BIKEPACKING – THE MARCHER CASTLES WAY

Join me as I take on Cycling UK’s newest bikepacking route the Marches Castle Way. This 180-mile adventure loop through the heart of the historic Shropshire hills, starting and finishing in the medieval town of Shrewsbury. Castles history and a lot of steep hills to pedal through. Hope you enjoy.

The Ride – https://www.strava.com/activities/15147302365

The Route – https://www.keepsmilingadventures.com/intermediate-routes/the-marcher-castles-way

check cycling UK for updates – https://www.cyclinguk.org/routes/long-distance/marcher-castles-way

Find all the routes and gear here – https://www.keepsmilingadventures.com/

Make a route suggestion here – https://www.keepsmilingadventures.com/route-sugestions

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The gear i am currently using

The tent – https://youtu.be/n9GKHSf805E
Framebag – https://youtu.be/6LM3UJKDOEk
Seatpost bag – https://youtu.be/W1E_iWY6Ajo
Jones Handlebars – https://youtu.be/dhPBSdRros8
Gravel bike – https://youtu.be/Gnd_4LgTyrg
plus bike mtb – https://youtu.be/COTUOzLPbGk
gps device – https://youtu.be/BWeMmx62A9M
mtb shoes – https://youtu.be/OYVEnfXwT0k
All the gear from GNT – https://youtu.be/e5oKSoPoMk0
Vest bag – https://youtu.be/01nzgd-t550
Ortleib bar roll https://youtu.be/Uk9fLgS1ioo
Dynamo setup – https://youtu.be/SL7MhjB6Lp0
Questions answered – https://youtu.be/u1q9AEs9flE
Gb divide bike/gear- https://youtu.be/epcZ81wqFCo
Sonder looped bar – https://youtu.be/BqWGTxd2VaQ
Tarpstar tent – https://youtu.be/RcQoBdZSAb8

