Yesterday we had sun. We did! And a fine afternoon it was for a short tramp up and round the town.
As you can see, Bishop’s Castle is on a steep hill. The header view shows the High Street below the Town Hall. We’re around half way up the hill.
Now I’m walking you backwards, past the Town Hall, past Bamber’s elephant mural into the Market Square, and crossing Salop Street.
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And now I’m turning you right around to look up Bull Street:
And we’re still not at the top.
Bull Street leads to Bull Lane. If we look right and downhill, there’s a fine view of farm fields, doubtless winter wheat and oil seed rape.
But we’re not going down, but left and up to the crossroads where Bull Lane meets Castle Street, Wintles Lane and Montgomery Road.
Now we’re at the top of the town, by the blue house that is growing a fine shadow tree:
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And in the shade, on the house wall opposite, a tribute to our two local Morris dance teams, the Shropshire Bedlams and Martha Rhoden’s Tuppenny Dish
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At the crossroads it’s decision time – to go left and back into town via Castle Street (where there is no castle, only some ground it once sat on and some more good views):
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Or cross the road into Wintles Lane:
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If you want to see the elephant sculpture, then you need to take the Wintles Lane option and follow the footpaths on the right. And climb another hill:
It’s also worth clambering up here for the view of the Long Mynd.
And from here, too, you can turn about and look down on the town. A fine spot on Planet Earth:
I enjoyed the walk with you especially as I can’t do much walking at the moment due to an inconvenient knee! Love the elephant and the view from there – lovely fog in the valley.
So sorry about the knee, Jude. Tx
It doesn’t like going down hill or stairs 😭
Oh dear. Anyone around you who does shiatsu or Bowen technique that might yield some relief.
A lovely stroll, thank you.
Thanks for coming along, Michael 🙂
Excellent memories for me of a fine day in BC.
Happy to provide same, Margaret 🙂
What a beautiful and quaint town Tish. I bet you get your exercise.
We have a bit of a regime. Our local grocery shop is down the hill not far from the house. So now we walk up the town first in order to get to the bottom of the town.
That almost sounds upside down!
🙂 That would be us!
Thank you for the excellent walking tour.
Happy you could make it 🙂
all the best people live in towns on a hill! Loving your shadowy excursions and glorious views
Keeps them young for longer 🙂
hee hee, I like to think so!
Thanks, Becky. Bishop’s Castle has a good repertoire of shadowness on sunny days 🙂
I enjoyed that breath taking walk and I especially liked the header photo.
Thanks, Suzanne.
What a lovely town, Tish. I imagine you get a lot of exercise walking around town! Did you bring the elephant back from Kenya? 🤣🤣🤣. It was quite unexpected.
Ah, the elephant connection. There are lots of ele images about the town – and all down to the fact an Indian (circus) elephant (or maybe more) was (were) evacuated for safety to the Castle Hotel’s then stables during WW2. There’s a tiny film clip on YouTube of one being exercised along the lanes.
The other connection is Clive of India – he who rose from a modest clerical position in the East India company to make a fortune. He came to live near Bishop’s Castle – and his dynasty did some roost-ruling when it came to politics, Bishop’s Castle being an infamous Rotten Borough. Clive’s acquired family crest included an Indian elephant. We still have a stone carved example in the Market Square. It came off the demolished market hall that the Clive family built. I’m thinking of featuring it in Jude’s bench series.
Wintle’s lane is not just a wonderful name then
It’s a storybook name, isn’t it. And yes, the paths that meander off it lead to some marvellous uplands and, if you keep going, across the border into Wales.
Such a lovely walk through your beautiful town. The narrow streets and quaint houses are delightful. We don’t have any thing like that here. Lovely post, Tish.
Thanks, Flavia. Yes, we lots of meandering places in the town. A thousand years of settlement!
A fine spot on planet Earth, indeed! Thanks for the virtual tramp around a most pleasant town, Tish!
Many thanks, Sue.
Pleasure!
Loved this stroll with you around town on a sunny day, and another glimpse of that surprisingly realistic elephant
Considering it’s composed of small metal plates it’s extraordinarily realistic. The creator one Ben Ashton. I’ve not been able to find anything about him. Their are other sculptures about the town – a life size wart hog and offspring in a garden down the road.
that first pic almost like Gold Hill! Your town is lovely in sun and shade and must be keeping you fit.
The hill takes some determination, I can tell you. And if we need the dentist or the docs – they’re at the top of it!
I also have a hill and can only my way to town, pub and church by going up!
I’m v. glad we’re not as steep as Gold Hill, Laura. Or as cobbly.
me too – I’d need more than a hovis loaf!
Ha!