Sunday 19th March 2017 - Craven Arms, Shropshire

This month our walks are based on the Discovery Centre, Craven Arms, Shropshire. The coach will leave school as usual at 8.00 am prompt.
The A walk starts a short distance before Craven Arms , so it is important to have your boots  and rucksack with you in the coach  and to be ready for a quick exit. There will be no stop enroute , but there are plenty of discrete alfresco locations early in the walk.
For the other walks there are adequate toilets, and café , at the Discovery Centre, which is where all walks finish.
We plan to leave   at 5.00 pm  to be back in Formby by 7.30 pm.

The cost of travel will be £10.00 for members, £13.00 for non-members and £5.00 for Leaders, children and students in full time education. Please make your cheque payable to Range Walking Club and ensure it is signed as it is inconvenient for the Treasurer to chase up such omissions.

Please send in your return to the Treasurer Monica Sealey before 9th March; places will be booked on the coach by the treasurer on a first come first served basis.

Cancellations: if you need to cancel or make a late booking, please contact Margaret on 07793195276 or by email margaretpegg@btinternet.com and I will endeavour to substitute your booking from the waiting list.  If you cancel after 9th February and it is not possible to fill your place on the coach, regrettably, we will not be able to give you a refund as coaches will have been booked on initial returns.

Leaders Meeting: Monday 24th April at the Pinewoods commencing at 8.00pm

Club Weekend 1st – 4th June 2017 The Club Weekend will be based at the Best Western Beaumont Hotel in Hexham.  Accomodation in Hexham is limited but rooms are available at the hotel and the guest houses listed on the attached sheet. Please email me at margaretpegg@btinternet.com to let me know if you plan to come on the weekend and then book your room direct with the hotel or one of the guest houses. When booking please let them know you are with the Range Walking Club.

‘A’ Walk Distance: 12 miles Ascent: 1800 ft Leaders: Gordon Spence John Hughes	Starting at a lay-by outside Little Stretton we walk a short distance on country lanes to Minton. Then head north-west to ascend to the viewpoint at Packetstone Hill, then a  level walk to Minton Hill, past the glider club, and south on The Long Mynd (Jack Mytton Way),  all on grassy paths with great views. Descending to Plowden Woods we follow The Shropshire Way through a beautiful rolling countryside of woods and farm land to Craven Arms.
‘B+’ Walk Distance: 11 miles Ascent: 1100 ft Leaders: Lynn Smith Claire Lyons	This is a pretty walk, through the historic and picturesque Shropshire countryside.  We start at the Discovery Centre in Craven Arms. From there, we will head south to the mediaeval Stokesay Castle. Then, continuing along the Shropshire Way, we visit the pretty hamlet of Sibdon Carwood, crossing the Roman Road along the way. We then head to Wart Hill, which is the highest point of our walk, at 324m. Heading north, we eventually pick up the Onny trail – part of which is a disused railway track which runs alongside the River Onny and which eventually takes us back to our starting point.
‘B’ Walk Distance: 8 miles Ascent: 1000 ft Leaders: Trevor Ludlow David Willis	This walk is based on what is described as the “Three Woods” walk on the Craven Arms Discovery Centre website.   We do indeed go through or follow the edge of 3 woods and, as they are on the limestone escarpment that also forms Wenlock Edge, there is the potential for good view across Shropshire, given good weather.  If there has been heavy rain however the walk is likely to be muddy.  Leaving the Centre we cross the River Onny and commence to climb to the wooded ancient hillfort of Norton Camp.  We descend to cross the main road (A49) before ascending again to Stoke Wood and, further on, Sallow Coppice.  Here we leave the standard route to visit Stokesay Castle (“One of the finest fortified manor houses in England, built in the 1280s”) before following the Onny back to the Centre for well-deserved refreshment.
‘C’ Walk Distance: 7 miles Ascent: 940 ft Leaders: Denise Nunn Barry Whitby	From the Discovery Centre, Craven Arms, we will ascend to Flounders Folly on Wenlock Edge using quiet lanes, forest and field paths. If the weather is good there will be extensive views over Shropshire. After lunch we descend towards the hamlet of Strefford and our way back to Craven Arms is by paths in the valleys of the streams feeding the River Onny. Paths can be muddy at this time of year so boots are essential and poles recommended.