Corbet Wood & Grinshill Family Walk: Woodland Trails and Shropshire Views

Sunday 16th February 2025. Every weekend in February so far has been a bit of a write-off for a good walk. My birthday weekend walk? Cancelled due to sleet and a strong, butter wind. And this weekend? Well, things were finally looking much better – warmer, drier…

So on Friday evening, we decided we’d finally get a walk in tomorrow … Except, surprise! We woke up to relentless rain that clearly had no intention of stopping! So, Sunday became our plan B, but with our eldest’s football match slap bang in the middle of the day, it wasn’t looking ideal. When we woke up Sunday morning, it was at least dry, so we figured we could hit the trail as soon as the final whistle blew.

It may have been dry, but standing around in 1°C for nearly two hours, even wrapped up in about 5 layers, is not fun. By the time the match ended, we were all frozen and fully committed to an afternoon by the fire with a hot chocolate… But we’d already invited the neighbours to join us, and since they were still happily oblivious to the bitterness outside, they were still keen to get out. So, we got ourselves back into the car and set off for Corbet Wood.

We were first introduced to Corbet Wood almost a year ago by our youngest’s best friend’s family. Like us, they loved getting outdoors, and before they moved abroad for work (lucky them), they wanted to share some of their favourite spots with us. Their move was a tough goodbye – especially for our youngest, who had been “besties” with their lad since they met at nursery, aged just two. I’ve never seen a friendship like it. Honestly, I don’t think they’ve ever fallen out. Thick as thieves from day one!

Incidentally, it was their move that got us into walking seriously again. They’d taken the job abroad to give their family  the chance to enjoy a life somewhere with a much lower cost of living, thus giving them the cash to explore and do more with their children at weekends and in school holidays. A move abroad wasn’t an option for us, but it was the motivation I needed to think more outside the box at what we could do with our children for free (or at least really cheap!). Time to stop looking enviously at the Instagram-perfect foreign holiday/expensive day out photos that everyone else seemed to be posting about, and start creating our own, cheap (but just as fun!), memories!

So, back to Corbet Wood. In the mad rush to squeeze in a few last adventures before our friends left, we’d discovered this gem of a spot. That day, we had no agenda – we just followed random footpaths, climbing higher and exploring until we reached the Toposcope and trig point at the top. We’d been meaning to come back ever since, and today, despite the cold and our initial lack of enthusiasm, was finally the day.

This time, my husband had found a walk to follow using AllTrails, that would eventually lead us once again to the highest point and those incredible Shropshire views. The route took us around the outer edge of the woodland, and we were excited to explore some new paths.

Thankfully, it also turned out to be much less gusty when we arrived at the car park – still freezing, but at least we weren’t being battered by an arctic wind. That alone made the walk infinitely more enjoyable! 😅

Our walk began by retracing our steps down the road we had arrived on before turning immediately right, passing a small cluster of houses. From there, we entered a wooded area where, having studied the map beforehand, we knew the path would soon loop back on itself. Determined to rack up our steps, I had already decided we’d follow it anyway – but to be fair, the recent storms had left a tangle of fallen trees in this section, making our return route feel completely different from the one we had just taken anyway, so at least it wasn’t a boring there-and-back route!

We continued through a stretch of woodland, passing some fascinating sights along the way. The first was a tiny fairy hole, which the adults had mostly walked past without a second glance – until my eldest suddenly shouted that he had found some money! Just as I caught up to him (I always walk at the back to ensure no strays!), I saw his hand reaching in, and instinctively warned him never to take money from fairies. His hand shot back immediately! Better safe than cursed, right?

A little further on, we came across a small, intriguing building marked with the letters VRC and the year 1888. We pondered what it could mean, but we didn’t have to wonder for long. As we joined a quiet village road lined with houses, we noticed several of them also bore the VRC initials, each with a different date, so when we spotted two local ladies chatting along the road, one of our group asked if they knew the meaning behind the inscription. They did indeed! They explained that VRC stood for Victor Reginald Corbet, the Corbet estate owner (at the time). The elder of the two ladies , Annie, was delighted by our interest (and to see young children walking!) and shared more about the Corbet family. She told us how many of its descendants had been lost in the war, leading the estate to pass, in the end, to a more distant relative.

