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Shifnal and Kemberton Mill Walk

Reminders of an industrial past

Map illustrated by Kendall Walford from Oldbury Wells School

Start: Shifnal. Car park off Aston Street signed in Shifnal centre off the A464 Wolverhampton-Telford road. Grade: Moderate. Distance: Five and a quarter miles. Terrain: Mainly level walking with two gentle descents on field paths and tracks. Parts can be muddy. Quiet lanes. Refreshments: Wide choice in Shifnal. Recommended map: OS Explorer 242 Telford and Wrekin.

This walk passes the sites where once stood no fewer than four mills all powered by the Wesley Brook. Starting from Shifnal the route makes an easy ascent of Lodge Hill which is a good vantage point looking out over the east Shropshire landscape. The walk then descends to join the brook at Evelith where the fine mill house remains. Walkers then pass the site of the former Kemberton mill and forge, followed by the location of a paper mill and finally a cottage reminder of a mill at Shifnal Manor.

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The Route

(1) Leave car park via alleyway alongside Co-op store. At the end go left and straight ahead under the railway bridge along Park Street. When the road bends to the left, go right along Park Lane - signed Grindle and Kemberton. Pass St Andrew's School, left, and the entrance to Lodge Hill Farm, right.

(2) Immediately after the last houses on the right - a row of white cottages - go right on a signed footpath which, initially, follows a rough driveway. When the drive ends at a gate cross the stile and go ahead on the wide path, with a pool on the left. Keep the clear path as it bends left, now with a hedge on the left and goes up the field left-hand boundary. In the field corner continue straight ahead, now with a hedge on your right. Cross a facing stile and go ahead on the gentle ascent of Lodge Hill, keeping fence on your right.

(3) Crest the rise and, with a trig point in trees over to your right, go half left down the hill on a faint path to climb a stile into Sunnyside farm. Veer right and go ahead between pig stys and conifer hedge and out on the farm driveway. Immediately at the end of a bungalow garden go right over a stile and half right to another into woodland. Go ahead on a path which more or less runs parallel with the boundary fence, left, before making a gentle descent to a stile. Cross go left and ahead on path through cottage grounds. At outbuildings go right, as directed, and left out on the driveway to a lane.

(4) This is Evelith with its imposing mill house, left. Go left on the road for 100 yards, crossing the stream, and then go right on the signed bridleway through King Charles' Wood. After about a quarter of a mile, at a T-junction, go right to cross two footbridges and ahead to cottages. This is the site of Kemberton Mill.

(5) At the cottages, go right on the unmade road - signed Kemberton. Immediately after passing through a gateway, go right (fingerpost) on hedged path. Immediately before the gated end, go left over a stile. Go right on the field boundary ignoring stile, right, and path, left, to eventually arrive at corner stile on to a lane.

(6) Cross to another stile and go ahead on field edge. When hedge goes right continue forward over the arable field bearing slightly left to a gap in the facing hedge just left of the corner. Continue forward to exit onto a lane. Go right on the road. At T-junction go right. Pass through a gateway and ignore a concrete road swinging left and go ahead down wide path which bends sharp left - site of a paper mill - and goes ahead towards the sewage works. Just before gate into the works go left up a slope.

(7) Go left and right on a clear path round three sides of the sewage plant. Cross a stile to follow a clear path to buildings at the Manor. Climb stile and to follow enclosed path alongside barn conversions. Over another stile and go left to follow a driveway passing Mill Cottage - site of the Manor mill - to exit on to the A4169 Shifnal-Halesfield road. Go right on the pavement and forward at the traffic island along Church Street to Shifnal centre and back to the start.