Heading on a day trip or hike to Carding Mill Valley and the Long Mynd?

This short guide will help you plan perfectly.

Situated next to the charming little market town of Church Stretton, the Carding Mill Valley and the Long Mynd collectively offer a lovely day out and introduction to the scenery of Shropshire.

To help you prepare for your first time there, we've shared the key things to know before you visit Carding Mill Valley and the Long Mynd - including our favourite walks, tips for parking, and practical advice on responsible outdoors experiences.

How To Get To Carding Mill Valley

The Long Mynd (meaning Long Mountain) is an expansive moorland plateau with various valleys and hollows, and consitutes a major part of the Shropshire Hills Area of National Beauty. It’s ideal for a proper long hike in the hills and, due to its relative ease of accessibility, also offers a raft of opportunities for shorter walks or rambles with family or friends.

Very picturesque in its own right, the narrow sliver of the Carding Mill Valley serves as the main point of entry to the Long Mynd. From its National Trust car park and visitor centre (Google Maps), you have direct access to most popular short walks and longer loops, and it's the most sensible start point for the majority of visitors.

You don’t have to walk too far to feel like you’re in the proper countryside here.

By Train

Make you way to Church Stretton's small two platform open-air train station (Google Maps), which is served by regular trains on the Manchester to Cardiff line (which includes stops in Shrewsbury, Crewe, and Hereford). If travelling from elsewhere, you'll just connect to that line.

From the station, take the exit toward the town centre and follow the signs/GPS toward Carding Mill Valley and the visitor centre. It's about a 15-minute pavement walk, and you should go via the Co-Op and the High Street if you need to pick up snacks or a coffee.

By Bus

There's a bus to Church Stretton from Shrewsbury and Ludlow, but it's best to take the train.

By Car

Make your way toward Church Stretton, which is a 35-minute drive from Telford or Shrewsbury, and 1.5 hours from Birmingham. You then have two options for parking:

1. The National Trust Carding Mill Valley car park, which has capacity for about 150+ cars (£5.00 all day, free for National Trust members). There’s the large main car park upon entry and the much smaller 'top car park' further up, which closes at 4 pm. No overnight camping.

2. Outside the Co-Op, the Easthorpe Car Park (Google Maps) has fewer spaces than the above but is a decent size and in the town centre. It's 50p / hour or £4.00/day, free on Sundays and Bank Holidays. Note that it also has two parking areas - the large one opposite the Co-Op and a smaller one a little further up on the right. From Easthorpe Car Park, it's a 10-minute walk to Carding Mill Valley.

There are a few other parking areas on the Long Mynd, but the above are the best options for first-time visitors and hikers.

There Are Wild Horses & Lots of Sheep

One of the best aspects of walking in the Long Mynd is that you're almost certain to come across a wild horse or two upon the plateau.

Across our various visits, we've seen different ones each time roaming around in groups of six or seven. There's also sometimes a disheveled foal or two, and on our latest visit in the April sunshine, we were fortunate enough to see two ponies sleeping in the sunshine and a group of seven casually grazing nearby.

And then there's all the sheep; if you come to the Long Mynd and don't see a sheep, then you may have ended up in the wrong place by mistake. Although the Long Mynd is owned by the National Trust, local farmers (referred to as the 'Commoners') have the right to graze the common land here, hence why you will see so many spray-painted critters.

Please Keep Your Dog On a Lead

You will see LOTS of signs about this, but it’s a worrying trend to regularly see a number of people not paying attention to them (or wilfully ignoring them…)

Given the number of sheep you'll cross paths with on the unfenced hills - and in the Carding Mill car park - and the potential to stumble across wild horses, it is highly recommended that you keep your dog on a lead at all times in Carding Mill Valley and on the Long Mynd*.

This isn’t just for the dog’s benefit.

Keeping your dog on a short lead is especially important during the lambing season (February to April), when the ewes are either heavily pregnant or with their adorable little lambs. Atop the plateau, there are also various birds nesting amongst the heather, and it's not the place to let a dog run free.

Also, remember that the animals on the heathland are not here for entertainment or petting - this is their natural habitat and you're the visitor.

Give them distance, treat them with respect, and do not harm or endanger them.

We do also have to note that, as well intentioned as it may be, under no circumstances bring food (including carrots) to feed the wild horses; their diet is not suited to it and severe illness is a common result of visitors trying to feed them.

Want to know more about the best ways to enjoy and protected our shared wild spaces? Take a look at the 2021 Countryside Code before you visit.

* and to not be a dick if someone politely reminds you of this.

There Are Multiple Short & Long Walking Routes

The main reason for travelling to Carding Mill and the Long Mynd is to get out in the hills, enjoy the fresh air, and leave the world behind!

Given it's quite a pretty large area (approx. 7 miles long by 3 miles wide), there’s a net of short, long, and interconnecting trails. Some have names and form part of longer established walks (like the Shropshire Way), others are signposted specific routes, whilst others are a little more spontaneous.

