Park in the car park behind the Spar or the Co-op. Walk back on to High Street and turn towards the railway bridge. Walk towards the bridge on the same side as the Spar. Cross over Victoria Road at the pedestrian crossing. Take the first right, Church Street. You will pass St Andrew’s Church on the right.
As you approach the island make sure you are on the left hand pavement. Go straight on at the island, crossing over Vicarage Drive. Keep walking along the main road for around 300 yards until you see a turning left. It is a thin, tarmacked road with a public footpath sign. The road will come into two forks take the right fork. You will reach Manor Barns, take the gate to the right and a footpath. You will reach a gate, turn right. Then go through a kissing gate and up past the sewage works which is on your left. It may be smelly, but this is not for long.
Follow the footpath round, keeping the sewage works on your left. You will emerge on a concrete path, turn right. You will reach a metal gate and a stile, over the stile and turn left. At a junction of paths, take the one to the right. Do not cross the bridge to the left, instead carry straight on. Follow the path, eventually you will come to a kissing gate. Go through the kissing gate. Follow the path through two more kissing gates to a road.
At the road turn left. As soon as you turn there is a bridge. Go over a bridge and turn immediately left. It looks like you are entering the property which is Evelith Mill Cottage. You are, but this is the public footpath. Go through the wooden gate. Go straight on, past the first building and you will see the public footpath sign. Turn right as if you are going towards someone’s garage, then turn left following the public footpath sign.
There is a pond on the left, go over a stile and up the hill. Eventually you will reach a stile into a field. There is another immediate stile. Go over this and turn left. At a farm take the right fork into a farmyard, then exit over a stile.
As you look up the hill (Lodge Hill) you will see a faint path in the grass, half right. Go up this path. At the top of the hill take a minute to take in the views, however, if there are cows in the field you may want to carry on walking.
Go over a stile and into an enclosed track with a hedge on the left and a fence on the right. Keep going straight on. The path bends to the right. There is a pond on the right. Go over a stile, follow the tarmac path, then turn left on the road.
You are on Park Lane. You will pass St Andrew’s Primary School on the right. At the end of the road turn left. You are on the A464 Shifnal to Wolverhampton Road. Eventually you will return to the High Street.
Drive/walk to the nearby Plough Inn. the pub is traditional with wooden beams. It has an atmosphere, being warm and inviting. The wine is Hardys Chardonnay, £3.30 for a 175cl glass. Chilled and fruity.
Lyn says: This is a local favourite for Shifnal residents. If you want you can shorten it by taking the bridge over the stream and walking up the steps and through the woods to emerge at a stile and then onto Lodge Hill and then follow the directions as described. There are a range of pubs available in Shifnal which you can sample at your leisure.