Brown Clee and Titterstone Clee hills stand somewhat apart from the rest of the south-west Shropshire hill country, and given that Brown Clee is also the county's highest point, at 1772', they can be seen from many miles away. On this reasonably clear day we were able to appreciate the distant views that open up from the higher ground.

We started out from the picnic area about a mile to the west of Cleobury North, and followed the public bridleway through the Boyne estate almost as far as the main Bridgnorth - Ludlow road. About 300 yards short of the road, another track leads to the north-west, climbing steadily until, the gradient easing, it swings towards the north past the attractive little Boyne Water, an artificial lake created remarkably close to the summit ridge.

Easy walking through the blooming heather now takes us to the col between Brown Clee's twin summits - Clee Burf to the south, and Abdon Burf, our destination, to the north. Not just yet - there's a well-placed seat, and it's lunchtime...

The summit is not pretty - a pimple on the highest part of a gently-sloped plateau, pock-marked by the quarrying which took place in the first part of the 20th century, with modern communications equipment adding a space-age feel... A fairly new toposcope outlines the views, actual and potential - we could make out Hay Bluff, some 40 miles to the south-west, but not the Brecon Beacons a few miles beyond.

I'd thought of descending a footpath which connects the summit fairly directly with the picnic area - but time and energy were still on our side, and instead we followed the line of an ancient wall down to the northern tip of the access land, then following the contours, more or less, to the former railway incline which once took standard-gauge wagon between the quarries and Ditton Priors. Rather than following the incline to the road, we cut off part way down and skirted the woodlands, ultimately joining the aforementioned footpath back to the car.

Link:- Shropshire CC Open Access publications

Books and Maps:- The walk illustrated is shown in its entirety on both maps -

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