Long Mynd


The Long Mynd is a heath and moorland plateau that forms part of the Shropshire Hills in Shropshire, England. The high ground, which is common land and designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, lies between the Stiperstones range to the west and the Stretton Hills and Wenlock Edge to the east. Much of it is owned by the National Trust, and is managed by the Longmynd Commoners.
The Long Mynd is approximately long by wide, and is broadly characterised by steep valleys on its eastern flanks, and a long slope to the western side rising in a steep escarpment. In its vicinity are the principal settlements of Church Stretton, Little Stretton and All Stretton, Pulverbatch, Smethcott, Woolstaston, Asterton, Myndtown, Wentnor and Ratlinghope.
The highest point on the Long Mynd is Pole Bank ; this and the adjacent hill of Caer Caradoc are classed as Marilyns.

Etymology

The name Long Mynd means "long mountain", the second element being Brittonic in origin. In modern Welsh it is named Mynydd Hir, which has the same meaning, or Cefn Hirfynydd, meaning "long mountain ridge".

Commoning on Long Mynd

There is pollen evidence to show that trees began to be replaced by grass on the plateau of the Long Mynd from the Bronze Age and written evidence of organised management as a grazed common from the 13th century. The Long Mynd commoners' ponies and sheep grazed here are hardy animals and are well adapted to the harsh conditions of life on the hill. They graze selectively and very close to the ground, leaving patches of long vegetation which benefits insects and small mammals.
This grazing pattern has resulted in a special ecology and the Long Mynd Common is therefore designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest. To enhance the ecology the commoners have, since 1999 been in an environmental stewardship scheme that also supports sustainable farming practices.
Livestock grazing plays an important role in maintaining species-rich habitats by controlling the more aggressive plant species which would otherwise dominate the area.
Other than the boundary fence which is largely maintained by the commoners, there is no other fencing on the hill that restricts the movement of livestock. Therefore, to undertake routine husbandry tasks, commoners use dogs to gather their flocks together before driving them off the hill back to the farm. The sheep from each farm know instinctively where their flock's grazing boundary is. This ancient practice, known as hefting, is passed down the generations of sheep through the shepherding by the commoners.

Geology

Precambrian

The Long Mynd is formed from Late Precambrian sedimentary rocks. Referred to collectively as the Longmyndian Supergroup, the rock sequence is divided into two groups; the older Stretton Group comprising five named formations and the younger Wentnor Group formed of two formations. The entire 7000m thick succession was folded into an NE-SW aligned syncline, the Long Mynd Syncline. The axis of the syncline lies to the west of Long Mynd itself.
The 180m thick sequence of mudstones, siltstones and sandstones of the Burway Formation are overlain by a similar though thicker sequence known as the Synalds Formation. A sandstone referred to as the Cardingmill Grit Member is found at the junction of these two formations. The Synalds Formation which contains tuff bands towards the top, is overlain by the Lightspout Formation which is of a similar character and thickness. It contains a massive conglomerate known as the Huckster Conglomerate Member which is up to 18m thick. It has also been referred to as the Narnells Grit, a name deriving from Narnell's Rock where it outcrops.
The western part of the massif is formed from the roughly 1800m thick Bayston-Oakwood Formation, a suite of sandstones and grits which include mudstones, siltstones and some conglomerates.

Silurian period

The Precambrian rocks forming the Long Mynd massif are unconformably overlain on their southern and eastern margins by a suite of Silurian age sandstones and shales; the Pentamerus Sandstone, Purple Shales and overlying Bromsleymill Shale formations.

Quaternary period

As elsewhere in the Marches, a succession of ice ages during the last 2.6 million years have glacially modified the landscape of this area. During the last ice age as glacial ice covered much of Shropshire, a tongue of Irish Sea ice reached into the Church Stretton valley from the north filling it to a height of 260m. Like nearby Stiperstones and Long Mountain, the Long Mynd itself is not considered to have been over-ridden by ice during this ice age. The Onny Valley Glacier pushed around the southern margin of the Long Mynd; one of many lowland outlets for the Welsh Ice Sheet. A series of meltwater channels on the eastern side of the Long Mynd is associated with the wasting of the ice mass. After the retreat of the ice, downcutting of the batches and hollows continued during a prolonged period of wetter climate. A series of alluvial cones and fans formed from sand and gravel derived from this erosion, extend into the main valley. Downcutting continues today at a much reduced rate.
Today the steep and narrow valleys are covered in a thin layer of acidic soil, able to support only strong grasses, rushes and heathers.
From 2006, University of Cambridge scientists monitored seismic activity in the Long Mynd. The broadband seismometer was connected to the internet, and real-time traces viewable online.

