Haughmond Hill And Haughmond Abbey – West Midlands Walks.

Telford seems to be a little treasure trove of walks and hills that are deserving of a little attention. We’ve all heard of the Wrekin, and the Telford 50 is popping up in a few places, but just outside of Telford town centre is an interesting little hill called Haughmond Hill. An English Heritage Abbey sits at the foot of the hill, promoting an inviting addition to a day out in the woods.
Haughmond Hill and Haughmond Abbey – West Midlands Walks.

Haughmond Abbey

We started our journey at Haughmond Abbey. The parking is free, down a little bumpy lane at postcode SY4 4RW. You immediately see the abbey and access the ruins from a gate at the front of the building. Haughmond Abbey is a fantastic open air site of Augustinian history. Beautifully preserved, you are able to access all of the cloisters and quarters and enjoy the countryside views beyond. The site is free to access, although please check availability before you plan your trip.

The Route To Haughmond Hill

The route we took to Haughmond Hill starts across the road from the abbey. If you cross over (carefully, please!) you should see a signpost for the footpath to the Shropshire Way. This is the starting point.

The trail is a fairly straight line for now, through the trees, and along a muddy track (in wetter months). As you walk on, the cars fade and the only noise is from the birds and the forest around you. Or in my case, a jabbering 8 year old talking about his future plans to open a restaurant.
He clambered over fallen logs, followed the tracks left by cyclists and ate blackberries from the foliage.

The road leads on a slight ascent and you should hit a fork after about 15-20 minutes, depending on how slow your accomplice is. Follow to your left and carry on the mud trail. After another 10 minutes, there will be another fork, in which you make another left, to almost go back on yourself. This leads slightly more uphill. The trees will close in and the path is not very wide, but the hill is not to far away.

Trig Point on Haughmond Hill

If you are following on OS Maps, you will notice there is a trig point, but it is not on the footpath line. You can break off once you hit the gravel path, to your right, which leads to the trig. We like to ‘touch the trig’ on most of our walks, so it was tradition for us to have a nosy!

Facilities at Haughmond Hill

Head back after your trig visit on to the gravel path until you hit a 3 way junction. Take the middle route, which is marked by the no cycle/no horses markers. This leads you straight on down to the visitor centre and the busier part of Haughmond Hill. There is a cafe, toilets and marked trails for dog walkers, cyclists and geocaching. You are also able to park here, but as it is Forestry Commission owned, it is possibly chargeable.

There are plenty of picnic areas to stop at, and a maze type structure to occupy the kids while you grab a beverage and a snack to calm down ALL the questions from curious 8 year olds.

Tricky Ending

From here, go past the car park and head towards the main road. The route is circular, but this last bit is a bit tricky, especially if you have kids. The path is a public footpath, and is still part of the Shropshire Way.

Once you get to the road, you have to walk on the grass verge. There is no pavement, and it is a little tight, but it doesn’t last long. There is a groove marked out in the grass to walk along. You will walk past the quarry, notice how the foliage has changed colour with the dust! Keep on the left hand side, until you notice the entrance to Haughmond Abbey across the road. Then simply cross when it is safe and you are back where you started.

Here is the link to the route we took on OS Maps. Haughmond Hill.

If you enjoyed Haughmond Hill And Haughmond Abbey – West Midlands Walks and you want to discover some more walks around Telford, or the Midlands, why not try these.

The Wrekin
Badger Dingle
Carding Mill Valley