Hiking National Trust’s Long Mynd from Church Stretton

Today was Day 2 of my 3 day trip to Shropshire. My base was the pretty town of Ludlow which I simply loved. Its a great base to explore the Shropshire hills and neighbouring market towns. What to see and do in Ludlow  has all the experiences, walks and places to see in this little town. Now I spotted among the many brochures and flyers in my AirBnB, a hike which was not too far and would be an easy one to do on a short stay.

Long Mynd and Carding Valley, part of National Trust. Now you would have seen on my blog several National Trust places and I have been a member for long. Have utmost respect and appreciation for the work they do. Long Mynd hike was my chosen outdoor fun on my solo Bank holiday weekend trip to Shropshire. This hike starts from Church Stretton which is another town close to Ludlow.

Ludlow to Church Stretton

Ludlow to Church Stretton is around 30-35 minutes by train. It was a long summer day so I decided to start around 12pm. The route from Ludlow to Church Stretton is beautiful. Specially when we cross Stokesay Castle at Craven Arms. It looks beautiful from a distance.

Soon the train stopped at Church Stretton, a very quiet station. I followed the crowd to exit and then used Google Maps to get the town center which is a short walk.

Church Stretton

A very small cute market town with a high street that has some great boutiques and few pubs and restaurants. The scenery in the backdrop is of Shropshire hills and lots of trees. Its great for a pub lunch date or for some outdoor activity. I shall write a little more about it in another post. But this was obviously my starting point for the hike. I had a bite to eat in one of the eateries. They served soup and sandwich which was pretty sumptuous and cheap (of course by London standards). After my carb fill I was fuelled to start my walk.

Long Mynd and Carding Valley

Long Mynd is basically a large flat plateau part of the Shropshire Hills. ‘Mynd’ means mountain in welsh. And this is Welsh border. Much of the Long Mynd area is owned by National Trust. It has vast undulating heathland covered with grass, shrubs, trees and steep Carding Mill Valley. On a clear day you can see across Wales. Church Stretton is the best point to start one of the many walks or hikes.

You can find all the walks both easy and challenging on the National Trust website

As a national trust member you can find parking for free as well.

The Hike

I started to walk from Church Stretton and the entrance is marked by a National Trust Board. The route is straightforward and marked so you just have to keep walking uphill. It takes about 40 minutes at a leisurely pace as I stop for pictures every few minutes.

When you turn back you will see such gorgeous views of the town, lovely houses in the background of the hills, it’s difficult not to click yet another picture. The walk is uphill so do wear some good shoes. And just take it easy.

Views, wildlife and photos

I found this small hike very rewarding as it fitted well in a half day or rather just over a little more than half a day from Ludlow. It was quiet, not crowded at all and gave me a lot of time to spend by myself quietly without any physical or mental noise.

I met lot of sheep all along the way. I find sheep just too adorable. And watching them strut all around specially with their cute lambs is too cute.

All along the hike and on the top, you have so many photo opportunities. I think my overall trip took me more than 2 hours because of lots of photos. The 360 degree panoramic views were simply gorgeous.

Final thoughts on hiking Long Mynd

Long Mynd and Carding Valley is a jewel of Shropshire hills. They are gentle yet demand a lot of respect for its stunning views and beautiful landscapes. If you are visiting Shropshire and around Ludlow and looking for a long, moderately challenging activity, hiking Long Mynd could be the answer. There are more than one walks which you can find on the National Trust website and it also gets updated with any changes like repair work or any parts of walk temporarily closed.

I loved walking uphill by myself, lost in my thoughts but very calm. I stopped to take a deep breath and feel the crisp air, then turn back and click a picture of the scenery. I loved the entire day out and it was time to head back to Ludlow. Do check the train timings as these are not frequent trains, runs every hour. Budget the time you will take to walk back to the train station as well.

I would love to hear if you do this walk and how it turned out for you. Until next time keep exploring.