pointing in six directions. Head straight across, following the sign to Sharpstone, keeping the fence on your left. 

5. Step 5

   The path starts to bend right away from the fence to go gently uphill. Follow this and take the narrow track on the left which climbs more steeply up the hill but then levels out, to go round the back of the hill with Battle Stone on your right. Continue until it reaches two gates

6. Step 6

   Just before the gates turn right and follow the clear path up to Battle Stone. On a clear day you can see the Long Mynd, Caer Caradoc, The Lawley and the Wrekin in the distance.  

7. Step 7

   Walk along the ridge, heading for a fence. Keep the fence on your left as the track goes through a gate to a stile. Cross over the stile (ignore stile/gate on your left). Climb up slope ahead. Follow along Hope Bowdler ridge enjoying the views until it goes downhill to reach Gaer Stone. 

8. Step 8

   Drop down from Gaer Stone and turn right in front of a gate to follow a steep path down keeping the fence on your left. Pass through a gate and continue down a steep field keeping the hedge on your left. Go through the gate at the bottom onto a farm track. Gaerstones Farmhouse is on your right. Turn left and follow the farm track to the road. Go straight across the road and down Hazler Road to return to Church Stretton.