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Walk up Brown Clee Hill – Abdon Burf & Clee Burf

By Rik Henderson   

on October 16, 2019    5/5 (1)

Posted as a walk in – England, Europe, Shropshire

Walk up Brown Clee Hill – Abdon Burf & Clee Burf

Route Essentials

Route Summary

A short walk up Brown Clee Hill, which at 540m is the highest hill in Shropshire.

See the end of the article for local information about parking, public transport facilities, pubs and cafes.

Distance

10.55 km

Ascent

341 m

Time

2-3 1/2 hours

Calculate the time using Naismith’s Rule and factor in your own pace.

Start Location

Minor road near Cleobury North - Grid Reference SO608871

Difficulty

Hard Walk

Hazards

Although the route is well trodden and the paths are obvious, the paths can be quite lumpy in places and therefore boggy when it rains.

Weather Forecast:

Check out our Best Mountain Weather Forecast?
Remember that we cannot outline every single hazard on a walk – it’s up to you to be safe and competent. Read up on Mountain Safety , Navigation and what equipment you’ll need. 

Walk up Brown Clee Hill – Abdon Burf & Clee Burf Ordnance Survey Map and GPX File Download

View the full route map

Download file for GPS

Walk up Brown Clee Hill – Abdon Burf & Clee Burf

Brown Clee is likley the highest Shropshire hill you’ve never heard of, whilst more poular hills/ranges exist in this area of outstanding natural beauty (AONB), this walk is a great day out for ramblers and families alike, taking in moreland scrub, woodland, an idealic country estate and exceptional views across Shropshire & beyond (on a good day). Brown Clee Hill stands at 540m above sea level, to the east you don’t reach any higher ground until the Ural mountains in central Russia. Clee Burf (510m) lays just over 2km to its South but whilst these are two of Shropshire’s highest peaks, the walking is quite easy due to a high start. What this route lacks in challenge, certainly makes up for in character.

Walk up Brown Clee Hill Route Details

1) From the car park cross the road and head through the gate, follow the path that snakes from right to left, gradually gaining height up onto the hill eventually with the woodlands edge to your right. Heading in a Southerly direction, bear left onto the gravel road at the junction, keeping the woodland edge (now fenced) to your right. After a short distance you will see a gate on your right that takes you up into the woodland. Pass through this and gain height up through the woods, shown as “Stanbroughs Wood” on your OS Map, follow this along until you reach a gate.

2) Pass through this gate, and over the path, taking a not so obvious trail in front of you, a Westerly route that heads into the trees. A lumpy bumpy track winds up the hill, maintaining a Westerly direction. As you go over an obvious lip the ground now flattens out. You can see a pool to your left, and old abandoned quarry buildings to your right. Infront of you take the tarmacked track left, now heading in a Southerly direction for a short distance. As you pass over a cattle grate the track winds right and up to a large fenced off radio mast and buildings, used by air traffic control this mast along with the one on Clee Burf build up a picture of all the aircraft in a hundred-mile radius. To your left you will see some steps that head up to the vantage point and highest point on Bown Clee Hill – Abdun Burf.

3) Take the few steps back down and hit the trail that sign posted as Shropshire Way Main Route, now heading in a South Westerly direction. This path winds down the western flank of the hill and down towards a fence line, bare left and continue along the path now with the fence line to your right now in a South Easterly direction. Continue along for 1km before coming to a gate, pass through this and towards the treeline in front of you. On the wood’s edge you will see a rusty iron gate with a big boulder directly behind it, do not pass through this, bare right, a path marked Shropshire Way that heads in a Southerly direction with the woods edge and eventually a drystone wall on its left. There are several tracks here but if you keep the woodland / drystone wall to your left and in a Southerly direction you will eventually hit Clee Burf. An iron age settlement lies here although little remains and now is dominated by the radar mast.

4) You will see a stile in front of you, head over this and bare left, leaving the Shropshire Way, a 0.5km trail that heads in a South Westerly direction, loosing height and with the woodland edge to your left. Again, the path is lightly trodden here with several adjacent tracks, as long as you keep the woodland edge to your left then you will head in the right direction. You will eventually hit a gate on your left, pass through this and immediately bare right maintaining the same South Westerly direction as before, with woodland to your left and conifer plantation to your right. As you come to a gravel road pass over this, maintaining your direction. Turn left onto the gravel road and down through the gate, head along this road, all the time maintaining the same direction until you come to a junction.

 

5) Turn left onto the road and now in a Northerly direction, do not deviate from this road now as it snakes through the beautiful Burwarton Estate for roughly 3.8km. This beautiful area owned by Viscount Boyne is a fine example of well managed / protected English countryside, dotted with ancient trees and beautiful vistas. Several cattle grids lead the way, pass through these and cross the junctions, can you find the secret garden? (marked Bridge Pool on your OS map). Eventually you will come to a gate, pass through it and bare left onto the road for a short distance before coming to the car park, your start / finish point.

Local Information and Recommended Maps and Guidebooks

Route Summary:

A short walk up Brown Clee Hill, which at 540m is the highest hill in Shropshire.

Route Start Location: Minor road near Cleobury North - Grid Reference SO608871

Distance
 Ascent
 Time
10.55 km 341 m 2-3 1/2 hours

Calculate the time using Naismith’s Rule and factor in your own pace.

Activivity Type: Hard Walk

Summits and Places on this Route

Facilities

Haven’t sampled them yet but there looks to be some nice pubs close by.

Hazards

Although the route is well trodden and the paths are obvious, the paths can be quite lumpy in places and therefore boggy when it rains.

Remember that we cannot outline every single hazard on a walk – it’s up to you to be safe and competent. Read up on Mountain Safety , Navigation and what equipment you’ll need.

Parking : OS grid reference SO608871 / Lat 52.480857 - Long 2.578369

Public Transport:

Traveline for UK Public Transport

Weather Forecast:

Check out our Best Mountain Weather Forecast?

Recommended Maps: 

Guidebooks:

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Rik Henderson

Based out of Shrewsbury Shropshire, I spend most of my free time across the border into Wales, primarily in Snowdonia. A keen walker and explorer who has completed the Top 100 mountains in Wales and Shropshire’s 50 hills. Taking on such challenges enables me to travel to remote, quiet areas and away from the crowds, those are my favourite mountain days. I very much look forward to contributing to the forum that is Mud & Routes, with route guides and gear reviews. Instagram: @rikthehiker Twitter: @RikTheHiker

More Posts by Rik Henderson

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