Shropshire Divide Write-Up

Meet Steve. Steve is Matt’s dad who turned 70 this year and has attended almost every Trailhead Gone Graveling ride to date.

The Shropshire Divide

So what to write about this experience, and what an experience ? !

It seemed a great idea to do a big ride on the longest day and mark the summer solstice especially as it was close to home and supporting Matthew and The Trailhead. Graveling from Whitchurch to Ludlow across the best of Shropshire caught the imagination - the nearest thing to an ultra, albeit some of it on home 'turf' or at least familiar territory. It was going to be tough, but little did I know how tough!

With bike checked, drivetrain TLC'd, maps readied, extra food and drink packed, big breakfasted and Trailhead jersey'd I arrived at Whitchurch Station in good time. Despite no trains running there was a decent turnout for a bluebird morning.

I left ahead of the 'peloton' knowing I'd be caught. Getting going helped settle my nervousness. Fast trails and gorgeous conditions were pure pleasure together with the sight of a hare running ahead as I approached Fenn's Moss. The old station at Bettisfield was looking its colourful best in the sunshine.

On the Llangollen canal towpath voices and laughter told me that team Trailhead had caught up. No one fell in, the towpath in places being lower than the water level helped! I kept them in sight until beyond Wem, but from there, as expected, I was solo.

Weston Heath, Lee Brockhurst, Grinshill, Shawbury Heath and Ebury Hill rode fast, albeit with some hillier, vegetated, single track and rougher sections to prepare or, should I say, soften me up, for the trails to come. And they came soon. Over Haughmond Hill roots, tree stumps, fallen trees, mud, puddles and overgrown vegetation made the single track something of an obstacle course and navigation difficult without stopping - for me at least!

After the concentration of Haughmond I relaxed on the cycle track into Shrewsbury - so much so that I overshot the turn to the centre and then had difficulty navigating the streets, alleyways and shoppers to Welsh Bridge! It was a relief to arrive at the Trailhead, albeit later than I'd hoped and a little flustered. However, the wonderful welcome from Sandy and the guys in the shop more than made up for that. They made sure I was well fed and watered and sent me on my way feeling strong again 😊

Leaving Shrewsbury and through Bayston Hill some navigation issues threatened morale. Navigating from my watch is harder in built up areas and where multiple turns are required. Once back out in the countryside and on my way up Lyth Hill all was well again.

Through Longdon, the Pulverbatches and Westcott the route crosses several valleys so plenty of climbs and descents to keep riders on their toes. Going this way meant gaining The Portway from the north west. It's a long climb and no push-over, but less aggressively steep and scenically nicer than from All Stretton.

A banana stop helped me on the climb and once on the Long Mynd summit ridge it was headed down to Pole Bank where I was delighted to see Helen. She'd walked up and seen the others earlier but had to wait for me. Her chocolate brownie and insistence on drinking worked wonders. But with time beginning to press she was soon waving me off, with instructions to refill my water bottle at the Gliding Club. That I duly did!

It's an exhilarating descent to Hamperley but today had multiple DoE groups with different coloured rucksack rain covers. I managed to avoid them and didn't burn out my brakes. Reaching the A49 I watched a train pass at the level crossing and set off towards Wenlock Edge, moving steadily and feeling good. On the way, for some reason, I kept thinking of the A E Houseman poem: 'On Wenlock Edge the wood's in trouble, His forest fleece the Wrekin heaves...'

It wasn't particularly windy, as per the poem, but trouble was the word when, after some prevarication, I concluded that the steep, wet, muddy, single track in front of me was the climb up the Edge! Nothing for it but to push and slither upwards. Near the top the mud path gave way to long grass along the ridge. Eventually it broadened into a track I recognised which descended roughly into Corve Dale.

With morale cautiously improving again I continued up the other side of the dale towards Brown Clee. I'd mentally set myself the target of stopping to refuel there, but soon realised I was going to miss my revised time. Cross with myself I struggled on for a while before abruptly stopping somewhere near Tugford to devour a sandwich and an apple with a big drink.