The difficulty for a first-time visitor is knowing which Long Mynd walk to choose for their ability, preferences, and the conditions.

To help make things a little clearer for you, we've summarised five walking routes starting from Carding Mill Valley. We've personally done them all across the last two years, and every ability or age will find something that suits below.

The Lightspout WALK

Distance 2.5 km, 1.5 miles | Time 1.5 hours | Level Easy(ish)

There's actually a waterfall just half an hour from the Carding Mill Valley car park - although we're not going rave about it (remember TLC's advice). However, heading to 'Lightspout' involves a few very manageable little scrambles and so is a good option if you're visiting with kids and looking for a short, straightforward walk that may feel a little adventurous (if there's been rain, the four-metre waterfall and stream will flow a little more impressively).

The only downside is that it’s an ‘out and back’ route, so we’d recommend heading up after the waterfall to join other trails on the plateau if you’d like to extend your time out rambling.

Find the route instructions here, or simply follow the green mark on wayposts from the car park, where you’ll also find a map and instructions for this walk on the notice board.

The Long Mynd Circular

Distance 13.4 km, X miles | Time 3-4 hours | Level Medium

For us, this loop route from Carding Mill Valley is the best day trip hike option for people who have a decent level of fitness, want to spend 3+ hours walking, and looking for a good first timer’s introduction to the Long Mynd.

The fact that it ends by the pub in Church Stretton is also not to be sniffed at.

We’ve written a specific post with advice on the route and pictures here: The Long Mynd Circular Hike Guide or you find route instructions here.

The Burway Loop

Distance 8 km, 5 miles | Time 2.5 hours | Level Medium

If the Long Mynd Circular sounds a little too long for you, then consider the shorter ‘Burway Loop’.

Clearly signposted as the pink trail from the car park, it follows the same route as the The Long Mynd Circular up to Pole Bank (the highest point of the Long Mynd), but simply takes a more different way back to Carding Mill via the picturesque Townbrook Hollow.

Find the route instructions here, or simply follow the pink marks on on way posts from the car park, where you’ll also find a map and instructions for this walk on the notice board.

We recommend arriving to Carding Mill with an idea of which walk you'd like to do, so that you can prepare adequately. If it's just going to be one of the shorter, easier trails, then there's less to be concerned about, but it's essential out on any day hike to take the time to make sure you've done your research and prepared your day hike bag.

The Long Mynd is also popular with cyclists and horse riders, so you may be sharing certain paths or trails with them.

There are many additional hikes, trails, and access points for the Long Mynd from Church Stretton and Little Stretton - including a nice one starting at Rectory Wood & Field - many of which join up or intersect with the above routes. However, the above from Carding Mill provide the perfect introduction and start to getting to know the area, and we personally recommend them for first-time visitors.

Spend Some Time in Church Stretton

The best thing about a hike in the countryside?

The pint in the countryside pub afterwards!

Surrounded by the hills, Church Stretton is a really charming little historic market town and absolutely worth factoring into your plans for the day trip to Long Mynd.

It's got some beautiful English country gardens on display, the old churchyards and original Tudor homes, various independent cafes and galleries, a good outdoors shop, a little market on Thursdays, and two excellent antique shops. You could wander around it all in half an hour, but take the time to browse and support when you can.

There are two Church Stretton pubs to choose from, handily situated only a few minute's walk from each other the High Street - we prefer The King's Arms to The Buck's Heads for a few reasons (including its large beer garden out the back and two adorable dogs).

If you don't have time for Church Stretton, then you can get refreshments and access facilities at the little tea-room /visitor hub at the National Trust’s Chalet Pavillion next to the Carding Mill Valley car park.

Blooming Heather Season

We have unfortunately never timed our visits to the Long Mynd for the brief period when the hills are awash with purple heather - we promise to rectify it this year! Instead, it's been various shades of scrubby brown or covered in snow (equally beautiful though).

If you'd like to see the landscape transformed, then August and early September is your best bet (although the impact of climate change here makes the bloom less certain than in previous years). In 2019, up to 75% of the heather was lost, and efforts to regenerate are underway.

Tip | To manage and support the native ecosystem, there is periodic burning of heather from mid-October to mid-April, ending by mid-March. Find out more here

Stargazing & Wild Dips

Top of our Shropshire list of activities is to make it out to the Long Mynd at night.

Four sites on the Long Mynd have been certified as ‘Milky Way Class’, the highest ranking available for the ability to enjoy clear night skies and fantastic stargazing. As the name denotes, it’s possible to see the Milky Way with the naked eye if the conditions are just right.

How amazing would that be!?

Also, if you like wild swimming or think a dip after your Long Mynd hike would be the perfect way to cool off, then make a beeline from the car park to the popular Carding Mill Valley Reservoir (it does get pretty busy in summer on a nice day though).