The Long Mynd is a hill, or ridge – the name means ‘long mountain’ in the Shropshire Hills, a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). It is good walking country, much of it heathland and much of it is common land owned by the National Trust. The postcode below is for one of their car parks.
The Long Mynd is approximately 7 miles (11 km) long by 3 miles (5 km) wide, and 1,693 feet (516 metres above sea level at its highest point. There are good views over the surrounding countryside and some of the adjacent settlements. To the west are the Stiperstones, a rocky ridge known for its historic lead mining. Heather and bilberry (known locally as whinberry) proliferate and there is a wealth of wildlife. The area is also steeped in history – there are 16 Bronze Age burial mounds on the Mynd and Neolithic traders walked the ancient paths through the hills.
The novelists Mary Webb and Malcolm Saville both set stories in the Shropshire Hills,