History

Bronze Age

Numerous sites are recorded from the Bronze Age on the Long Mynd including tumuli, chambered tombs, dykes and cross-ridge dykes.
Barristers Plain Cross-Ridge Dyke runs southwest to northeast, almost in a straight line for across the narrowest section of the ridge between Grindle Hill and Round Hill. The heather-covered remains of the dyke are about wide, and high. On its western side it is fronted by a wide ditch. At both ends of the Cross Ridge Dyke, it fades into the steep hillside. A gap in the dyke, from the south-east end, is thought to make room for a trackway along the ridge. Its purpose was to cut off Grindle Hill from the main plateau, and to create a barrier to access from the west.
Devil's Mouth Cross-Ridge Dyke lies between Cardingmill Valley and Townbrook Valley. The dyke is long, but is cut though by the Burway road and a small car park, of the dyke is now missing. Both ends of the dyke end on steep slopes. It was built with stone and earth, and is wide, and high, with shallow ditches either side. It is roughly 1,500 years old. It was probably built to control the access along the ancient east to west route, which still crosses the Long Mynd today by means of a modern road.
At High Park Cross-Ridge Dyke is the longest on the Long Mynd. It is approximately wide, but in areas survives only as a crop mark. The highest point of the dyke, on the west side of the bank, stands at high, and reaches its widest point at. A trackway, like that found on Barristers Plain Cross-Ridge Dyke, cuts through the dyke.
Of the Long Mynd Barrows, over twenty scatter the plateau. The best examples are in the northern area of the Long Mynd. Robin Hood's Butts barrow, near Duckley Nap, are two well known barrows, and the largest on the Long Mynd, being approximately in diameter and high.
The Shooting Box Barrow is named after a grouse-shooting hut that stood on the site until it was removed in 1992. It is the only known example of a disc barrow in Shropshire. in diameter and high, it is in the centre of a flat circular enclosure in diameter, the edge of which is defined by a wide bank, which has been partially destroyed by a modern path. It had been dated to 1950–1700 BC.
The Portway is an ancient trackway, which runs the length of the Long Mynd massif, and is the largest historical feature on the Long Mynd, at just over long. It is still walked today, and is part of the Shropshire Way, and a road that goes to the Gliding Club. A common misconception is that it goes over Pole Bank, but instead it bypasses the hill, following its contours.

Iron Age

Bodbury Ring is an Iron Age hillfort atop Bodbury Hill at, overlooking Carding Mill Valley. Another hillfort sits on the nearby summit of Caer Caradoc. Bodbury Ring is now looked after by the National Trust. There is very little other human activity recorded from this period on the Long Mynd.

18th century

During the 18th century, Church Stretton began to grow in the wide valley between the Long Mynd and Caer Caradoc, as a market town, and later a spa. Historically the town was known for its textiles, specifically in Cardingmill Valley. Carding Mill was built in the 18th century, and named after a stage in making cloth, the three stages being carding, spinning and weaving. Carding would have been done by children, and involved using a hand-card that removed and untangled short fibres from the mass of raw material. The cards were wooden blocks with handles and covered in metal spikes, which were angled, and set in leather. When untangled, the material would be spun, and then weaved into the final product. The mill was irreparably damaged in a flood around the turn of 20th century. The factory that served the mill is still in the valley today, and after being turned into a hotel for many years has now been converted into luxury apartments.

20th century

The Long Mynd Hotel in Church Stretton was built in 1901, originally as the Hydro, at a time when the town was popular as a spa.
A large area of the Long Mynd was bought by the National Trust in 1965, and was designated an AONB as part of the Shropshire Hills in 1958.

Highest points

The Long Mynd comprises many hills and moors. From the summit of nearly every hill, there are extensive views of the surrounding area and surrounding counties. North, one can see as far as Cheshire; west commands views over the Stiperstones, and into Wales; the Cambrian Mountains in Powys, notably the Berwyn range and as far as Snowdonia on clear days. The views east are obscured by other areas of the Shropshire Hills, Caer Caradoc, the Wrekin and the Clee Hills. From some locations there are views of the West Midlands. Views south are towards Clun Forest, Craven Arms and Ludlow. The highest points on the Long Mynd are as follows in order of highest to lowest, with comparisons of other nearby hills and the level of Church Stretton in bold.
  • Brown Clee Hill
  • Stiperstones
  • Pole Bank
  • Long Synalds
  • Wild Moor
  • Calf Ridge
  • Haddon Hill
  • Yearlet
  • Round Hill
  • Caer Caradoc
  • Grindle
  • Knolls
  • Minton Hill
  • Cow Ridge
  • Packetstone Hill
  • Nills
  • Ashlet
  • Black Knoll
  • Callow
  • The Wrekin
  • Burway Hill
  • Churchmoor Hill
  • Bodbury Hill
  • Priors Holt Hill
  • Adstone Hill
  • Shooters Knoll
  • Stanyeld
  • Novers Hill
  • Castle Hill
  • '''Church Stretton '''