Have spent a few days this week staying at Ian & Carol's house in Bridgnorth while they're away on holiday. We've been visiting Les' Mum, who is in hospital, but managed to squeeze in this morning jaunt to Brown Clee.... in between the weather!
The forecast was horrendous & it didn't disappoint! Frequent heavy downpours with gale-force winds, which proved to be particularly challenging on Abdon Burf, highest point in Shropshire!
View across the Shropshire Plain from above Cleobury North
Still in some kind of fools' paradise as we followed a track sweeping around in the lee of the hill with views across to The Wrekin putting other jaunts in mind! The walk started in earnest when we reached the bridleway (below) where the 'old' & 'new' versions of The Shropshire Way come together & there was nothing left to do but go uphill!
Met 4 gents at the top of this rise, the 'Wednesday Walkers'! They were following the Shropshire Way & appeared to be engaged in some debate about the new & old routes, determined not to leave the summit of Abdon Burf until they'd walked every inch of both; having seen the slightly different waymarking signs on our way up we were able to help!
I was more interested in the views away to the left where the Long Mynd was almost hidden by rainclouds; it's only a few weeks since I was photographing the ridge from the far side, close to the Welsh border
Had we been more determined the next bit of our walk was along here, the Brown Clee Ridge, but I felt the wisdom of a tactical withdrawal coming on..... probably because I was struggling to stand upright!
Huddled in a hollow beneath the summit we met a couple of amateur radio buffs (their own description) battling with aerial & transmitter gear, talking to colleagues dotted about on other hills - good to see that there are other people with little time for text-messaging, MSN & all that other nonsense!
Song of the Day (an occasional series!): 'Open the Airwaves' by Lowgold
Highlight of the Day: on returning to the car we met a gent walking his 12-year-old black Labrador, Oscar, who was quite clearly on his own walk & ignoring all instructions!
Owner: "He thinks you can do as you like when you're old"
Me: "You can, can't you?"
With apologies to Les' Mum, I couldn't help but remember some of our conversations in the hospital!
Beer of the Day: stopped for a pint on our way back to Bridgnorth at 'The Down Inn', another link to LeJog as it stands on the Jack Mytton Way (in addition to his other 'interests' Mad Jack was a keen racehorse owner &
notorious gambler!).
Enjoyed a pint of Hobson's 'Twisted Spire': good, light, gently hoppy & refreshing
Must return to complete this ridge-walk &, I suspect, we might eat here - it looks good!
Wenlock Edge was umbered, And bright was Abdon Burf, And warm between them slumbered The smooth green miles of turf - A E Housman
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