The road through the village quickly led us back into the woodland, where even more fascinating discoveries awaited us. The first was the remains of what had once been a charming family cottage and garden. Intrigued by a set of seemingly random steps, the boys ran ahead and soon spotted a very faded sign. It held a photograph – perhaps from Victorian times – showing a beautifully kept garden. If there had once been text to explain its story, time had erased it. As we explored further, we found two more signs. One revealed the house in its entirety, nestled behind a hedge, while the other captured the family who had once called it home. It was both wonderful and quite sad to see these glimpses of the past. The echoes of a life once lived here were still visible, yet the cottage itself had long since vanished. I couldn’t help but wonder how it had ended up in this state? The photos were very faded but I hope you can make them out still.

A little further along, we stumbled upon the remnants of the old quarry. Up close, we could truly appreciate the depth of some of the drops (keep smaller children close to you!), as well as the deep scrape marks – presumably left behind from years of mining.

Another short walk later, we entered a fun open space that felt like a little woodland playground. A rustic swing hung from a tree, there was a well constructed branch den, and a beautifully carved heart-shaped bench sat nearby. There was even a small shelter, which would’ve been the perfect stop for lunch, had we come earlier in the day!

Before long, we were climbing hills through the trees, past some houses (with very limited vehicle access), and a Primary School, making our way toward a familiar spot – the area we had previously visited with friends: home to the trig point and Toposcope. Despite the gloomy weather, the view from the top was still breathtaking. Even under a blanket of clouds, Shropshire, and even Wales, stretched before us – a rewarding sight after the climb!

From here, it was just a short walk back to the car park. We had spent so much time stopping to take in all the fascinating sights along the way that, before we knew it, it was almost tea time! I think this might just be the longest four-mile walk we’ve ever done! 😂

The walk was a hit with our neighbours, and we loved being back here again – this time with the added bonus of officially adding it to our blog!

Family Feedback on Corbet Wood, Grinshill and Clive

I really enjoyed this walk. Despite being short, the undulating landscape and wealth of things to stop and look at made it seem like we’d achieved a much longer distance! There was so much to see, everywhere we looked we saw something: from nature, historic buildings, hidden surprises, intricate carvings and so much more. I’d bet we could walk it again and still find something new!

Our eldest particularly liked the random old square building because, he said ‘it was old and interesting’. That’s a good enough reason in my eyes!

Our youngest said he liked it when we stopped on the rocks at the top and saw what we’d looked at when he came with his ‘bestie’. He really does miss him, bless him.

TOTAL MILES: 4.08 | TOTAL TIME: 2h24 (1h14 Moving Time)

Good to Know

Car Parking: There is a free carpark – parking at ///swims.powder.deserved

Toilets: There are no toilets or changing facilities.

Accessibility: Whilst there are probably suitable footpaths in the area that are ‘off road pram’ friendly, this walk we did today definitely wasn’t. If you’re considering taking a baby I’d recommend using a baby carrier.

Café/Picnic Spots: No café spots, but a few places you could stop and have a picnic. I’d recommend the lovely spot I showed above with the dens, shelter and swing!

Terrain: Naturally, this is a hilly walk, with some steep slopes.

Family-Friendly Tips: Although this could be a long walk for littler legs, I believe this could still be a great walk as there is so much to see and enjoy, the walk would be broken up into smaller, more manageable chunks. Bring bribes to get up those hills!

Points of Interest: So many fun things to look for: the fairy hole, the locked building, a tudor style black and white house, carved face in a tree, church, the fallen cottage, quarry, trig point, Toposcope, red lit beacon and some solar panels/weather station… And more I’ve probably missed!

Safety Information: Likely to be slippery in the wet, especially the stone path section. Be aware of mountain bikers in the nicer weather. Short (but thankfully quiet) road section. Be careful around the quarry, there were deep drops!

Let me know if you’ve ever walked here or fancy giving it a visit now!