England – South Shropshire (and a little diversion into Worcestershire)

By Claire

This review will focus on my home patch; all are locations that I can drive to within about 30 minutes. They are places I probably don’t really “see” the full beauty of anymore due to familiarity but I was inspired to write this after talking with someone who had never visited the area before and who was captivated with it. Maybe it will inspire others to visit this little known region.

I live in a small rural town in South Shropshire called Cleobury Mortimer. It is a pleasant place to live but as someone who loves to photograph near water, whether that is sea or lakes, I usually escape as soon as the holidays come along. However, weekends usually find me out walking with my dog and the camera comes too.

The main areas I frequent include the rivers Severn and Teme  and we are blessed with some pretty hills known collectively as The Shropshire Hills that are designated an area of outstanding natural beauty, we have common land where one is free to roam and the Wyre Forest that is one of the largest remaining ancient woodlands in Britain. Ludlow is a well visited town, famous for its castle and good food.

Let’s start with my hometown. Cleobury Mortimer is worth a quick visit, in particular the 12th-century St. Mary’s church in the town centre, renowned for its crooked spire.

Autumn is probably my favourite season and at weekends I often rise early and try and gauge if there will be mists in the valleys. If there are a few stars and little wind I’ll jump in the car and head for some high ground with a view over the Teme valley.

The Clee Hills are a range of hills consisting of Brown Clee Hill (540m), the highest peak in Shropshire, and Titterstone Clee Hill (533m). Views from the west of the hills spread as far as Snowdonia and Cadair Idris, the Brecon Beacons and the Black Mountains. To the south one can see the Malvern Hills and the Cotswolds, and to the east are the Clent Hills, and the spread of the West Midlands. To the north is Cannock Chase, and on a very clear day the hills of the Peak District including The Roaches.

There is a long-standing rumour that they are the highest land eastwards until the Ural Mountains in Russia. Hence the name of the pub in Clee Hill village – The Kremlin Inn.

Some people believe that ‘The Shire’ in Tolkien’s ‘Lord of the Rings’ was based on this area, which he was known to visit frequently and we do indeed have a Baggins wood.

At the top of Titterstone Clee Hill there is a radar station, it is a familiar landmark and whilst not the prettiest of features it holds a certain fascination for me.

One of my favourite routes up to Brown Clee is via Nordybank hill fort that lies east of the village called Clee St Margaret. It is made interesting due to the rampart, which is at least 6 ft. above the level of the ground within and the lumps and bumps add interest in a picture.

The River Severn is the longest river in Great Britain, at 220 miles (354 km). My favourite walks along the river start at Arley (where there is a foot bridge) and I often see kingfishers here.

There is a station at Arley for the Severn Valley Steam Railway

The Arley Arboretum is one of the oldest Arboretums in Great Britain and especially worth a visit in autumn for fabulous colour or spring when the magnolia garden is stunning.

Winter evenings, with a promise of a sunset, are a good time to visit The Stiperstones . This is a very distinctive hill with a quartzite ridge formed some 480 Million years ago. During the last Ice Age the summit stood out above the glaciers and was subject to constant freezing and thawing which shattered the quartzite into a mass of scree surrounding several strangely shaped rocky tors. There is a five-mile long summit ridge walk that gives great views over the Shropshire plains and across to Wales. The car park is accessible by an easy path so it is safe to sit and watch the sun set but it does have quite a mysterious feel about it and the area is rich in folklore relating to the rocks called the Devil’s Chair. According to one legend, the ghost of Wild Edric, a Saxon earl rides the hills whenever England is threatened by invasion.

The Wyre Forest is a large, semi-natural woodland and forest, which straddles the borders of Worcestershire and Shropshire.

The foresty commission runs photography days – check here for the next one.

Ludlow has many ancient properties including a ruined castle and one of the largest parish churches in England. The town centre’s streets are lined with medieval and Georgian buildings. Broad Street has been described as the most beautiful street in Britain.

The River Teme runs through Ludlow and this is where I got this shot of a leaping salmon – during the October run wait by one of the many weirs to experience this sight.

Stokesay Castle is considered the finest and best-preserved 13th-century fortified manor house in England and is just a short drive out of Ludlow.

Acton Scott historic working farm has lots of photographic potential (open to the public between April and November).

Going on Safari  and want to hone your skills for the big event? West Midlands Safari Park is worth a visit. I pass this on my way to work and get a glimpse of the elephants each day.

It has been fun revisiting some of these images; maybe it is time to start appreciating my locality a little more and if you do visit please feel free to contact me and I may join you on a shoot or for details of some lovely walks around Cleobury visit here.