After a long not so comfortable train journey 
i would be arriving in the historic town of Shrewsbury, Starting at Shrewsbury abbey founded 
in 1083 as a Benedictine monastery by the Norman Earl of Shrewsbury, Roger de Montgomery.It grew 
to be one of the most important and influential abbeys in England, and an important centre of 
pilgrimage. And it would be the start of my very own pilgrimage around Cycling Uk’s newest 
bikepacking route The Marchers Castle way. 180 miles of Historic Shropshire landscapes to 
discover. Arriving late into Shrewsbury for this i would start making my way out of 
Shrewsbury along the river severn Which after hours on a hot train was certainly a 
great way to start in the cooler evening sun. After a nice pedal out of Shrewsbury i 
would stumble across the fourth largest   roman city in Roman Britain Wroxeter, At its 
peak, around 15,000 people lived here more than many modern towns in Shropshire today. A 
bustling Roman hub with bathhouses, markets, temples, and even underfloor heating. 
Most of the city is still underground, buried beneath farmland, waiting for the future 
to dig it up. I had to make my move though as i had started so late today the sun was 
getting lower in the sky and i needed to find somewhere to camp tonight so i made my way 
down the narrow country lanes passing through the Small village of Iron Bridge, home to the 
world’s first cast iron bridge, built back in 1779. Once at the centre of the Industrial 
Revolution, it now just sits there quietly over the River Severn. I would be heading into 
the dark tonight to find my bed for the night. With my first proper day on the Marcher 
castle way underway it meant id start my morning gently climbing tow 
ards the Shropshire hills,   for now at least the hills were mellow 
and the early morning temperature cool, Although it wouldn’t be to long until i could tell 
i was getting closer to the real Shropshire hills as every starting getting a little harder. That 
was because i was heading up onto Wenlock Edge, over 19 miles long, running southwest 
to northeast between Craven Arms and Much Wenlock And being over a 1000ft 
above sea level means the views you get from up here are incredible looking 
over the rolling hills of Shropshire. The trails running along here was a lot of 
fun and perfect for the gravel bike, and fairly flat as this was once an old railway line 
running from wellington to craven arms the wind had been picking up quite a bit today so it was 
nice to find so much shelter between the trees. If it wasn’t for the tree cover i think i 
would have been really having to work hard, when i think of the Shropshire hills i think 
of open rolling countryside so i was very happy to be continuing on between the trees 
because not only was the wind continuing to get stronger the rain clouds had rolled, 
so while i still had tree cover and the rain clouds passing above i decided a snack 
was in order. Because of just how windy it was though them rain clouds would pass by 
quite quickly which was lucky because now i had to leave the tree cover and get out 
in the open exposed rolling countryside. It didn’t take long for another rain cloud to 
pass and get back onto climbing that steep hill, uphill i would be going and up to 
the highest point of this route,   Abdon Burf Summit was where i was heading. 
And to get there would require so good old fashioned hike a bike. Today the views 
were mostly just watching the low rain clouds incoming. Any hope of staying dry today 
seemed a bit optimistic, the higher I climbed, the more ominous the horizon looked, 
with rain clouds heading my way. Im quite sure on a beautiful sunny day the views 
up here are incredible, but for me right now it was hard enough the see the trail. Let alone 
the views. The wind the rain was well and truly battering me, downhill i might have going but i 
was still having to grind my way through this rain cloud. After a much needed lunch, it was 
time to continue on towards Knighton,   but not before passing through Ludlow, home to 
one of the best preserved medieval castles in England. Founded shortly after the Norman Conquest 
of 1066 by Walter de Lacy, a powerful Norman lord, Ludlow Castle was built as a strategic fortress 
to control the volatile Welsh border. It became a key stronghold for the Marcher Lords. 
Norman nobles granted special powers to defend and govern the borderlands known as the 
Marches. The castle wasn’t just a military base, by the 15th century, it was the seat of the 
Council of the Marches, established in 1473, which governed much of Wales and the surrounding 
English counties. Over the centuries, Ludlow also became known for its impressive Great 
Hall, built in the early 15th century — one of the finest surviving examples of medieval 
architecture, where laws were made and justice was served. With centuries of political intrigue, 
battles, and governance, Ludlow Castle stands as a powerful symbol of the wild, contested 
lands that shaped this part of Britain. And with that, I was escaping Ludlow, heading into 
the forests, hiking my way through narrow gullies and back into the shelter of the trees, where 
I’d probably be tempting fate by risking removing the jacket. Leaving the overgrown trails behind i would find 
my self crossing the welsh border something i would be doing around 8 times on this route. 
Id soon find myself pushing my bike up the steep welsh climbs but my goal was Knighton 
and i knew just over this climb i was there. I just hoped i could get up and over before that 
low rolling foggy rain cloud could catch me.. Okay, it tasted way better than it 
looked, and it looked better when i   put it in my bag and honestly, any energy 
