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Ryton Walk

Ryton and a tranquil river valley

Map illustrated by Kendall Walford from Oldbury Wells School

Start: The parish church in the village of Ryton three miles south of Shifnal. Grade: Moderate. Distance: Four and three quarter miles. Terrain: Undulating on field paths and tracks. One steepish descent and ascent on steps. Refreshments: Non en route. Recommended map: OS Explorer 242 Telford and Wrekin.

This walk takes advantage of a water-side permissive footpath which has been created under the Defra Conservation Walks scheme. It follows the Wesley Brook from the hamlet of Grindleforge downstream to Ryton. Today this lush river valley is a haven of peace. But 400 years ago the district would have been a hive of activity when the brook powered numerous furnaces and mills.

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The Route

(1) With your back to the church gate go left to walk back along the road. Immediately after cream-coloured Church Farm House, go left at a signed footpath through a gate. Go straight ahead in the field to follow the left-hand boundary to a gate. Go through and down a sunken path.

(2) This becomes a grassy path and goes left to follow a track over the River Worfe at Adamsford Bridge. Keep this track on a ascent out of the valley. It eventually becomes a metalled driveway, with views of Brown Clee and the Wrekin, to pass a house and farm to exit onto Hinnington Road. Go left on the lane for half a mile, passing a barn and private drive on the right.

(3) At a cottage go right along a metalled hedged driveway to Hinnington Grange. At the barn conversions keep the buildings on your left to continue forward, through gateway, on a hedged track. At a cottage go left on an enclosed path to a gate. Through here and bear right to follow the hedge line (hedge on the right) to drop down to a gate into woodland. After 35 yards go left at the junction (finger post) to cross two footbridges over the Wesley Brook and ahead to the houses at the site of where once stood Kemberton Mill producing paper.

(4) At the cottages go left to follow the direction of the sign to Grindleforge, passing in front of a cottage and immediately to the right of greenhouses to a stile. In the field bear half right and ahead, gradually climbing the slope to a redundant stile in the top right-hand corner. Keep ahead on the fence line, fence on the right. When the fence goes off sharp right, go straight ahead, keeping to the top of the bank and keeping tree-line immediately to your left, to reach a concealed stile. Cross and go straight ahead, keeping to the field left-hand boundary, to cross two more stiles.

(5) Descend a flight of steps and up the other side to cross the ravine of Kemberton Gorse to a stile. Then ahead to another stile. Walk down the left-hand edge of this field to the bottom to a stile on the right into woodland. The building over to the left, now a private house, is a former brewery. In the wood bear left and follow the undulating path as it follows the brook to emerge on to the road at Grindleforge.

(6) Go right on the road for ten yards to a stile on the left. Go forward in the field to pass between a small brick pump house and power line posts. Veer left to go ahead on a footpath which follows the top edge of the bank with the brook down below. Ignore a bridge, left, and continue forward climbing slightly to cross a stile. Go left to follow the field boundary round to another stile at the water edge. Continue ahead following the brook to walk the full length of the field to exit on to the road at Ryton. Go left on the road crossing what is now the River Worfe. At the junction go left up the unmade road to Ryton church.