Walking with Offa 2: Dormice & Archangels in Hope Valley

Walk directions

1. Step 1

   Start at The Stables Inn, Hopesgate, SY5 0EP .
   From car park opposite the pub, turn right along lane and cross stile next to the gate on the right. Take the right path aiming towards the right of the large red brick house in the woods and as you cross the field bear right to cross the now visible stile/gate. Go straight on downhill to cross another stile/gate. Go straight on down hill towards woodland to reach a waymarked stile.

2. Step 2

   Walk through a short section of woodland and head over the field in the direction of the farm. After the stile, do not enter the farm but turn sharp left onto up hill track. Soon this emerges at a field edge. Continue straight bearing slightly right to cross the middle of the field (may have crops growing) and soon you reach a gate and exit onto a tarmac lane.

3. Step 3

   Turn left and up the lane to take the track on the right immediately after ‘Lordstone’ Cottage (plaque on frontage). Shortly along the track enter the field via the stile on the left and continue in the same direction along field and slightly uphill to a stile visible in far hedge.

4. Step 4

   Cross lane/stiles and straight on over to cross the footbridge & stile, then on to enter the woods at next stile. Walk through woods to emerge via stile onto a driveway, turn left and follow this concrete track up to a T-junction.

5. Step 5

   Turn left steeply up lane to take the concealed stile and sleeper bridge in hedge on right shortly after gate. Continue with hedge on left to the top left corner of field.  Pass through two gates that take you into the farmyard. Turn left to go up through yard and double gates onto the concrete access drive. Continue uphill to exit the drive out to a junction of roads. From here there are fantastic views of Stiperstones.

6. Step 6

   Go down the second road on left past ‘Bentlawnt’ village sign. Take the first wide track on the right, before the village (fingerpost in hedge) turning slightly back at the start. Continue on this track for ½ mile, ignoring all turnings off, and eventually turn left at the T-junction.

7. Step 7

   Pass houses on your right and continue straight on through gate to field. Ignore bridleway on left and enter the woods via a stile, left of the metal pedestrian gate.
   Take the middle path which gently climbs to follow the crest of Oakedge for just under ½ mile.

8. Step 8

   When path descends, look for steep path down and left to wider track with open field beyond. Turn right along track to right hand bend, and turn left into field at waymark, with partial hedge line on right. Cross the field aiming to the right of the lower right telegraph pole and go into a cluster of Oak Trees.
   These woods include The Hope Valley Nature Reserve,owned by Shropshire Wildlife Trust. They are home to a colony of dormice, first discovered here nesting in a bird
   box.
   
   

9. Step 9

   Before the woods is a small stream; find the lower steep path that descends to cross, this can be slippery. Once carefully over the stream, bear right and cross stile, and then bear right again to take the path that runs above the stream (this section can be muddy).
   Follow this to cross the stream at a small wooden bridge (can be slippery) and follow the track to join the A488, watch out for traffic on this very busy road! Turn left and walk single file keeping well into the verge/ footpath and on to Hope Holy Trinity Church.
   
   

10. Step 10

    Enter church yard, cross the bridge and turn left at the church to leave via a gate, turn right uphill on a sunken lane out to the road. Turn right down road for a short distance and then left over stile into field. Go uphill, keeping to right of large ash tree, ignoring gate to left follow the left boundary on to cross stile ahead, continue to keep left across next field to exit via a stile/gate. Turn right back to the starting point.