Little Caradoc and Caer Caradoc 8th June 2024.

In Shropshire, but still a Welsh poppy.

Foxgloves seemed to be the order of the day as well.

Looking across the valley towards Caer Caradoc.

On the path to Cwms Plantation.

Three fingers Rock.

Cuckoos calling near Cwms Plantation.

Little Caradoc.

Ed's tree house at Gulley Green.

Ed on Little Caradoc.

Caer Caradoc ahead.

At Caer Caradoc summit rocks.

The Wrekin from our lunch spot.

Part of the ramparts of Caer Caradoc.

The Long Mynd from Caer Caradoc.

Three Fingers Rock.

The easy way down.

The easy way back to Church Stretton. 

 Helmeth Hill in the centre.

Walk Stats:
Distance: 7.3 miles. Climb: 1475’
Time: 4 hours 32 minutes.
On the move walking average: 2.2 m.p.h.
Overall walk average: 1.6 m.p.h.
Temperature: 13.5 Celsius at the start. 16.7 Celsius at lunch sheltering below one Caer Caradoc’s ramparts and 15.0 Celsius sitting at the summit. 20.4 Celsius mid-afternoon in the valley.
Beaufort Wind Force: Max 3, a 12.0 m.p.h. Gentle breeze, although it felt stronger than that as we climb the last 100m up the north eastern ridge of Caer Caradoc to the hill fort ramparts.
Group: Martyn, Mike and Ed.
The weather forecast today was looking good, with only a small chance of a shower around lunchtime. The forecast today was pretty accurate, although we did get a little more sunshine than we expected.
This walk was devised because at least one member of the group hadn’t climbed to the top of Caer Caradoc before and we had missed it out last time we had done The Lawley.
A route devised just by looking at the map and paths I can’t remember having used in the last twenty years, so it wasn’t surprising that we found a couple of paths that looked as though they hadn’t been used for some time. Going through one wooded area a footpath direction post would have been helpful!
As we headed along the path towards Cwms Plantation, we spotted a very definite path leading down to the valley from Three Fingers Rock, one which Ed and I would use later in the day
As we approached Cwms Plantation, we heard aa Cuckoo calling several times, although once again we didn’t see one.
Ed was the only one to detour from the path to reach the highest point on Little Caradoc, whilst the rest of us started up the north eastern ridge Caer Caradoc.
Arriving at Caer Caradoc hillfort we were met by a man sitting on a camping chair checking in walkers on six peaks walk and covering 36 miles. I am clad I wasn’t one of them!
After lunch we descended the ridge to Three Fingers Rock, where Mike took the steep most direct route to the valley and Ed and me took the longer, but gentler descent south-eastward to the valley. On the decent we again heard the Cuckoo, but this was a very distant call.
We arrived back at the car, having ad an enjoyable walk and no-one complained by the act that we had only done a short 7.3 mile walk.
Birds seen or heard today: Carrion crow, Jackdaw, Raven, House sparrow, Dunnock,
European robin, Common blackbird, Common chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Winter wren, Common whitethroat, Woodpigeon, Willow warbler, Meadow pipit, Skylark, Barn swallow and Cuckoo,
After walk drinks were enjoyed at the Pant yr Ochain where Purple Moose’s Cwrw Eryri and Titanic Brewery’s Plum porter were enjoyed by two of us and the alcohol free Fentiman’s Ginger Beer by the driver. We even sat outside, still in the Sun, but with a coolish breeze making us think perhaps we should have stayed inside.