The best MTB trails around Milson

Brown Clee is the highest hill in Shropshire and it's isolated position affords excellent views in all directions.

Nice route to the Clee Hills. Parking to the north as well at the excitingly named Cockshutford

Hidden Gem! Best on a gravel bike, but once through the initial 50m of bumpy stuff a road bike will be ok.

Discover this tranquil little lake tucked away in the Shropshire Hills. The lake makes a great picnic spot, or if you're feeling daring, a wild swimming spot, too.

From Stoke St Milborough, if you have appetite for further exploration, take in Scirmidge Lane. It lies alongside a small area of common land on the parish boundary of Cold Weston, Hopton Cangeford and Stoke St Milborough. We often find common land where parish boundaries converge, but in the late 18c. this area was ‘no-man’s-land’. Between 1784 and 1796, the Scirmidge Cottage (related to the the term skirmish, Scirmidge is said to refer to a disorderly place) was home to an enterprising midwife. The three parishes sent unmarried expectant woman there to have their babies, to avoid them being born in their parish, and hence taking on responsibility for their wellbeing and ‘upkeep’. The register records 52 illegitimate births at the Scirmidge. It is now part of Cold Weston Parish and the common called Weston common with rights to graze cattle and sheep.

Walk through the medieval village of Kinson, although in 1255 it was recorded as Ekinestaneston. Place-names ending in tun or ton are thought to point to a settlement, village, a collection of dwellings. The whole area was widely populated at that time, as there are said to have been medieval villages at Newton, Stanton, Bockleton and Downton. You are now in the parish of Stoke St Milborough and if you would like to read more, the British History Online site holds a wealth of information.

First enshrined in law in the Magna Carta in 1215, Common Land traditionally sustained the poorest people in rural communities who owned no land of their own, providing them with a source of wood, bracken for bedding and pasture for livestock. Over one-third of England’s moorland is common land. Common Land now accounts for just 3% of England, but this includes large tracts of our most well-loved and ecologically rich landscapes including where you are standing in the Shropshire Hills but also in the Yorkshire Dales, on Dartmoor and in the Lake District. Common Land is privately owned land with ‘Rights of Common’ over that land, most commonly to graze animals. Visitors have a right roam the commons while recognising and respecting the wildlife, landowners and farmers who work tirelessly to maintain it. This includes making sure all visiting dogs have their owner with them and are under close control. Our nesting birds, sheep, lambs and other stock will thank you for it. There are 86 pieces of registered common land in the county of Shropshire. Many of these and certainly the largest ‘working’ commons, can be found within the Shropshire Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Clee Liberty, known for its Iron Age Hill Fort and extensive industrial quarrying activity is part of Shropshire’s highest hill, the Brown Clee. This common is owned by the Parish Council of Clee St Margaret. Local residents enjoy common rights on the hill, several commoners turn out sheep and one also grazes a small herd of ponies. For this walk, we access the common from ‘the Yeld’ where there is parking for a small number of cars. To start the walk, go through the gate onto the common and follow the track straight ahead.

Stoke St Milborough, known in Saxon period as Godstoke, was part of the huge Saxon parish of St Milburga, subject to the minster church at Much Wenlock. Small dependent chapels were set up within the large parish and Stoke St Milborough (then called Godstoke) may have had one by the 8th century. The tower of the church of St. Milburga is believed to date back to 1250. The Church worth a visit if you have allowed enough time on this walk. There is some great information inside and much to see. Take a look at the church and see the textures of the different stone used to build it, from small layered tiles, to large interesting shapes. As you exit the church grounds, find your way to the holy well of St Milburga. A small plaque tells her story and the miracles she became known for, including the banishment of seed-eating geese. The holy well is a piece of registered common land (not all common land has graziers, some are protected by this status for a wider group of beneficiaries, is this case the local residents). The holy well is a spring with an old stone basin, dating back as early as 1321. It was later a common clothes washing place. Stories of its origin were recorded in the mid 19th century, with mention to its miraculous ability to cure blindness. Notice the strong connections to geese dotted around the Church, engraved into the woodwork inside the church, and on the gate and handrails as you enter the well. How many can you find?