Places Stories

The sun shone brilliantly out of an azure sky to welcome a group of 33 walkers on the inaugural walk of the Geopark Way (GPW).

At the start

The party was bussed from Malvern to Bridgnorth to tackle the first leg of an eventual 108 mile trek to Gloucester, which will be walked over nine consecutive days.

A market trader sped us on our way with a blast on the air horn he was trying to sell.

The crocodile of backpackers weaved its way through the weekend shoppers and headed for the town's tower, which leans at a greater angle than the more famous example at Pisa.

Andrew Jenkinson joins the group

The tower is all that remains of the castle that was blown up by Cromwell's troops in the Civil War.

Here guest walker, geologist Andrew Jenkinson, joined the group and, along the way, explained the formation of the terrain.

In this area, most of the rock formation is that of Bridgnorth Red Sandstone, formed by remnants of Permian desert sand dunes, dating back some 300 million years.

The cliff railway

Too many to fit in the cabin of the Cliff Railway, we descended to Lowtown by one of the various flights of steps that make the town so interesting.

Leaving Bridgnorth and following the Severn southwards, Andrew emphasised to the group the importance of floodplains and their different levels – known as terraces.

These natural layers were formed by changing volumes of silty alluvium deposits, as a result of changing amounts of sediment and river water levels since the Ice Age.

Quatford

A refreshment break at Quatford gave the chance to view clearly impressive examples of cross or dune-bedding.

This effect was caused by one set of dunes being partly eroded and then covered by a new set, resulting in a distinctive cross pattern in the rock.

The softness of the sandstone can be readily appreciated by numerous tiny holes bored by miner bees.

Welcome shade was provided by mixed woodland managed by the National Trust, as part of the Dudmaston Estate.

Hampton Loade ferry

The area was once part of the ancient Forest of Morfe; much of the ancient woodlands were denuded by the nation's insatiable demand for warships.

Regrettably, Dudmaston Hall provided the only cloud on a perfect day.

Today, tourism is championed as an important way to help the local economy.

It is embarrassing to say the least to explain to visitors that the amenities are not open on Saturdays and neither on two other days of the week.

OK, so spending a penny is unlikely to solve the credit crunch, but it would have saved a few blushes.

Butter cross

With people on site, it seemed churlish not to open up the amenities, literally as a convenience.

But the female we approached was adamant - The National Trust needs to realise that tourism is a seven days a week business.

The river ferry at Hampton Loade is back in service after suffering severe damage in the disastrous floods of 2007.

The isolated Butter Cross marks the spot where food was left for the doomed plague victims of Alveley.

Severn Valley Country Park

The day's walk ended at the Severn Valley Country Park, where the former coal mine workings and slag heaps have been transformed into a thriving leisure park, complete with loos - open daily.

National Trust, please take note.