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But
by far the the most spectacular scenery can be found in the southwest of the county,
in the hills south of Pontesbury. This
was once a bustling area dotted with mines like Snailbeach, but today many of
the traces of mining have blended into the landscape and the area is popular with
walkers. Chief among
these hills is the long ridge of the Stiperstones, with its dramatic rocky outcrops. With
such breathtaking - and spooky - scenery, it's hardly surprising that the area
abounds in legends and myths. The best-known of these is that of the Devil's Chair.
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| The
ridge of the Stiperstones | The
Devil's Chair is the highest - and the most imposing of these outcrops. According
to legend, the rocks of the Devil's Chair were brought there by the Devil himself. Curiously,
perhaps, he was carrying a load of stones in his apron and apparently travelling
across Britain from Ireland, when he fancied a bit of a rest. As
the legend goes, the Devil was actually planning to use his load of stones to
fill in the valley on the other side of the Stiperstones, which is known as Hell's
Gutter. Unfortunately
for him, as he got up after his rest on the highest rock of the Stiperstones,
his apron strings snapped and the rocks tumbled out. Instead
of picking them up, the Devil left the rocks scattered all over the ridge and
the legend has it that you can smell the brimstone on them in hot weather.
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| Outcrops
on the Stiperstones | However,
the claim that the Devil wears an apron is quite unique and the legend doesn't
offer an explanation for this. Mind
you, this isn't the end of the Devil's involvement on this rocky outcrop. The
Evil Guy is also said to use the Devil's Chair as... er... a chair.
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| Judging
the annual 'Most Evil Witch in Shropshire' awards | On
the longest night of the year, according to legend, he sits on his chair and summons
all his local followers - witches and evil spirits, mainly - and they choose their
king for the year. The
Stiperstones are actually made up of a unique rock - Stiperstones Quartzite -
which emerges from the ground to form its distinctive rocky crest. When
the ridge was first formed it is thought to have been covered by softer rock,
which has weathered away over many thousands of years. The
ridge itself has been shaped most recently by the action of ice and frost shattering
on the rock during the last ice age. This
has created the tors that line the top of the ridge that make this site so recognisable
from the surrounding countryside. | 
