A misty winter walk on Long Mynd

You don’t get to choose the weather when you’re walking in the British countryside, I told myself as I hiked up Carding Mill Valley onto the Long Mynd. The hills of this glorious moorland plateau in the Shropshire countryside were shrouded in low cloud as I set off from the pretty market town of Church Stretton. On a better day there would be dramatic views to Wales, unfortunately visibility was limited to around 50 metres.

A great shame, because the last time I walked here almost 30 years ago I recall being awe struck by its beauty. At least it didn’t rain. The Long Mynd is that rarest of things, an area of Common Land – owned by an individual but on which a number of farmers, known as ‘commoners’, retain historic rights to graze their animals. These rights – a remnant of feudal society – have been passed down through the generations for hundreds of years.

The common rights of the Long Mynd were enshrined in law in the medieval period, and it is one of the few remaining Common Land areas in the country. As a result, the Long Mynd bears witness to one of the great injustices of English history. In the 17th century over 25% of England was Common Land, but the rights that underpinned this communal ownership were stripped away by a series of Parliamentary Enclosure Acts.

They privatised the English countryside, consolidating ownership into the hands of a few powerful landlords and dispossessing the many small farmers who previously exercised their common rights. Many were forced to become wage labourers at the mercy of the new landlords, or they migrated to cities to be exploited in the factories of the Industrial Revolution. Only 3% of England remains as Common Land today.

As the name suggests, Carding Mill Valley once witnessed industrial activity. The Long Mynd was used for sheep farming and the wool was carded – disentangling, cleaning and blending the wool fibres – in a factory in the valley set up in the 19th century. The whole site is today owned by the National Trust, which explained why there was an excellent interpretation room retelling the history of the area.

Human activity has shaped this landscape over thousands of years. Archaeological sites from the Bronze Age, Iron Age and medieval period are scattered across these hills and valleys. On the top of one hill are the earthworks of Bodbury Ring, an Iron Age hillfort that archaeologists recently discovered was six time larger than previously thought. On my walk I passed two Bronze Age Barrows, 3500 year-old burial sites.

It is a remarkable area. I was denied the majestic views I’d hoped for, but the quiet of walking through the mist was wonderful. It was the sort of mist that instantly recalls the Arthur Conan Doyle story, The Hound of the Baskervilles. The mist tricks the eye, gorse bushes and trees take on all sorts of malevolent shapes in the mind. At one point I was genuinely alarmed to see what looked like a monstrous hound in the distance.

It turned out to be a Welsh pony. Ponies were used to farm Long Mynd and are still grazed on the hills, but most seem to be roaming free across the landscape. They are not at all intimidated by the presence of humans. After wandering through the mist for a couple of hours I headed back to Church Stretton. A small market town that dates back centuries, Church Stretton falls into the category of ‘well kept secret’.

Earlier this year, it was rated as one of the UK’s best towns and villages, especially for scenery, peace and quiet, and good food. It’s a pretty and friendly place with timber framed houses, good pubs and independent shops. It also has a long history dating back to at least the Bronze Age. The modern town though is first mentioned in the Doomsday Book in 1086 and received its market charter in 1214. There’s still a weekly market.

In the 19th century it briefly became a popular spa and health destination, which explains the number of grand villas and town houses dotted around. I walked through the town, visiting the pleasant 12th century Church of Saint Laurence, before giving in to the cold and heading to the inviting looking King’s Arms to warm myself by the open fire and sample a local beer.