It’s possible that people living 13 centuries ago in Saxon times made these tracks. They probably lived in small, separate hamlets, trading between each other, farming, fishing and hunting in the forest. A 7th C. cemetery in Bromfield was found to contain up to 31 burials. There may be few buildings to see but the names of places and features around them live on, like Bromfield (broom + feld) = wild broom covered open ground, and names with ‘ton’ meaning farmstead.
Ludlow Country Walks, Walk 2: Castle Square, Priors Halton and Hill Halton Circular
A delightful 5 mile walk / or 6 mile longer route with varied scenery from Castle Square to Priors Halton, and Hill Halton.
Walk directions
Start
From Castle Square take the path to the right of the castle, follow the castle walls and down to the road opposite 'Mill on the Green' Restaurant.
Step 2
Turn left, then right over the bridge to cross the River Teme, continue along this road for 350 yards then bear right on to the lane signed for Priors Halton.
Step 3
Take path on right, through kissing gate (The Shropshire Way) and go up slope, left, to far right corner. Here, if wet, move left to lessen slope.
Step 4
Cross the bridge with two gates. Follow the waymarks through two kissing gates. Drop down to a culverted stream and kissing gate.
Step 5
Cross the field in a diagonal direction to a field gate and through the next field to a stile / gate and field gate and on to the lane. Turn left passing Priors Halton Farm.
Step 6
Take the first track to the right after the last of the buildings and after approximately 200 yards turn right through a gate into the field.
Step 7
Follow the path around the field edge, and cross the bridge with stile rails. Continue left and up a slight rise to an old field gate with waymark post. Go through gateway, keeping hedge on right and go to field gate in corner of field.
Step 8
Go through. Tum left on to bridleway / vehicle track to road.
Step 9
There is a choice of route :- for an easy, shorter way back, turn left and amble along Lower Wood Road (not a 'through road") joining up with the alternative route at step 10.
Or turn right on a route with a climb, of over 100m, a good view and a rougher, wetter track through the forest. Follow steps 9a-h for the longer walk.
Step 9a
Tum left at a bridle gate and climb up the hill crossing two tracks, up to the road.
Step 9b
Turn right then first left at a fingerpost near Mary Knoll House and through a yard straight up to a steel pedestrian gate on the left. Follow blue discs.
Step 9c
Up to a steel field gate with a stile and then a pedestrian gate. Follow the bridleway along the tractor track then forward.
Step 9d
Passing a field gate on the right. Continue on a fairly straight track, with every sign of being very old, for about 250 yards.
Step 9e
When the field on the right gives way to forest, ignore the first track off to the right.
Step 9f
About 200 yards on, take the next track on the right signed a bridleway. Where a path joins from the right, keep straight on.
Step 9g
At the forestry road, marked by Mortimer Trail green discs, turn left and walk down 650 yards to the road.
Step 9h
Cross to the layby and take the path on the left, to the right of a green post with prohibition signs and bend sharply right at a waymark post signed with a green disc. It leads down for three quarters of a mile to Lower Wood Road. Tum right for about 25 yards.
Step 10
Turn right at the next road up to a path on the left beside an information board for Whitcliffe Common.
Step 11
Follow Mortimer Trail to Dinham Bridge by a short flight of steps, then retrace your steps to Castle Square.