was good energy today, especially now, with about 20 miles to cover to get over to Kerry 
Ridge. And that 20 miles wasn’t going to be easy. I couldn’t even blame the Welsh hills this time, 
because I’d crossed back into England once again. Thats right, now that i had finally turned 
the corner if you will i had the wind behind me for the last few hours of daylight, and 
after a descent into the small village of Clun unfortunately i Didnt have enough time 
to check out the remains of Clun castle as once again the rain clouds had me hiding 
under tree cover to stay dry before camp. What a difference a day makes, and today 
I was starting off on the Kerry Ridgeway with the sun rising up behind me.
The Kerry 
Ridgeway is one of the oldest routes in Wales, once used by drovers to drive livestock out 
of Wales into England. About 15 miles long, Overlooking Wales on one side and England on the 
other, the views are incredible, especially on a day as clear as today.
The trail never drops below 
1,000 feet, so you can see for miles upon miles. Following the Kerry Ridgeway, in the footsteps of 
thousands of years of history and journeys made along this route, I climbed to the highest point 
and made my way up to the Two Tumps Viewpoint. It not only provides incredible panoramic 
views of both Wales and England, but also reveals the ancient story of the land itself.
The viewpoint is surrounded by prehistoric burial mounds, known as the “two tumps,” thought to date 
back to the Bronze Age. This high ground has long been a place of significance, where people 
paused, settled, or paid tribute to the dead. After yesterday’s relentless day in the 
hills, it was a welcome break to have some flat miles out of Newtown along the peaceful 
canal. I knew the big climbs were coming, so it was nice to just cruise for a bit and relax 
before the hard work began. My legs definitely appreciated the chance to take it a little easier. 
It almost felt like nothing could go wrong today…. Hills, hills, hills, the time had come to 
head back into and up the steep Shropshire hills. At least today, the low clouds were 
well and truly gone, and that made all the difference. As I continued climbing, I stumbled 
across Mitchell’s Fold Stone Circle, a Bronze Age monument dating back around 4,000 years.
The stones themselves, sourced from nearby Stapeley Hill. No one really knows why they 
were placed here, perhaps for ceremonies, burials, or tracking the stars. 
But the mystery is half the magic. Local folklore tells of a giant witch who 
used a magical cow to provide endless milk, until she was caught trying to trick it with 
a sieve and was turned to stone as punishment. Legend says she still stands among the stones 
today, watching over the hills in silence. Whether you believe in a crazy milk 
loving witch or not i will let you   decide but for now i had to keep climbing and 
grinding my way up these Shropshire hills. For a while longer, I was off the bike, mostly 
out of pure laziness because I didn’t want to grind up those rocky hills in the ever-increasing 
heat. I eventually got back in the saddle when things started to level out. The trails became 
a lot smoother, the views opened up again, and the riding got much better.
Well, except for this one really sketchy 
section near the bottom where the trail looked like it was about 
to fall off the side of a cliff. I spent quite a few hours exploring these 
woodlands, hoping to find somewhere flat enough to pitch the tent. I walked, I roamed, 
I cycled — and as the sun started to set, you get that feeling about whether a spot 
will work or not. With the last light fading, I just about managed to find somewhere good 
enough. Good enough would have to do tonight. At this point, I was more than ready to 
call it a day and just get some rest. With only 10 miles to go and leaving the shelter 
of the trees for the final time on this adventure, I would stop off briefly to visit Langley Chapel.
This small, isolated chapel dates back to the 14th century and is one of the best-preserved 
medieval chapels in Shropshire. With no electricity or running water, it stands as 
a simple, peaceful reminder of the past, quietly watching over the fields. You can 
normally go inside to look at the early seventeenth-century interior, but I had 
arrived a little too early this morning. It was originally built as a private chapel 
by the Lee family, who owned the nearby Acton Burnell castle which is was just a short 
pedal away through the quiet country lanes. Acton Burnell Castle isn’t your typical medieval 
castle, more of a fortified manor house really. It was built in the late 1200s by Robert Burnell, 
who wasn’t just any local lord, but actually the Lord Chancellor to King Edward I and one of the 
most powerful men in the country at the time. And this quiet little spot in Shropshire 
has a pretty big claim to fame,   it’s thought that the first English Parliament 
where the commons were properly represented was held here in 1283. So while it might just 
look like a ruined old building in a field, it’s actually where a big part of 
British democracy took its first steps. Not much of the original building 
is left now, just the shell really the last stretch, rolling back into Shrewsbury 
where this 180-mile adventure all started back to Shrewsbury abby After days of climbing 
hills, riding past castles, wandering ancient stone circles, and plenty of hike-a-bike moments 
arriving back in shewsbury The streets are narrow, the buildings old and full of character 
Shrewsbury used to be a key stronghold in the long battle between England and Wales, 
so it has stories hidden in every corner.