Clee Hills

Today's the day ......................... to explore

We're spending a few days in Shropshire - getting to know this fascinating part of the country a little better.

We're staying in a little village called Hopton Wafers not far from Ludlow.  It's on the edge of the Clee Hills which consist of Brown Clee Hill at 1,772 feet (540 m) the highest peak in Shropshire, and Titterstone Clee Hill at 1,749 feet (533 m). They are both in the Shropshire Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Believe it or not, it appears that if you travel in an easterly direction from the Clee Hills, there is no land above 500m until the Urals in Russia.  This could be why there's a pub in Clee Hill village called 'The Kremlin Inn'.  It has even been known for radios in the area to pick up signals via the air traffic control masts from Radio Moscow.

A quick walk round Hopton Wafers has already whetted our appetites. There's a family-style tomb for a Thomas Botfield and Lucy his wife in the churchyard of St Michael and All Angels (see extra). Born in 1762 Thomas was the local Squire from the 1790's until his demise in 1843. By the time he bought Hopton Court in 1792 he was already a well established local industrialist and could boast coal mining rights on Titterstone Clee, several lime kilns and three local paper mills. He went on to claim patents for products and new inventions associated with the ironworking industry. In his spare time he became a recognised geologist and horticulturalist - and was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society.

Lots to see and do around here ......................