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Travel StoriesMuch A-Wenlock About Nothing
Much Wenlock - Charming, Dry, And Cold
Ride Date 14 Feb 2026
By Ren Withnell
I'm awake before Sharon - it's hard not to be. It's still toasty warm in the studio but outside it's quite the opposite, I can see the bikes below covered in a layer of hard white frost. As Her Ladyship starts to grumble and curse herself into lucidity I pop down the stairs to get a few frozen bike piccies.
By 'eck it was cold last night so it seems.
I'm always looking for campsites that aren't a million miles away from civilisation. In France a lot of sites are close to a small pleasant town - the advantage being once camped and settled in you can take a leisurely walk into town for supplies and maybe a glass of pop. In Blighty most sites are out in the sticks - it might be pretty and peaceful but if you need shopping or desire a meal then you'll be riding there and back.
There's a campsite on the edge of town in Much Wenlock. This morning we'll take a walk up there to check it out, have a proper look around this small town, then probably take a ride out later. First things first - ensure madam is actually awake.
We manage to start our walk before 1000. If we're in shadow the air is biting, however the sun is out and there's nary a cloud in the sky. It's a refreshing sensation to feel dry and comfortable as we stroll along, the air is still, there's no weather to fight or shield ourselves against. Strange, peculiar, and yet a most welcome experience.
Blue skies and sunshine, but still nippy.
Not all of Much Wenlock is ancient housing or luxurious mansions. Our first street is rather ordinary although it soon becomes clear this street is the exception rather than the rule. There's a lot of quaint country cottages, plenty of large 1930s properties, a handful of lovely bungalows, and the occasional grand house. It's peaceful too. Mind you this is the middle of February, I imagine it might be busier in the summer with visitors like ourselves.
All is quiet and pretty this winter's morning.
The campsite is about half a mile out of town. That's fine, an easy walk. It's here, it exists, there's nothing remarkable about the site. I suppose I was hoping for a luxurious toilet block and concierge service on neatly manicured lawns all for £6 per night. It's a grassy field with a track through it much like many many other campsites. It's absolutely fine.
It's a campsite... what was I expecting?
The centre of Much Wenlock has a few pubs, a number of small shops, a cafe, and a church. With it's narrow streets and the odd timber framed building from the 1600s it is very much your cute English town. It's easy to imagine serfs in itchy clothing covered in mud shuffling through the streets, Derek Jacobi as a monk solving crimes, the Robin Hood of your era swashbuckling through, and of course the cast of Monty Python shouting "Bring out ya dead!"
These properties are getting on a bit.
Admittedly the Spar shop and motorised vehicles rather ruin my imagination. We purchase some supplies from said Spar and meander our way slowly back to the apartment. Yes it's a very charming little town is Much Wenlock, all the better for a little sunshine too.
It's only just after lunchtime as we start to kit up for a ride. While the sun is indeed shining and the air is still - the air itself remains cold, we wrap up well. Sharon's taking it easy on the back of my bike, I'm taking it easy on the roads as there's still damp patches and possibly the risk of ice in the shadows. Otherwise the conditions make for a most pleasant ride.
I'd done a little research before this trip, marked a few point of interest. I'm not expecting too much from Wroxeter Roman City but we're close by so we'll have a moooch. To quote Bogger - "Arrrrr Much?!?!" £8.50 per person and from what we can see from the car park - there's not a lot here. A very brief word with Sharon confirms we'll not be bothering.
I mean it's not like we turned down the side road and proceeded to ride straight through the centre - to our left the ruins, to our right the modern recreation. I think we made the right choice
The ruins as seen from the road.
Beyond this I'm riding without direction. Across the landscape we can see hills, probably the Shropshire Hills and/or The Malverns. Here it is dry and fresh yet the hills in the distance are covered in snow. I figure we've had a lucky escape so far, that snow could have been a real issue if it had reached Much Wenlock.
I'm wandering, Sharon is happily enjoying the sun and the scenery, I'm enjoying the thrum of the engine and relaxing at this gentle pace. We stumble onto the A5 Shrewsbury ringroad with traffic and speed - I get off it as soon as I can. Now we're back on single track back lanes - I think I'm somewhere around Acton Burnell? Anyway it's all rolling hills, narrow lanes, hedges and fields, and green, lots of green even in winter.
Lovely scenery but I'm glad we're not in that snow.
We do have a problem though. We have a big decision to make. Do we a) detour some more and find a cafe, or b) as we're already getting close to Much Wenlock - just head back and get a brew at the studio? Google maps is not really offering anything inspirational and the cafe we've just passed was closed. Meh, we'll head back, it's already 1530.
You do realise today is Valentine's day? Yes it's Feb 14 but fear not I'm safe. After 20+ years of disappointment Sharon's expectations from me have "adjusted". So as a special treat we're going to do nothing different at all but I do remember to give her a nice kiss. We do actually consider going out for a meal but in a posh town like this on Valentine's day? We'd have to book 3 months in advance and take out a small mortgage.
Instead we spend another romantic hour trying to suss out the oven - one of the buttons actually pops out to become a dial. Once that nugget of hidden information is acquired we can now heat up our pizza and chips. I know it's not exactly Michelin starred dining but we have fun and enjoy our grub.
Today's been a good day. The weather was cold but upliftingly bright, Much Wenlock is charming, there's plenty of space and countryside to explore, and we're not snowed in. We're fed and watered, showered and scrubbed, what more could you ask for?
Advertise here - contact ren@bikesandtravels.com
Prologue, Rain, Lost, And Hot
Another short winter break in Shropshire. This time Much Wenlock provides the location and the weather does what winter weather does. It'll be fine, hopefully.
Much Wenlock - Charming, Dry, And Cold
It's an easy and pleasant day in and around Much Wenlock for The Dynamic Muppets. It might even have been romantic if it weren't for Ren, the mean old grumpy curmudgeon.
Reader's Comments
Ian Soady¹ said :-
Nice area, and I admire your & Sharon's (and Nigel's!) fortitude. Been there, done that, don't want to do it again......
The trouble with that time of year is the hidden slippery bits under the trees, on bridges over canals and the like. But as you describe can still be enjoyable.
09/06/2026 12:34:43 UTC
Upt'North ¹ said :-
So a bit like Northumberland in June. Without the kissing....obviously.
Wot no tent!
Upt.
09/06/2026 15:46:33 UTC
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
It was chilly Ian, we've experienced far worse though. You know you're (usually) fine on the main roads with heavy traffic regarding ice, but we did take a lot of side roads. As I mentioned the only way to do this is slowly, even that's not a guarantee though. We were just put-put-putting along enjoying the views, if any cars came up behind we'd pull in and wave them by.
Nope no tent Upt'! There's no tent planned in the near future too - oh no! What will you lot do without reading how Sharon and I got drenched, bitten, frozen, and couldn't sleep? There's just not enough misery on this website these days.
09/06/2026 16:24:30 UTC
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Travel StoriesMuch A-Wenlock About Nothing