This mountain bike route of 20 miles is a great alternative to the Long Mynd Classic route. Even though it doesn’t use Minton Batch it has some fantastic descents and uses some of the fastest these hills have to offer. The ride starts off in the centre of Church Stretton, conveniently next to a Co-op and some public toilets, at a pay and display car park which isn't expensive.
1. Leave the car park (GR454936) from the exit by the supermarket and turn right to the mini roundabout. At the roundabout turn right then at the crossroads just after continue straight on. Stay on the main road and go past the lane to Carding Mill Valley on the left. Follow the road to the next village, All Stretton. After passing two small lanes on the right take the lane on the left signed to the YHA, just before the main road goes through a right then left ‘S’ bend (GR459954).
2. Stay in the bottom of the valley and follow the lane up through the houses, ignoring any tracks off to the side. Continue up the valley when the lane turns into a dirt track by a car park on the left. Go past the YHA on the right and through the ford. Follow the stream up the valley. Eventually bear right and cross the stream using the bridge or the ford (GR448957). Continue up the valley and go past the thin track that climbs away on the right and follow the track left where it gives way to grass. Go across a small wooden bridge to a junction where the trail starts climbing up to the head of the valley (GR447961).
3. Turn hard right and climb the singletrack up the side of the valley. Keep straight on up the climb then go through a few bends to where it flattens off and comes to a junction at a small plateau. Turn left and go straight up the short but steep slope. Continue straight on at the top using the small wooden bridge across the boggy section of trail, to a junction with a wide trail at the other end (GR451961).
4. Turn left and climb the grassy double track. At the junction at top of this short climb take the right hand fork. Go over the rocks and on to another junction a short distance later. Take the left hand fork up the steeper slope for a long, gradual, grassy climb. Follow this track up to a wide junction close to a fence that comes in from the right (GR440967).
5. Turn left on the rutted double track following the line of the ridge. Climb straight up this track then at the crest bear right to a long left hander that leads to a four way junction at the top of Mott's Road (GR427958). Jink right and go straight on along the wide gravel track. At the next a junction, just before the main track turns left, go right through the low wooden posts to continue following the track along the ridge line (GR424956). Follow this track straight on to a junction with a lane (GR421953).
6. Turn right on the lane to a junction with a double track on the left directly after. Turn left and follow the double track down through some fast bends. Around halfway down the descent is broken by a short grassy climb. Just after the climb continue along the double track and descend to a gate. Go straight on through the gate and descend past the building on the left. Continue straight on at the following muddy junction to follow the line of the fence on the left to a gate at the far side of the field. Go straight on at the gate and descend a wide rocky track through a few bends to a farm at the bottom (GR393954).
7. At the junction at the farm turn left and follow the lane to a gate. Go through the gate and descend through a steep left then right hand bend to a gate in the bottom of the dip. After the gate climb the steep lane and go through the gate at the top. After the gate follow the lane left and ride between some buildings to a junction just after (GR400946). Turn right and continue along the lane along the bottom of Long Mynd, on the left, to a junction where the lane turns right (GR403930).
8. Continue straight on into the trees to a junction with a muddy bridleway on the left, a short distance later, just before the farm (GR403928). Turn left through the gate and push up the right hand side of the field to another gate a short distance later. After this gate the trail becomes rideable, although not easy. Climb this grassy track across the side of the hill then, after it leaves the cover of the trees, bear left for a steeper part of the climb to a junction. Take the track on the left and follow the singletrack through the heather to a junction with a lane at the top (GR407922).
9. Go straight across the road and pick up the vague singletrack directly ahead that winds gently down through the heather to a junction with a grassy track (GR409921). Bear left and follow the trail as it climbs over the flank of the hill. After the crest continue straight on along this trail to a junction with a vague trail on the left. Continue straight on to where the trail traverses a long right bend through a steep bowl in the hillside, with a lot of exposure on the right. After the bowl join the track that comes in from the left. Continue straight on for a very fast grassy descent. Go over a little crest and bear slightly left, for the fastest part of the trail, to a vague open junction. Keep bearing left down the wide grassy trail and follow it straight down to the bottom. At this point BE CAREFUL! The grassy track gets steeper but comes to some rocky holes where it can be very hard to scrub off speed. After the holes the descent finishes at a gate (GR430908).
10. After the gate bear right through the farm to a triangular junction then keep bearing right to the final junction at the far side of Minton. Turn right and descend the lane to a junction at the bottom, with a lane on the right directly after crossing a stream (GR424901). Continue straight on and climb away from the stream to a crossroad junction in the Hamperley. Turn right and follow the lane back towards the hill. Go straight on past a farm on the right to the gate at the entrance to the forest (GR413894). A low gear is required as this firetrack climbs all the way back to the top of the hill, although it is the easiest climb of the route. Stay on the main track and follow it through a series of bends. The track eventually flattens off a bit and goes through a long left hand bend before reaching a junction. Go left at this junction, and left at the next junction a short distance later. Climb straight on up the wide forest track to a crossroad junction at the top (GR406903).
11. Turn right at the crossroad and ride slightly down hill to a gate on the left. Go through the gate and follow the grassy track in the direction of the glider club. At the next junction, a grassy junction before the Glider Club marked by a white circular bridleway marker set into the ground, turn left to a junction with a lane a very short distance later (GR403907). Cross the lane and take the track leading off to the right, signed as the ‘Starboard Path’, that goes around the back of the glider club. After the grassy double track descends through a dip go straight on and climb to a fence on the right at the top. Bear right across the lumpy grass, keeping to the fence on the right. Pick up the gravel track a little while later then bear right through a couple of bends to a junction with a lane (GR405919).
12. Turn left over the cattle grid to the road junction. Turn right and follow the lane uphill. Climb the lane then descend past a bowl in the hillside on the right. At the top of the next climb take the concessional bridleway on the right (GR413935). Follow the wide grassy track along the top of the hill to the next junction. Bear right along the tyre ruts then bear left at the wooden post for a short grassy climb to the top of the hill. Go straight on at the top and cross the open grassy area of Round Hill. On the opposite side descend the track that bears off to the left. Try to keep your speed up on his descent to get as far as possible up the climb on the opposite side of the saddle before using the granny ring. At the top the track becomes rocky and descends across the right hand side of the hill before bearing left through the next saddle (GR430922).
13. On the opposite side of the saddle the track takes a sharp right hand turn over a short rocky section before dropping down the right hand side of a valley on a very fast, grassy singletrack. Be careful as it is all to easy to go too fast on this bit. About 2/3rds on the way down follow the track left. Near the bottom take care on the water channels before reaching a gate at the bottom (GR440919).
14. After the gate go through the stream and past the cottages on the left. Turn right after the ford to the next junction, in Little Stretton. Turn left to a crossroad junction with the main road (GR443919). Turn left and follow the main road through the valley all the way back to Church Stretton. At the mini roundabout by the Bucks Head turn right and return to the car park to complete the ride.
All of this route can be plotted on OS Landranger 137 although there will be some anomalies. From the start of the climb at Priors Holt, through the forest, the OS map and the streetmap links give a good enough idea of where to go without getting lost but some of the forest tracks seem to have changed slightly. The permissive path around the back of the gliding club is not on the map but it is on the ground. It may also be noted that the first climb uses a footpath and another unmarked track, as does the final descent to Little Stretton. I have included these in my route because they are shown as concessional tracks on the trail guide available from the Tourist Information Centre.
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