31/3/12 - Breaking the Lawley

Distance - 8.25 Miles
Geocaches - I am incrementing in singles only
Walk from Country Walking Magazine - April 2012

The Lawley

Well, you have guessed it.  After a week of driving the length of the country and seeing the beautiful skies through the windscreen, I conserve enough fuel to get out into the hills on the weekend.  And it is raining.

Today's walk comes from Country Walking Magazine.  I try and highlight one from each issue to do and this one is taking me over a new hill near Church Stretton.  I have completed Pole Bank, Ragleth, Hope Bolder and Caer Caradoc... now it is time for the Lawley.

This is another whale backed hill, an extension on from Caer Caradoc and very similar.  Drive for another 10 minutes on from Church Stretton, desperate not to meet any oncoming traffic as the roads are cornwallian in their single laneness.  Arrive at the small carpark in one piece.

We get the climbing part of the walk out the way instantly, climbing up the centre of a perfectly shaped hill.

I fought the Lawley

We can see the pole on the top of the hill and can see the bird outline on top.  I wonder if I can get a photo of it, if I creep up quietly enough.

You're so vane

Sure there would have been spectacular views to be had on any of the previous 5 days this week.  Today, the clouds are getting lower down as the day goes on.  Short sharp descent, where we meet out only other walkers of the day.... a fella with a dog puffing his way uphill.

Down on the ground, we work our way back the way we came, past Penkridge Hall and then out onto a Roman Road.  There are two fords to cross but the drought has rendered one obsolete and the other a mere trickle.  There really is no need to test your brakes on exit.  Friendly, but incredibly smelly cows, between us and the hill.

Smelling was believing here.

Turn right towards Bently Farm.  Should have read the instructions to the walk, as the OS Map does not match what is on the ground.  We should have proceded through the farmyard, rather than trying to find a path that ran alongside.  We then emerge into a field with hundreds of sheep and their newborns.  I love this time of the year.  Clocks gone forward, promising 6 months of midweek outdoor pursuits.

Mother and Toddlers gourp runs next to the pole.

Come out at Frodesley Lodge and have a good walk through the woodland of Lodge Hill.  There is a geocache to be found and I try out a new Garmin Geko that I bought for international caching from ebay.  Interested in how it will perform and it seems pretty good.  Took me to the cache, telling me it had 26ft accuracy.  Drop off a TB and then have a short walk back down the road to the car.

Shame about the weather.  Missed out on some tremendous views.