ironbridge

Over the years, I've grown to really like Ironbridge. There was a time when I though the place was some unnecessary model village, stamping the life and history out of our local towns in order to create some corporate-style museum, and there's still some of that as far as I'm concerned, but the town is so damned pretty, and on a Spring evening the air is thick, sweet with the perfume of blossom, and oxygen-rich, the river, though slightly flooded, looks and moves like builder's tea running along the Gorge. For a while, the Ercall Stompers have been meeting up at Coalbrookdale for a stonking little run then retiring to the Dale Inn to tell tall stories. Start up by Cherry Tree hill, run down into the Dale, along and across the iconic Bridge, pick up the Severn Valley Way to the War memorial footbridge by The Boat, cross and over, back towards Ironbridge but then up the steep, steep climb at the back of the Golden Ball to Jockey Bank. From there, more climbing along Belmont, through the 'back streets' of Ironbridge, picking up Lincoln Hill and turning off for the White Horse pub ( I navigate by pubs). From there it's an eyeball-out descent down Church Hill which brings you out on the Dale road just by the Coalbrookdale pub and home. It's a sliver under 6 miles but an excellent route, covering industry, rivers, railways, war history, churches and chapels, football (Billy Wright's house) pubs and much more besides. Fab run on Tuesday, chaps :)