These paths were made over 10 centuries ago by people living in Saxon Age settlements like Bromfield, typically beside a river. The villagers needed to travel to the open fields to farm their plots of land and to reach nearby villages to barter and exchange goods. River valleys would have looked quite different with river levels much higher and travellers would have used either rivers or higher ground to avoid floods. The Priory dates from the time of King Henry I, about 1135. It consisted of a small college of lay people.
Ludlow Country Walks, Walk 5: Castle Square, Priors Halton and Bromfield Circular
An interesting 6 mile ramble crossing the three rivers of southern Shropshire.
Walk directions
Start
From Castle Square take the path to the right of the Castle entrance following the the castle walls, then down to the road opposite 'Mr Under-hill's' Restaurant and the 'Mill on the Green.'
Step 2
Turn right over the bridge to cross the River Teme. Continue along the road for 350 yards, then bear right to Halton Lane, signed 'Priors Halton'.
Step 3
Take path on right through kissing gate (The Shropshire Way), orange waymarks and go up slope, left to far right corner. Here if wet, move left to lessen slope.
Step 4
Cross bridge with two gates and follow the waymarked route over two stiles, descending down to a stream with culvert and stile.
Step 5
Cross the field in a diagonal direction, left of a power line pole, to a field gate. Cross the next field straight to the far corner to a stile, a field gate and a track on to the lane.
Step 6
Turn right to follow the bridleway through Oakly Park for a good mile. Cross the River Teme and pass Bromfield Church to the A 4113, the Knighton Road.
Step 7
Bear right to the pavement beside the A49. ('The Clive' and the 'Ludlow Food Centre', cafe and toilets can be accessed by using the A49 under-pass.) Cross the bridge over the River Onny and continue for a further 250 yds. At a waymark post take the path behind the hedge for a quieter 800 yards.
Step 8
Turn right at a bridleway. Then left at a waymark post, keeping left of hedges. Go through a gate, then past farm buildings and cross over a drive to 'Burway' (inclined to be wet and muddy).
Step 9
Follow the path and after 250 yards the track becomes metalled. (This route is the old Borough Way, part of an ancient Clun to Clee Ridgeway). Turn right at the road. (Traffic once would have carried straight on and over the old stone Corve Bridge then taken a sharp right turn for town). Look for a path to the right up seven steps and through a metal kissing gate.
Step 10
Follow this well marked path through 'Boiling Well Meadow' and and across a bridge over the River Corve to the lane. Bear right towards the Castle and Castle Square.