This was the third and final day of walking mostly over farmland in Staffordshire.

Wednesday 7th September 2016

Packed up at dawn and chatted to farmer, who asked if I had been camping and promptly forgot this question once I told him where I was going! Stopped at pub by busy A-road at Tong (after a visit to the church).

By now I was out of Staffordshire and into Shropshire. The scenery was already improving.

Continued on through more farmland, then across gold course and wood into Ironbridge Coalport [YHA hostel]. Nice friendly woman on reception guessed my route just from the size of my backpack. Went to Shakespeare pub for a tasty Vegetable Wellington.

Distance: 18.9 miles [view on map]

Ironbridge is just south of the large town of Telford. It is known as “the birthplace of industry” and many of the surviving buildings date from the industrial revolution, including the famous Iron Bridge across the river Severn. Most of the buildings are now museums, which I may go back to visit someday.