Stokesay Walks – Shropshire Hills Discovery Walks

Walk directions

1. Start

   From the Centre take the main path towards the meadows and turn left before the Community Garden to take the path to a gate and into the hamlet of Newton. Keep ahead and then fork right along the lane to reach the white metal bridge over the River Onny.

2. Step 2

   Across the bridge fork right across the field to a small footbridge over a stream. Climb up the bank beyond and follow the fence line on the right up to a metal kissing gate. The path beyond gives good views up to Norton Camp (where there is an iron age hill fort on the top of the wooded hill) on your left. Through the second kissing gate keep right as you drop down to the riverside which you follow as it curves towards the main road.

3. Step 3

   As you get towards the road cross a stile and round the corner of a field to another stile and a flight of steps up to a section of old road. You can detour along the path to the right which brings you to a huge weir right under the A49 bridge.

   Retrace your steps to the redundant road and follow it back round on the level to where it joins the A49. Take great care with the fast traffic on the busy road. Cross the road when traffic permits and head rightwards along the pavement to find the road turn to Stokesay Castle on the left.

4. Step 4

   Walk up the small lane which carries traffic to Stokesay Castle. A little way up turn left into the churchyard, through the timber gateway. You’ll see Stokesay Castle and Gatehouse ahead of you and Stokesay Church on your right. The church is normally open the same hours as the Castle. Follow the path to the right to the church entrance.

5. Step 5

   From the church take the path on through the churchyard to reach the lane where the English Heritage car park and picnic area are ahead of you.

6. 6 - Stokesay Stroll

   For the shorter Stroll route, turn left along the lane a short distance to a gate on the right, into a field with a large pond on your left. Take the path ahead and under the railway bridge, where it can be muddy. Turn immediately right after the bridge and walk towards the corner of the field where you veer leftwards and follow the line of the ancient hawthorn hedge diagonally away from the railway, keeping the trees on your right. There are views up to Stoke Wood on the left.

7. Step 7

   Keep going in a straight line to reach a stile beside a gate at the top of the field. Cross this and keep on again up the field until you find a stile in the right hand hedge.
   OR..

8. 6 - Stokesay and Sallow Coppice Walk

   For the longer route into two woodlands, turn left along the lane, past the large pond on the right hand side and then go through the field gate on the right before the large black barn. Cross the field ahead to a railway crossing point. Take great care as you climb over the two stiles and cross the rail track, looking and listening for trains.

9. 6.1

   Take the track up from the rail line through a gate into a large meadow. The path goes across the field, at a slight right hand angle to a stile in the hedge. There are lovely views back to Stokesay Castle. Cross two more fields and stiles on this line to reach Stoke Wood.

10. 6.2

    Join the woodland track heading to the right. The track can be muddy at times. At the end of Stoke Wood you reach a kissing gate and stile at Clapping Wicket.

11. 6.3

    Immediately after these also cross the stile, directly opposite, in the right hand fence. From here the footpath cuts across the middle of three consecutive fields, over stiles in the fence-lines. There’s another great view of Stokesay Castle and Norton Camp half way across. Keep slightly left to reach the hedge around Sallow Coppice woodland. Follow the hedge to the right, over a stile by a gate. From here you can see the tower of Flounders Folly on the skyline ahead. 

12. 6.4

    Take the nearby stile on the left into Sallow Coppice and follow the path to the right which winds through the trees. Fork right at a small junction and the path winds downhill along the right hand edge of the woods to a stile in the bottom corner, on the right.

13. 6.5

    Cross the stile and go through the hedgerow out into a field. Keep to the left hand hedge-line along the bottom of the field. Look for a stile in the hedge on the left where you re-join the shorter Stokesay Stroll route.

14. 8 - Back to the Centre

    Cross this stile into another pasture from where there is a good view north to the Long Mynd and Stretton Hills. Keep to the right hand hedge as you walk down this field, which funnels into a sunken track at the bottom which can be muddy at times. Cross the stile beside the gate and follow the track back under the railway.

15. 9

    Keep ahead through the houses to reach the main road again. Cross this carefully at the pedestrian crossing and turn right to return to the Discovery Centre.