A cold night on the Long Mynd

A Long Mynd wild camping trip. Another cold one in Snowdonia    • Winter Camping in Snowdonia   and just "up the road" from this one is also worth a look    • 3 Days on Cadair Berwyn  

Licked on the Long Mynd, with a bit of an intro, and some extra behind-the-scenes information at the end. The majority of the “film” bit was shot with no talking and no music, so just enjoy the sounds of nature, hiking, and wild camping.

Just down the road from this one, 3 days wild camping on Cadair Berwyn, also worth a look    • 3 Days on Cadair Berwyn  

This Long Mynd wild camp started at the car park at Pole Cottage. It’s free parking, and a great place to leave your car on the Long Mynd overnight. I’ve never had any problems, other than my wife’s car getting licked by ponies. I returned to find it covered in mud and hair. Ah well…

After parking up, I set out through the thick brown ground cover to pick up one of the main paths out around Round Hill towards Grindle. It’s high ground here, but relatively flat and easygoing, and even after a load of recent rain, not boggy at all.

There are big skies and panoramic views in all directions from here on the top of the Long Mynd, with spectacular rolling hills and lush green countryside below.

I stuck to the North side of Round Hill and began to drop down towards Cross Dyke. Here I met with the first of the car (and tent) licking wild ponies that roam the Long Mynd, and managed to get some cool shots. I’m particularly pleased with the audio of the ponies chewing in the video. They eat louder than I do, just.

After mucking around here for a while admiring the views beneath some Hawthorn trees, and upsetting the crows, I took the path south of Grindle and headed down towards the Small Batch path, before swinging right and climbing up Callow Hill. It opened up yet more spectacular views of the Shropshire countryside to the South.

As pretty as the view to the South was, that wasn’t why I was here. I was here for a particular view over Church Stretton to the North East, and in particular, to capture an establishing shot of the Shropshire Hills. I needed something that said “The Shropshire Hills”, but it had to be something with some context. A town, a village, a farm, or something like that. I knew just the place, Callow Hill, and so I set up wild camp here for the night, and settled down.

It got pretty cold, down to around zero, and it must have been a good few degrees below with the windchill, but whatever, I was prepared. I wrapped up warm, stuck on my down booties (yes, really), and got the timelapse camera rolling over Chruch Stretton.

They call Church Stretton “Little Switzerland”, I understand why, but I know where I’d rather be… the one with proper cheese, not that bland stuff with holes.

I like the penknives, but it’s a bit far to go just for that.

It soon got a bit colder, and I stood there admiring the moon rise over the town, like a complete and utter womble. It felt good at the time, but looked a bit odd in the video I thought… like I’d been summoned by a moon demon…

After that, it was Pot Noodles and steaks, obviously, and I got into my sleeping bag just as it started to sleet at around 8 pm. I slept through until around 5 AM, waking up just a few times in the night to shout at the ponies who had decided to lick my tent. I think they were after the moisture following the sleet, and I thought it was pretty cool, but I was a little concerned they’d get caught up in the guy lines. All was fine though, and I slept through well and woke up to a cloudy but amazing sunrise.

What followed was a load of coffee and a fair amount of standing around looking out into the distance, as you do when wild camping. It’s my favourite part…

I wrapped up the timelapse sequences and packed away my camping gear as the sun rose over Shropshire. Here’s the main view I was after, it’s Caer Caradoc, the Lawley, and the Wrekin above the town of Chruch Stretton, not bad…

I've spent a lot of time up in the Shropshire hills over the years, but it was the first time I've properly filmed Long Mynd wild camp, I hope I've done it justice. It's an incredible place.

00:00 Intro
01:35 Film - Long Mynd Hike
03:51 Long Mynd Wild Ponies
07:11 Arriving at Callow Hill
08:17 Wild camping spot
12:23 Morning
16:21 BTS Behind the Scenes

#camping #wildcamping #adventure