Tuesday 30 August 2016

Day 9. Cressage to Bridgnorth.

Tuesday 30 August.

We had very large rooms at the Riverside Inn and the view from the bedroom is our first photograph. We took our evening meal in the restaurant, which was very good. However the Inn was difficult to access on foot, without a car and the host seemed to have little knowledge of local taxi companies or bus times. We got our details from the Internet.

We breakfasted at 7:30 am and waited for the 8:53 bus to Cressage. When it had not arrived at 9:00, and we were just starting to ring for a taxi, it turned up. The first bit of the walk was quiet but up hill to a village  called Sheinton where we photographed the church.

Near the top of the hill we passed the road sign in the next photograph which reminded me of something we may not have mentioned. The Roman name for the River Severn was Sabrina.

The road walking switched to a pleasant little downhill track through forest. Can you see the entrance to it in the photograph with the 'Private Road' sign. The entrance is between the road and the sign. The following photograph shows what it's like on the path. The following photograph shows where the route joins the main road and you will see no evidence of a right of way.

The path then followed the main road, past an Abbey, down to a bridge over the Severn. There was no pavement so it was not too pleasant, but the view across the Bridge, in the next photo was magic. Note the well cut grass right down to the river's edge. Contrast this with the next two pictures where Shiel is trying to access the public Severn Way on the same river bank.

With all the knot weed we lost our route and didn''t find the crossing, over a bridge, to the other bank of the Severn so we continued, via a private individual's path diversion, to a pleasant public park and on to the beautiful Iron Bridge in the next photograph and we cossed there.

We picked up the Severn Valley Way for a few km, where it was well maintained. The 3 photographs show a nice church we passed before entering a wooded drive and finally ending at the Telford Bridge(?).

We then decided to leave the knot weed infested Severn Way and follow the permissive cycle path that runs almost parallel to it. Strangely it is not infested with knot weed. At one point it joined the Severn Valley way again down to a farm. It was clear for a little while but then became impassable. It appears to us that a decision has been made to sacrifice the path to private development.

The last two photographs of the Severn river were taken when the two "Ways" were in close proximity.

Shiel and I were both knackered when we arrived in Bridgenorth at about 5:30pm.
Shilel has a black eye and scatches on her arm and leg. I,ve just got one scratch below a finger nail. It did bleed enough to put red blobs on my trousers. I thougt at first it was berry juice. Any more infested paths and we'll go 'Our Own Way.'

Day 8 Shrewsbury to Cressage.Part 2.

Monday 29 August.
Having realized our error we had to get up onto the A49 bridge. Least said, soonest mended.

The first photograph is a view looking N from the A49 bridge. We also passed under a very nice old railway bridge, also shown.

We entered a wooded area but ith was not easy to tell where the track went, due to lots of fishing paths. We got lost. We ended up the wrong side of a reaped corn field. The next photograph shows the result of Shiel getting a thorn in her leg whilst we were trying to regain the route.

There followed areas of heavy knot weed infestation an interesting paddocks of old sunflower plantings. I've also included a view where the path went alongside a sweet corn paddock.

However our biggest path obstruction to date occured just before the route joined the B4380, and we were strictly 'on The Way.' Suddenly, on passing through a gate everything changed. Perfection. We were crossing the end of someone's garden! On the path, and just
before the main road.

The section beside the B4380 was horrendous, smelly and noisy. The village of Atcham had a nice bridge though, worthy of a photo. When we turned off to Wroxeter there was very little traffic and a nice church (photo).

There was quite a long road walk with extensive views until we entered our final farm crossing to Cressage near Dryten. It was tricky navigation, but not unpleasant until we turned off the farm track beside a small wood. The path was impenetrable at times, Shiel fell over. she has a black eye. The path was terrible and we were on it. We kept finding waymarkers. I find it amazing that such a major track is so badly maintained. We've crossed the world to be able to walk it.

Miraculously we eventually  reached the road bridge near Cressage. However we still had to get to our B&B, The Riverside Hotel. As it was about 2 miles up a main road, without a verge,  we had planned to take the bus. We forgot about Bank Holiday Monday!

