Nineteen members took part in the holiday, most of us travelling in comfort by coach up to Church Stretton in Shropshire, where we stayed at HF's Longmynd Hotel, perched on a hill overlooking the town, with great views of the Shropshire hills. The hotel lived up to HF's high standards with excellent food, very friendly and helpful staff, and knowledgeable volunteer guides. Each day, we had to sign up for one of three walks, designated 1, 2 or 3, nominally of about 3-4, 5 or 7 miles respectively, although in the event, they all turned out to be somewhat longer! Each day's walks ended up in a place of interest, so depending on one's inclination, one could choose to do more walking with group 3 or more sightseeing with group 1 etc.

The first day's walk started at Houghmond Abbey, where a most entertaining medieval craft display was taking place. After experiencing medical treatment with (pretend) leeches and admiring the work needed to make chain mail weighing 10 stone, we walked to Shrewsbury, where we were shown some of the many interesting sights, including the castle, the medieval streets including the delightfully named Grope Lane, and the Dingle, an astonishingly colourful formal garden, cultivated for many years by Percy Thrower. The next day's walks ended up in the spectacular Stokesay Castle, justifiably described as the best- preserved medieval manor house in England, with its great hall, half-timbered gatehouse and tower offering splendid views.

On our free day, many of us returned to Shrewsbury and took an enjoyable boat trip around the loop of the River Severn, which surrounds the centre of the town. One important question, concerning the correct pronunciation of the town, i.e. as Shrewsbury or "Shrowsbury" was answered in the commentary. Either is correct, but the former is preferred by those living within the Severn loop, whereas the latter is used by those living outside the loop!

The next day's walk encompassed the Wrekin and Little Wenlock and ended up in Ironbridge, the village in which the eponymous bridge, the first of its kind, built in 1779, spans the River Severn. Despite it being somewhat touristy, it is still a lovely spot. On Wednesday, while the other groups were visiting Church Stretton itself, Group 3 crossed the valley and climbed up to the Gaerstone, a rocky outcrop from which there were great views of Church Stretton and all the surrounding hills. They then joined the other groups in Carding Mill Valley, a local beauty spot leading up to a small reservoir.

The final day's walk started in Bromfield, from where we walked to Ludlow, another medieval town full of lovely half-timbered houses. We had our picnic lunch by the river Teme overlooked by Ludlow Castle, before proceeding to explore the town.

Although there were surprisingly few wildflowers and birds compared to what we are used to in the South Downs, the scenery in Shropshire was lovely and we enjoyed visiting the many interesting places.

Pictures by Alan

View from the hotel

Shrewsbury

The Dingle

Stokesay Castle

Gaerstone

Ironbridge

The Feathers Inn - Ludlow