Hi All,

Wondered if anyone could give me a bit of advice. I’m planning a trip to Shropshire next month, and was planning on spending the morning at Hopton Woods for a quick blast around there, and then travelling up to the Long Mynd.

Is there a route which we can do which will make the most of our time there without going over too much old ground, or is it unavoidable? Any particular highlights? Or should we sack off Hopton Woods and spend the day round the Long Mynd?

Cheers

Hopton is good so I would keep it in unless its been slinging it down. Long Mynd is very nice and drains well even in the wet. Not sure I have found the ideal route as only go once or twice a year. Pub at Bridges for lunch is a good call though. The Minton Batch descent is fine but I probably prefer the next one along (on the right as you look at the map). Do both though.

Nice one, cheers for the pub recommendation, for some reason I hadn’t thought about that!

Do you mean the double track (looks like number 8 on my map)through callow hollow?

Yes I think thats the one. Its quite fast and open. No technical difficulty, perhaps thats why I like it. Walkers at weekends. You can also go over to Slipperstones. I’m sure somebody with a bit more local knowledge will be along to advise.

As a local my favourite descent on the Long Mynd itself is 9 on the Long Mynd MTB map. It’s just as long and in my opinion better than Minton Batch. Turn left off the road 200yrds after you pass the small wood (on your right). I believe there is a post with a number 9 on. Hope this helps.

Did the Mynd earlier this year and had a great ride. I climbed the Mynd via the road up towards the gliding club, went down the batch, climbed back upto the gliding club and down a different downhill trail, could have been the 9 as Jack mentioned and it was a better descent than the batch (though the batch is still great), that dropped us into little stretton. A brilliant XC route. You have to keep a good eye out for the posts though.

Little Stretton is the one I was thinking of too.

Hopton is definitely worth doing if not too wet.
If you like open xc climbing then the stiperstones is good and great views on a clear day.Eastridge woods is there as well 😀

Long Mynd is a great place but do watch the ruts down Minton…I ran wide on one and had a big off!

Still got the scars on my leg and elbow over 5 weeks later. Looking forward to going back though as I only spent half a day their and saw maybe only a third of what it can offer.

Great guys,

Thanks for the advice!

So if i’m reading the advice correctly, climb up track 1, then do 7, 8, and 9.

Sound about right?

If you don’t get sorted with a route drop me a line, i’m local (in a “we didn’t burn him” kind of way:-)

I did the WMB Long Mynd route on Monday morning while on hols which seemed a good starter for ten – some good ups and downs. Minton Batch was excellent – very like the Quantocks but perhaps not the epic classic that has been suggested.

Thinking of a wee trip there this Saturday, first timer.

This is good yes?

Any particular combo that is good or other stuff not listed?

Worth picking up an OS Map as well or easy route finding?

‘2’ is good if you dont miss the corners. Good big day out is over Mynd, drop down ‘5’ over to stiperstones, roudn the back and over to Eastridge, round eastridge if you have the legs, back to (via nice BWs) then up & over the mynd , drop down to a pub.

Always liked 11,12 and 14 as a finisher. Fast open tracks with views to the other side of the valley, then nice single track towards the bottom – I think ignoring that little kink in the official trail past Jinlye and following the bridleway (singletrack).