[PaulAshton]

Last Friday (29th August) I had the day off work and decided to head for the hills in search of birds, good views and exercise.

Being Walsall based I headed for the nearest hill accessible via public transport, the Wrekin. The Wrekin is a 407m high wooded lump in the middle of the Shropshire countryside near Telford (apparently the Wrekin was dropped there by a Welsh Giant who was planning to drop it on Shrewsbury, got fed up looking for Shrewsbury and dropped it before going home). Also a local Black Country saying for those who are ‘making a short statement into a complicated long one’ is to say they are going ‘Round the Wrekin’. And it is a fare hike round it!!!

I jumped off the train in Wellington and headed up hill through the town until I hit the edge of the Ercall. The Ercall (260ish metres) is the little brother of the Wrekin. It is the little lump attached to the side of the Wrekin and my usual access point to the Wrekin area.

It is often the case that the hardest part of a walk (when you’re not in a car) is actually getting there. The uphill trudge through shoppers and sedentary residential streets always frustrates the mind and body especially when kitted out in walking boots and rucksack.

Finally when in the woodland I could relax, pull out the binoculars and settle into a leasurely stroll, scanning the trees for birds.

The Ercall and Wrekin are both well wooded with semi-natural oaks and birches (aswell as plantation pines) covering the majority of their steep sides. Apart from the top which has a few rocky outcrops and limited heather with the usual wide footpath scar across the top.

I spent the afternoon meandering across to and around the side of the Wrekin enjoying the Buzzards, a couple of Sparrowhawks, gangs of blue and great tits mixed in with a few Gold Crests.

Finally I decided to head for the top. It’s a 200+ metres steep climb up the hillside through winding paths. You get good views of the tree canopy and trees below and the chance of nest spotting at eye level in the right season.

Finally on the top, once you breath has returned and your heart rate is more normal you are in a more human dominated area with the wide path (straight up and along the top of the Wrekin (though not the Ercall) from the car park, heading for the trig point. On summer days this route is busy, but people tend not to leave this path (because of the steepness of the decents into thick woodland) so it’s not a real problem for those seeking peace.

I found a quiet heather clad open bit of hill side a little away from the trig point and communication tower and lay down to relax. The view south is excellent on a good day giving you a look at Wenlock Edge, Brown Clee Hill, Cair Caradoc, The Long Mynd, Stiperstones and to the west Breidden Hill and further away the Welsh Berwyn mountains. A bonus of this relaxing view was Ravens and a close view of a male Kestrel hunting below me.

A lovely day out, though offcause I missed the direct train home by seconds and had to wait for the train that comes across from Wales.

[Charles Harper]

Paul, that's an interesting narration. Love the myth, and sounds like a nice place for a hike, too. I immediately connected with your comment that 'the hardest part is getting there'-- that's my main complaint about birding here: I've got to ride on the commuter trains so long, then slog past all the high-rises and through all the shopping streets, before the people finally start to thin out, and it starts getting a little green and quiet.