Clun Valley
The Clun area is the most deeply rural part of the Shropshire Hills and is amongst the most sparsely populated parts of England.
Bounded to the west by the Welsh border, stretching from the uplands of the Clun Forest to the lower Clun Valley.
This corner in Shropshire has been long fought over. The Welsh place names and many defensive earthworks, such as Offa’s Dyke, Clun and Hopton Castles, are testimony to these turbulent times.
Today, the rolling upland hills, and meandering river valleys give the area a remote feel.
The small, charming villages and hamlets along the valley are tied to the river Clun from which the main town gets its name
For us Clun village was the starting point from where we explored this beautiful part of the county.
Walking
First, we explored Clun village. We fell in love with the thatched roofs, old stone walls, Clun Castle and 15th century packhorse bridge and its idyllic setting.
From the main car park, we crossed the packhorse bridge and headed north.
We followed the Shropshire Way to Bury Ditches.
This 6,5-mile moderate walk offers some wonderful views over spectacular countryside. The highpoint of the walk is the summit of Sunnyhill where Bury Ditches iron-age hill fort can be found.
Clun is part of the national ‘Walkers are Welcome’ towns network. This means that there are plenty of walks to choose from.
Offa’s Dyke and the Shropshire Way can be reached easily from Clun as it is situated on the most spectacular stretches of these long-distance footpaths.
The Shropshire Way
The Shropshire Way is a long-distance path of some 200 miles, covering not only the wonderful Shropshire Hills in the South but also some of the historic towns and unique natural features in the North of the county.
Stage 3 and stage 4 of the Shropshire Way passes the village of Clun.
Offa’s Dyke Path
Offa’s Dyke Path is a 177 mile (285 Km) long walking trail.
It is named after, and often follows, the spectacular Dyke King Offa ordered to be constructed in the 8th century.
The best-preserved sections of this path, that defined the frontier between England and Wales, run through Clun Valley.
It connects the Shropshire Hills with other areas along the border including Herefordshire and Radnor and the Clwydian Range.
If you would like to explore parts of Offa’s Dyke, then you should head for Newcastle-on-Clun.
A quite hilly 9-mile walk takes in an impressive section of the Offa’s Dyke Path.
Starting from Newcastle-on-Clun Community Centre and joining Offa’s Dyke Path after which this walk gains impressive views along the Clun Valley.
Kerry Ridgeway
Above Newcastle Upon Clun you can also access the ancient pre-Bronze Age Kerry Ridgeway which is also a Long-Distance Footpath.
This ancient path is 15 miles (24 km) long, journeying from Cider House Farm, near the village of Kerry, to Bishops Castle
The route follows a ridgetop overlooking Wales on the one side and England on the other.
It never dips below 1000 ft (300 m) above sea level, resulting in remarkable views in all directions.
Cool Places to Explore: Carding Mill Valley & the Long Mynd | Clun Castle | Ludlow Castle | Stokesay Castle.
Cool Places to Stay: The Cowshed.