Much Wenlock – Craven Arms Cycle Route Proposal to create a leisure cycle route from Much Wenlock to Craven Arms with potential for links to Ironbridge NCN 45 and Bishops Castle NCN 44.
The proposed route can be accessed from either end and several points along the way and offers routes to attractions such as Acton Scott Farm Museum. The distance covered is about 40 kilometres or 25 miles depending on the final route. The proposed route broadly follows the line of Wenlock Edge through beautiful countryside designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and where possible uses the track bed of the now disused Much Wenlock to Craven Arms railway line. There is the potential to connect northwards to NCR 45 in Ironbridge. The proposed route meets NCR 44 just oath of Craven Arms. The entire route is covered by the Ordnance Survey Explorer Map 217 The Long Mynd and Wenlock Edge. For the first few miles the route runs on National Trust land on Wenlock Edge and then accesses parts of the railway that are already open as permissive paths in various ownerships. There are existing long distance paths, the Jack Mytton Way and the Shropshire Way that already occupy a bridleway on National Trust Land. This bridleway initially runs along the bottom of Wenlock Edge from Much Wenlock to Longville in the Dale. The Jack Mytton Way then continues on to the top of Wenlock Edge from Wilderhope Manor and is used primarily by horse riders, some sections of the route have been surfaced and are suitable for hybrid and mountain bikes as well as pedestrians and horse riders. The proposed cycle route follows the railway track bed for the most part from near to Longville in the Dale to Eaton. From this point there are issues with existing ownerships but there is an option to follow a minor road to Alcaston and then to Upper Affcot. The route meets the A49 at Upper Affcot and goes north for a short distance before joining Gates Lane towards Wistanstow. The A49 in this section has wide verges (3m+) on either side of the carriageway that could accommodate a dedicated cycle path separate from the main carriageway.