Local Area, Hiking and Wildlife

Nearby towns and attractions

Bishop's Castle, Montgomery and Clun are picturesque small towns with lovely cafes and pubs
Shrewsbury is great for shopping and is a pretty medieval/Tudor town, as is Ludlow
Fantastic Norman castles at Montgomery, Clun and Ludlow
The old Welsh castle, Dolforwyn, a ruin unearthed by archaeolgists in the 1990s, is worth a visit
Lovely gardens and grounds at Gregynog Hall
Powis Castle is a National Trust property with gardens
Mitchell's Fold stone circle near Church Stoke is atmospheric
Further afield are the Welsh coast and Snowdonia. Dolgellau is 75 minutes away as is the beach at Aberdyfi

Wildlife sites

There are many red kites in the area and also buzzards, frequently observed from the cottage. Nearby are several Shropshire/Montgomeryshire Wildlife Trust sites, including:

Roundton Hill is 5 miles from the cottage. It's adjacent to Corndon Hill.
Rhos Fiddle and Lower Shortditch are both adjacent to the Kerry Ridgeway, the ancient drovers' route Upper Castlewright sits on.
Nipstone Rock and the Hollies in the Stiperstones

Upper Castlewright Cottage is also a hiker's paradise.

Local OS map in cottage
The Kerry Ridgeway is lovely for walks or strolls directly from the cottage
Offa's Dyke path runs north-south, just 400 yards west of the cottage. Nice to walk either direction
Corndon Hill, the Stiperstones and Long Mynd are all nearby

The cottage is on the Kerry Ridgeway, which is lovely for linear walks, and you can usually plan a circular walk that takes in a stretch of the Ridgeway if you use the OS map. Our stretch of the Ridgeway is a metalled road but with very little traffic. Further west, beyond Pantglas, it becomes a bridleway. Meanwhile, crossing the Ridgeway close to the cottage is the Offa's Dyke path, which is lovely in both directions, and very quiet.

Corndon Hill can be climbed from the Roundton Hill carpark, or from the carpark at Mitchell's Fold stone circle. Also from Mitchell's Fold, there's a lovely walk over Stapely Hill and up to Bromlow Callow. Nearby, the Stiperstones offer several walking opportunities. Best to park at The Bog - you can then walk south to Nipstone Rock or north to the Devil's Chair and Blakemoor Gate/The Hollies.