We'd been promising ourselves a leg stretch for a few weeks. The bitter cold weather at the end of the month had sprinkled the Shropshire hills with a reasonable cover, and with a fine day forecast, we headed for the Stiperstones.

Just over a year previously, we had walked the northern part of the ridge, from Lord's Hill to the Devil's Chair and back. Today, we parked at The Bog, and followed the path behind Bog Hill Farm, then joining the path from Pennerley, skirting the southern edge of Perkins Beach before gaining the ridge just a little to the north of the Devil's Chair.

From here the route follows the ridge southwards, passing the white quartzite tors which make the Stiperstones a distinctive landmark. Dropping from Cranberry Rock to the Bog - Bridges road, the ridge becomes a high grassy plateau - before once again regaining the rough moorland near Nipstone Rock. Not so long ago most of this area was coniferous forest - recently cleared, the area is gradually reverting to its original state.

The ridge ends quite markedly at "The Rock" - a superb viewpoint for the hill country to the south - and, after retracing our steps for a short way, we returned to the road and made our way back to the car.

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