The Wrekin is one of the most prominent hills located in Shropshire. It is not just a geographical landmark but also a treasure trove of natural beauty, history, and adventure. For those seeking an escape into nature, The Wrekin offers a very memorable walking experience that combines stunning landscapes and 360 degree views combined with history, geology and culture.
A hill that has inspired phrases, books, poems, songs and more. It was a lovely day so we headed out for a gentle walk over it and around the bottom of it. Let us take a look at this lovely walk.
I always get inspired by it with the view of it from the Long Mynd near Church Stretton. A great looking standalone hill.
Overview
The Wrekin stands at 407 metres (1,335 ft) above sea level, dominating the surrounding landscape and offering breathtaking views from its summit.
For those that travel west on the M54 it will be a familar landmark in the view that rises up to the sky. It is a very popular and well-loved destination for locals and visitors alike.
The hill also contains the Wrekin Iron Age Hill Fort, designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). This makes it not only a walking area but also an essential ecological and historical site.
Walk Details
This walk up and over The Wrekin and then back around the bottom of it will give you a massive amount of variety. You get the climb, you get the views, the open summit and a woodland walk too.
It may be a walk on the short side but be prepared for some steeper sections on the up and down.
Walk Route Info
Distance: 6.1km (3.8 miles)
Total Ascent: 257m (843 ft)
Difficulty: Moderate (has steep sections)
Parking and Start Point
The start point for this walk is the car park at the foot of The Wrekin called Forest Glen Car Park. It is not far off Junction 7 of the M54 on the road to Little Wenlock.
Postcode: TF6 5AL
Parking charges are £1 per hour up to 3 hours then £4 all day.
Starting The Walk Up
The walk uphill starts almost straight away. Across the road from the car park you will find a wide track path that heads up and left within the trees.
It winds around to the right as you go up and then at a junction you take the sharp right up.
Halfway House
You will then come to a surprising bit of civilisation as the big views start to appear through the trees. Halfway House, an aptly named cafe that has now reopened for business after a few years of closure.
A perfect spot to site, enjoy some refreshments and take in the views before getting back on the track upwards.
Back On The Track Up
The path then carries on before you take a sharp left, the turns always seem to take the steepest section you will feel.
It does start to level a little once you get out of the treeline a bit and you know you are getting closer when you see the transmitter tower.
Of course we all have mixed feeling about things like this in the landscape but on the other hand The Wrekin, being so prominent and freestanding, would have been the perfect place to put a tower like this to supply digital TV and radio to miles around.
After this you will see clearly the earth mounds and opening of what was once an iron age hill fort.
Iron Age Hill Fort
The top of The Wrekin is famous for more than walks and views. It is the site of what was a big iron age hillfort with many features of the ruin still visible today.
Due to past archeological finds we know that there have been people present on The Wrekin since at least the Bronze Age. Then during the first millenium BC it was built up as a formidable structure on the top of the hill.
The first gate you pass through is known as Hell Gate. This would have been the older outer earthworks. Then, before the very summit you will pass through Heaven Gate.
Try to imagine as you stand there, a fortress with high wooden pailing walls and guard houses. Inside you would have found the Cheiftans little empire with wood and straw roundhouses for living and trade.
The fort on The Wrekin belonged to the Cornovii Tribe. A Celtic tribe that covered Shropshire, Cheshire and some surrounding areas. This fort was probably their capital.
Then along came the Romans in 47 AD who stormed it and destroyed it. The Cornovii Tribe was moved to nearby Wroxeter under Roman rule. Which itself is now a small village but back then under the Romans was one of the largest settlements in Britain.
The Summit
The summit of The Wrekin is absolutely special. The views are massive in every single direction. Even on a hazy day like we had here the views went on and on.
On a truly clear day it is said you can see a total of 17 different counties from the summit, even as far as Yorkshire and Lancashire. People have noted that you can see the Beetham Tower in Manchester.
The summit of the Wrekin has a toposcope at the top showing all the things you could see, what direction and distance to it. There is one big mistake on it though, I saw it showed Snowdon. Even though it is within eyesight range the view of it is completely blocked by another peak, Cadair Berwyn.
The trig point is interesting too. At its base an art platform has been created using stoneware clay relief tiles. It was created in honour of Her Majesty The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022. Some tiles made by local artists and again many made by the public, all the Wellington Arts Collective. Was a lovely touch.
