Saturday 23 January 2021

23/01/20 - Dudmaston Woods

Distance - 5.5 Miles

Geocaches - 3

Walk Inspiration - Country Walking Magazine, Feb 2021, Walk 9


Dudmaston Hall sits in land that has been owned by the same family for 875 years and never sold.  There's a C17th Manor House, which this walks never gets close to, sitting on the opposite side of the A442.  Once the pandemic is over, one could have a proper day out.

This is a simple walk completed in sub zero temperatures that has frozen the mud and increased the pleasure tenfold.  Start at the old Sawmills Car Park, through a sheep field and into the woods, where we find three pools.  If we had an ice-breaker, Guide Dog in Training Abi could have a dunk in any of Wall, Seggy and Brim Pools.  No doubt we will be back in the Summer.

Sheep Fields at Quatt
Through the Sheep and into...

Into Dunmaston Woods
... The Woods at Dudmaston

At a time when everything is closed and entertainment options are limited, we are delighted to find the Shepherd's Hut Coffee Shop open at the halfway point of the walk, near Heath Farm.  

Not every walk in the countryside can be completed with a skinny flat white, an Americano and a cappuccino.  If I wasn't holding a coffee, I would have brought you a photo of the most joyous that 3/4 of family Mappiman have been all week.

Anything else to report, I hear Blogfans cry?  Well, on the OS Map, there is "Forest Oak" marked in ancient text.  I was expecting something better than a scrawny looking tree in a muddy cow field.

Forest Oak
Forest Oak - On the Map

Forest Oak
Forest Oak in the Flesh


A little bit of research shows that its the last remaining Oak from the Forest of Morfe (providing my pub link for a previous visit to the Lion O' Morfe, yes, its tenuous but I am getting desperate).

The muddy field is known as Witches Field and the aforementioned Heath Farm Coffee Stop took its name from Heathensditch.

Shropshire providing some spooky blog material. 


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