Shropshire has 5,600km of public footpaths – that’s the distance from Shrewsbury to New York.
A new website, shropshiresgreatoutdoors.co.uk, launched for summer 2025 is a new guide to accessing the best of Shropshire’s glorious outdoor spaces. The website brings together more than 300 walking routes, 100 cycle routes, 50 horse riding trails, wild swimming opportunities, outdoor activities, country parks and nature sites, plus a wide choice of volunteering options.
With a quarter of Shropshire designated an official National Landscape, the new website – funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund – provides a means of discovering the routes and encouraging more residents and visitors to enjoy our natural landscape.
“This is an amazing resource for residents and visitors who may not be confident in map reading or digital mapping apps,” said project officer responsible for the new website, Kate Tudge.
“The site has a newly developed search facility allowing users to search by activity type, length of route and location – as well as searching by category such as family friendly or easy access.”
All walks are free to download and come with gpx, including navigable map and full instructions. There is a focus on circular hikes, which are always top of the search list, with 250 options for trails that loop back to the start. The site also includes a series of 12 circular walks for families, ranging from 1 to 3 miles, starting from countryside sites with parking and including pushchair friendly routes.
For anyone keen to give time to a good cause, there’s a range of outdoor volunteering experiences with organisations including the Canal and River Trust, Shropshire Wildlife Trust and Forestry England, as well as opportunities for volunteering at Shropshire’s newly opened Acton Scott Heritage Farm.