We therefore decided to get a drink at the hotel in Cressage and order a taxi. That was our plan. Just before the Bridge at Cressage, we met a couple having a picnic on the river bank and got chatting. They told us the bad news that the hotel had closed down but they did give us a number for the taxi company. We had a good chat and they were interested in what we were up to. They also offered us water, and as Shiel and I had both run out we accepted gladly.

We then walked down to the crossroads opposite the hotel and phoned the taxi company. It was now about 5pm but the taxi company said they could do nothing until 6:30 pm. We were just about to risk life and limb on the road when the couple we saw picnicking passed by in their 2 seater sports car, Dan and his girlfriend. They asked about the taxi and when we told them about the delay Dan told us to hang on for 10 minutes and he would return and run us to the hotel. He did just that.

Meeting and chatting to such nice people is what makes long distance walking so enjoyable. That simple act of kindness turned what had been a pretty disasterous day into a day to remember. Thank you Dan and friend your kindness made all the difference to our day.

Day 8.Shrewsbury to Cressage. Part 1.

Monday 29 August.

Well today was a Tale of Two Cities Walk. 'It was the best of times and the worst of times.'

All started well. We stayed overnight at 'The Vaults' in Shrewsbury. We arrived on Bank Holiday Weekend during a Folk Festival! To cut a long story short we would be prepared to stay there again. However they don't do breakfast so it was pancakes and coffee at McDonalds. Getting there we passed the building in the first photo, of the ? Regiment

After breakfast we headed to the river via 'The Dana' an interesting route passing Shrewsbury prison, shown in the next photograph. On reaching the river bank we saw our first health and safety warning! "Beware in icy conditions."
How did we ever survive to adulthood in the 50's and 60's without the "nanny state."

The next slide is a view of the Severn giving you a good idea of the calm weather. It was a beautiful. Then follow another series of dire warnings!!!! End of the world? No it's just a weir, shown in the next picture.

The beauty of the route is clear in the next picture. Also notice the wide walkway. We met the horse, Blue's double, just as the footpath narrowed to single track, shown in the next two photographs.

We then went under a major road bridge (A5112)  and this was a mistake. We should have used it to cross to the Eastern bank! The next two pictures of degrading track integrity were actually taken on 'The Shropshire Way.'
We should have twigged what was going on when we saw the sign to Wellington, shown in the penultimate photograph, but it was not until about a km after we passed under the A49, with its graffiti display, that we realise our error.

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Sunday 28 August 2016

Day 7. Crewgreen to Shrewsbury.

Sunday 28 August.
We left Brookhouse Farm by 9:30 am as we knew it was going to be a tough day. We went out N, over the farms campground, to join the iron bridge over the Severn. The first part of the walk, to Melverley, was across fields to view an old church. However the entrance was blocked a group of women and children putting up floral decorations so we missed out on a church visit.

The next mile or so was on the road until we reached a campsite which we entered on a footpath to meet up with the Severn Way again.
It was not clear on our map which footpath to take to pick up the Way. The way crossed corn fields to eventually pick up the road again. We then followed the road all around a military establishment down through the village of Shrawardine.The photos of the thatched cottage and the church were taken in the village. We then road and path to Montford where our final church photograph was taken.

It was then all road again to Montford Bridge, where we photographed   the Severn again before going into a pub, The Wingfield Arms, for a very welcome shandy.

The path continued opposite the pub but got lost in a lot of Japanese Knot weed. There appeared to be 2 routes both blocked with weed. We eventually picked up the correct path running up the side of a field of sweet corn. The path continued up a slight rise and offered great views  back as far as the Breidden Hills with Shiel in the foreground making her way towards the camera.

There followed a wooded area and a section of private road near Bicton,  but the way into Shrewsbury was largely through fields rather than tarmac road. It was interesting that  we could not find some of the Way signs in the area around Bicton but it was not that they had been removed. Rather shrubs and vegetation had been allowed to grow over the signs. Compare photos with Shiel, and then a close up of the hidden signs.

The path into Shrewsbury went for quite a way downhill through a wooded area behind housing (Shelton?) . It eventually came out on a water meadow which we followed until the path led up into the city where we went to locate our hotel, taking pictures on the way.

We arrived about 5pm after 7 and 1/2 hours. We covered 24.5km in mostly sunny weather with just a few short showers.

We are tired and the photos will probably not appear until we have a day off in Worcester.