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Walk up The Wrekin

By Rik Henderson   

on November 8, 2019    5/5 (1)

Posted as a walk in – England, Europe, Shropshire

Walk up The Wrekin

Route Essentials

Route Summary

The Wrekin may not have been a county top until unitary authorities were formed, but it’s always been a prominent landmark.

See the end of the article for local information about parking, public transport facilities, pubs and cafes.

Distance

8.09 km

Ascent

401 m

Time

1.5-2.5 hours

Calculate the time using Naismith’s Rule and factor in your own pace.

Start Location

Wrekin Car Park - Little Wenlock, Telford TF6 5AL

Difficulty

Moderate Walk

Hazards

Although the route is well trodden and the paths are obvious, the woods can be boggy and slippy following wet weather.

Weather Forecast:

Check out our Best Mountain Weather Forecast?
Remember that we cannot outline every single hazard on a walk – it’s up to you to be safe and competent. Read up on Mountain Safety , Navigation and what equipment you’ll need. 

Walk up The Wrekin Ordnance Survey Map and GPX File Download

View the full route map

Download file for GPS

Walk up The Wrekin

The Wrekin is situated on the eatern side of Shropshire along the border to Telford & Wrekin, although a small hill at just 407m it is popular with locals, walkers and tourists due to its prominance on the landscape. On top of the hill stands the Wrekin transmitting station topped by a flashing beacon that can be seen across the county and further afield at night. This wooded ridge rises South of Wellington and is considered to be easy walking, navigation and accessibility.

“The Wrekin on a Summer’s evening” by John McLinden is licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0

Walk up the Wrekin Route Guide

1) From the car park cross over the road and take the obvious path at the marked entrance to the walk, heading up hill in a South Easterly direction, continue up as the path bares right now heading in a South Westerly direction. As you come to a juntion take the right hand turn which climbs further up the hill now in a Northerly direction for a short distance (there are a few lightly trodden variations on this first stage, marked on the map, but continueing along the well marked “Shropshire Way Main Route” is the most logical route). You will pass the Halfway House on your right, marked as Wrekin Cottage on the map, shortly after bearing left and in a South Westerly direction onto the main ridge of the Wrekin.

2) Continue on the samne heading, a direct and obvious line that works its way up onto the summit. On your right you can see the transmitter/beacon, infront the reminance of an old hill fort and eventually the summit view point and Ordanance Survey white trig point. On a good day the views across this region are spectacular.

3) From the summit find the path that continues in the same South Westerly direction now heading down hill, this part of the route feels quite different and less trodden, due to the fact that most people leave the summit in the same dicetion they came up….starngely enough! The path mianders through beautiful woodland eventually rising onto a small summit marked Little Hill on the map, bear left continueing down into more woodland gradually loosing hieght and maintaning a South Westerly direction un till you reach the road (Spout Lane).

4) Pass through the gate and bare left onto the road, after a short distance of roughly 160m take the left hand path that re-enters the wooded area at the base of the hill, continue along this path genrally in a North Easterly direction for 3km untill you reach the junction you met early at the start off the walk, bare right and down along the winding path leading back to the car park.

The Wrekin is the subject of a well-known legend in Shropshire folk law, one version of the story runs as follows;

A giant called Gwendol Wrekin ap Shenkin ap Mynyddmawr with a grudge against the town of Shrewsbury decided to flood the town and kill all its inhabitants. So he collected a giant-sized spadeful of earth and set off towards the town. When in the vicinity of Wellington he met a cobbler returning from Shrewsbury market with a large sackful of shoes for repair. The giant asked him for directions, adding that he was going to dump his spadeful of earth in the River Severn and flood the town. “It’s a very long way to Shrewsbury,” replied the quick-thinking shoemaker. “Look at all these shoes I’ve worn out walking back from there!” The giant immediately decided to abandon his enterprise and dumped the earth on the ground beside him, where it became the Wrekin

“All around the Wrekin”, “Right ’round the Wrekin” or “Running round the Wrekin” is a phrase common in Shropshire, Worcestershire, Staffordshire, Herefordshire, the Black Country & Birmingham to mean “the long way round”, in the same way that “round the houses” is used more widely

Local Information and Recommended Maps and Guidebooks

Route Summary:

The Wrekin may not have been a county top until unitary authorities were formed, but it’s always been a prominent landmark.

Route Start Location: Wrekin Car Park - Little Wenlock, Telford TF6 5AL

Distance
Ascent
Time
8.09 km 401 m 1.5-2.5 hours

Calculate the time using Naismith’s Rule and factor in your own pace.

Activivity Type: Moderate Walk

Summits and Places on this Route

Facilities

The Halfway House on the Wrekin itself, serving light refreshments, check website for opening times.

Hazards

Although the route is well trodden and the paths are obvious, the woods can be boggy and slippy following wet weather.

Remember that we cannot outline every single hazard on a walk – it’s up to you to be safe and competent. Read up on Mountain Safety , Navigation and what equipment you’ll need.

Parking : TF6 5AL / SJ 63852 09243

There is plenty of parking both i the car park and on the road side, however both get busy so worth getting there early or visiting off peak

Public Transport:

Traveline for UK Public Transport

Weather Forecast:

Check out our Best Mountain Weather Forecast?

Recommended Maps

Guidebooks:

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Rik Henderson

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