Stretch your legs in Shropshire’s Great Outdoors
Shropshire has 5,600km of public footpaths – that’s the distance from Shrewsbury to New York – but it can be daunting to know where to start exploring this amazing network of routes through our county.
A new website, (shropshiresgreatoutdoors.co.uk) launched ready for summer 2025 is your guide to accessing the very best from Shropshire’s glorious outdoor spaces. The website brings together over 300 walking routes, it also includes 100 cycle routes, 50 horse riding trails, wild swimming opportunities, outdoor activities, country parks and nature sites, plus a wide choice of volunteering options.
With a quarter of Shropshire designated an official National Landscape due to its outstanding beauty, we often take for granted what is on our doorstep. The new website – funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund – provides the perfect one stop shop to discover them all and the perfect tool for encouraging more residents and visitors to enjoy our natural landscape.
“This is an amazing resource for residents and visitors who may not be confident in map reading or digital mapping apps”, explains Project Officer responsible for the new website, Kate Tudge “The site has a newly developed search facility allowing users to search by activity type, length of route and location – as well as searching by category such as family friendly or easy access.”
All walks are free to download and come with gpx, including navigable map and full instructions. There is a focus on circular hikes, which are always top of the search list, with 250 options for trails that loop back to the start. The site also includes a series of 12 circular walks for families, ranging from 1 to 3 miles, starting from countryside sites with parking and including pushchair friendly routes.
If you are keen to ditch the car this summer then make use of the Long Mynd and Stiperstones Shuttle bus that operates a five circuit loop every Saturday and Sunday from May to September (£6.50 for a day-long hop-on and hop-off service). Children under 16 travel for free when travelling with a paying adult. The shuttle bus starts in Church Stretton and loops around the most picturesque hiking spots within the Shropshire Hills, including the Stiperstones and Snail Beach Lead Mine. Catch the train and make a complete car free day of it.
For wild swimmers, there are plenty of choices including the three inland river locations designated as safe bathing sites by DEFRA: the River Teme in Ludlow and the River Severn in Shrewsbury and Ironbridge. In fact, of only 14 inland rivers sites on the DEFRA list, three are in Shropshire). In addition, Carding Mill Valley reservoir is the only inland site in the UK that is actively promoted by the National Trust for wild swimming.
For anyone keen to give time to a good cause, there’s a range of outdoor volunteering experiences with organisations including the Canal and River Trust, Shropshire Wildlife Trust and Forestry England, as well as opportunities for volunteering at Shropshire’s newly opened Acton Scott Heritage Farm.
For more information visit www.shropshiregreatoutdoors.co.uk
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