That was a good move! Twenty minutes later with equilibrium restored I set off again. The next challenge wasn't long coming, the Ditton Incline. Although I started to ride up, it's steepness is sustained. It wasn't long before I was pushing the bike dripping sweat thinking there must be a better way. Subsequently it transpired some had gone another way up, but I was unaware of that.

However, once the incline eased I rode the rest of the climb to Brown Clee, the highest point in Shropshire and, of course, on the Divide. Dodging a couple of solstice sunset watchers, I had another sandwich, got a photo and checked the map. Ever hopeful, on paper it didn't seem too far to the last climb and the end: Titterstone Clee and Ludlow. But distance was not the main factor!

The track to Brown Clee's subsidiary summit was very lumpy. I rode it slowly albeit with one 'roll' off the bike into the surrounding heather. Beyond that, the start of the descent required care too but went OK. The middle section, however, was a completely different matter. I had been warned about a hike-a-bike descent en route. It didn't take long to realise this was it, a steep, overgrown, slippery and deeply gouged drainage channel of a path. Further down, after several 'false starts', it became a rideable gravel track but time and morale were hit again.

As so often happens under pressure, compounded by a blip with my OS Maps app, I made a navigation error. I found myself at an overgrown junction of footpaths, with fallen trees blocking progress, on the wrong side of a deeply incised stream. Not wanting to retrace my steps I spotted a footbridge and a stile beyond. In hope, I lifted the bike through the trees, over the bridge, up the steep steps and over the stile on to a good track. Thankfully this returned me to the route.

Shortly after, back on tarmac, with the pressure mounting it was a relief to speed up. At Bromdon after looking at the gravel track with a jaundiced eye, I decided it was OK. It was, until rounding the base of Titterstone Clee. There it degenerated and was largely undistinguishable from multiple animal tracks through rough grass, reeds, bracken and watercourses. Although relatively flat it proved quicker to walk than keep getting on and off the bike. Cursing the terrain, with morale dropping again and phone battery now fading, I stopped to recharge with a sandwich, drink and power pack, as well as to message Helen.

Resigned to hike-a-biking and thus calmer I continued. Approaching Cleeton Gate I picked up a dropped pair of glasses and re-mounted the bike. Reaching the houses I left the glasses with a local.

The bridleway up to the Titterstone Clee track hardly existed - seemingly just animal tracks and a footpath going in a different direction, all across lumpy, vegetated ground. Trying to ride and find a line up this terrain quickly proved untenable. I resigned myself to another long hike-a-bike and made the decision to take the first available descent point.

I reached the track up Titterstone Clee as it was getting dark and was surprised, and relieved, to find it was metalled.

As it was getting dark I googled a route to Ludlow and set off downhill following multiple cars coming down from seeing the sunset and got on my way to Ludlow station, the end point of the Divide.

After a bit of trouble navigating through Ludlow, it was lovely to see Helen at the station, complete with crisps, hummus, pizza and loads of water!

So how to summarise the ride and what have I taken from it?

Overall, an impressive, scenic route progressively increasing in difficulty with quite a sting in the tail. An inspirational idea and an epic day!

On the face of it, riding and weather conditions on the day were as good as it gets, just a bit too warm perhaps! Riding solo increased my personal challenge with morale becoming a significant factor, a taste of ultra cycling for me. The welcome and encouragement at The Trailhead was heart-warming and fired me up for the next stage. As was Helen waiting patiently for me on the Long Mynd with cake and also, at regular intervals, experienced advice.

From the start I had been told to pace myself, advice I heeded. However, as the route got harder, timings slipped and the drive to finish in good time to share a celebratory beer increased, it felt like I was testing my mental as much if not more than physical limits.

Would I have preferred to complete the final section of the route as plotted? Yes.

But am I happy to have made it to Ludlow Station under my own steam? Absolutely 😁 !!

By: Steve Duley