In late August as was on our latest climb here the summit was awash with green and heather under the blue sky. It was gorgeous.
Heading Down and Back
From the summit you head straight off down the other side to where you came up. Back below the treeline. Be very careful, especially so in wet weather as it is quite steep and a shale path.
Before you know it you are down in the woods and almost at ground level when you take a sharp right and walk back along the bottom of The Wrekin.
Enjoy the variety here as the route back is a very quiet woodland. It seems most people take the path up and staright back down where they came, leaving the second half of this walk to be much quieter.
The undulating woodland path brings you back round and as you pop out of the trees, the car park is right there across the road.
The Geology of The Wrekin
The Wrekin is known to be one of the most interesting and diverse areas in geology. It comprises of a huge variety of rocks that have been made over millions of years due to volcanic activity and tectonic faults.
Due to the freestanding nature of the hill, many people believe that it is the remains of a volcano. Not exactly true but the rocks in the main are from lava flows created from volcanoes around 680 million years ago. Then time, a lot of it plus the ups and downs of the faults has created this unique natural landmark.
A rock feature that many venture to is The Needle’s Eye. A narrow cleft in the cliffs of the rocks. It is said you are not a true Salopian (a person from Shropshire) until you have made your way through it.
Traditionally couple’s have gone together through it too to give their marriage good luck. Or it is said that any female that looked back whilst going through would never be married.
Folklore and Phrases
Of course you cannot have a great hill like this without a few ancient local stories to go with it.
The Giant That Created The Wrekin
The legend story for how the Wrekin was formed goes:
There was once a giant called Gwendol Wrekin ap Shenkin ap Mynyddmawr. He had an issue with the people of Shrewsbury so dug up a huge spade of dirt and headed off to the town. On the way, near Wellington he met a cobbler heading the other way with a big bag of shoes.
The giant asked the cobbler for directions to Shrewsbury so he could dump the spadeful of dirt in the River Severn and flood the town. The cobbler was quick in his thinking and stated that it was such a long long way away, showing the sack of shoes and telling the giant it was so far that he had worn out that many shoes walking from Shrewsbury.
In frustration the giant dumped his shovel of earth right there and stomped off. That pile of earth became The Wrekin. He also scraped the mud off his shoes, that became the nearby Ercall Hill.
All Around The Wrekin
When you are in Shropshire and as far as Staffordshire, Birmingham or perhaps beyond, you may hear the phrases ‘All around the Wrekin’, ‘Running round the Wrekin’ or ‘Right around the Wrekin’.
This is instead of where others would say ‘Going around the houses’ or maybe ‘taking the long way round’.
The phrase has even made its way to Hollywood and uttered by Christian Bale in the film Le Mans ’66. When in a discussion in the film his character says ‘It’s just a quick ride round the Wrekin’.
In Music and Literature
The Wrekin is such a landmark that it has been mentioned in books, poems and songs throughout the past.Here are a couple of examples.
Edward Lear in his ‘Book of Nonesense’ had a limerick that started with:
There was an Old Man of the Wrekin
Whose shoes made a horrible creaking
Half Man Half Biscuit did a song in the 80s called ‘Rod Hull Is Alive, Why?’ Within it is the line:
‘”Halfway up the Wrekin with an empty flask of tea, a fog descends and takes away my visibility’.
Poundland’s Toblerone
Toblerone, the famous Swiss peaked chocolate bar that was designed with inspiration of The Matterhorn. Well you may have heard that our Poundland stores in the UK designed a very similar bar called ‘Twin Peaks’ and caused a legal row.
Poundland has since changed the design slightly and has a pair of different sized sloped peaks on the bar of chocolate. The Poundland Twin Peaks is now inspired by The Wrekin and the nearby Ercall Hill.
Conclusion
The Wrekin is one of those walks that will really leave an impression on you. The views are out of this world and the landmarks, history and geology on it give so many interesting things to discover or see with your own eyes.
It is a walk packed with variety from a gorgeous woodland, the iron age fort, the sights and rock formations. It is very dog friendly and extremely family friendly if the steep uphills don’t bother you.
FAQs
How long does it take to walk to the summit?
The ascent typically takes about half and hour to an hour, depending on your pace and fitness level.
Can I bring my dog?
Yes, I found the paths extremely dog friendly.
Is the trail suitable for children?
Yes, the main trail is accessible for families and children, but parents should supervise young ones as certain sections can be steep.
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