Perched on the slopes of Grinshill’s sandstone ridge, this spot provides sweeping views across Shrewsbury, the Shropshire Hills and all the way to the Welsh Borders. With winding paths and scenic viewpoints, it’s Shropshire at its most show-offy.
Corbet Wood Countryside Heritage Site
Whispering trees wide-open Shropshire panoramas
Getting there & parking
There is a free car park on site - Corbet Wood Car Park.
By Train
Corbet Wood is just over 1 mile walk east from Yorton Railway Station.
By Bus
The 511 and 512 Shrewsbury to Wem and Whitchurch bus stops in Yorton.
Opening times
Every day of the year.
Things to see & do
Picnic with a view. Head east of the car park and you’ll find log and boulder seating at the high point—perfect for a sunny picnic with sweeping views to the south. Sandwiches taste better with scenery like this.
Wander the winding paths Lose yourself (just a little) in a maze of trails that criss-cross the site. Along the way, you’ll spot glimpses of Shropshire’s past—signs of lives once lived, and work once done including Grinshill sandstone quarry. For nearly 900 years, Grinshill sandstone has proven its strength and reliability. Used across countless construction sites, it’s consistently outperformed other rocks of similar age and appearance—standing up to time, weather and erosion with impressive resilience.
Saddle up or pedal out The Humphrey Kynaston Way runs right through the site, linking up with bridleways and byways beyond. Whether you’re on horseback or two wheels, it’s a ride with real Shropshire spirit.
Safety
It should be noted that many of the high quarry faces have loose stones and should not be approached too close, children should be supervised at all times.
Grinshill stone built Shrewsbury
Some of Shropshire’s finest buildings, churches and bridges have been built from the high-quality white sandstone of Grinshill’s quarries. Many of them are in Shrewsbury, including: New St Chad’s, St Mary’s and St Julian’s churches, the English and Welsh Bridges, Shrewsbury Library and the Music Hall.
Arguably the most impressive structure is Lord Hill’s Column, located outside Shire Hall, which is taller than Nelson’s Column in London. Unlike its counterpart the lions at the feet of Lord Hill’s
Column are also carved from stone.
The Hill’s summit is famous for more than just its superb views. Fire-hardened flint chips, tools and arrowheads have been found washed out of the thin soils here. They prove that Stone Age
people gathered at the viewpoint to rest, make tools and keep watch.
In the mid 1800s, the new scientists of the age like Darwin and Murchison’s attention was drawn to Grinshill. The rain prints, fossil footprints and fragments of lizard-like skeletons found in the Siltstone flags that overlay the quarry’s prized white sandstone intrigued them. The discovery of these creatures, called Rhynchosaurs, helped provoke theories about the Earth’s creation that challenged many of the commonly held beliefs of the day
Volunteer
Corbet Wood and Grinshill Action Group meet every 6 weeks. Contact us to find out more abut volunteering at Corbett wood.