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Lyth Hill Heritage Celebration 2005
Grassland walk June 2005
A Year on Lyth Hill
Woodland Ways and Settlement - Part One
Woodland Ways and Settlement - Part Two
Wildlife Detectives on Lyth Hill
Shrewsbury Wildlife Trust
Mary Webb and Spring Cottage, Lyth Hill. 1916-1927
Birds on Lyth Hill
Rock Makes the Lyth Hill Landscape
Lyth Hill Heritage Celebrations 2006
Geology Trail Training Event May 7th 2006
Fungus foray on Lyth Hill October 2005
Groups involved in the Lyth Hill Heritage Group
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Woodland Ways and Settlement - Part Two
Location: Shropshire
A history walk through the Coppice Gate and under the hill of Lyth Hill.
Led by Ernie Jenks
At Coppice Gate, take footpath 45 through 634 'Rough Piece' to the lane. this footpath perpetuates the bridleway past the chapel from Greta Lyth to Westley etc. Follow the lane and turn south into:-
Green Lane. this was 'the Greenway which leads to Egesfordesknolle' (Exfords Green) in 1298. It marks the boundary of the medieval Forest of Lithewode.
The modern deerfolds here are across 'the pale' of the ancient hunting forest however!
From 626, former Gamekeepers Cottage, follow Footpath 2 up through Spring Coppice. 'Spring' = 'young', to distinguish from 'Old Coppice' above. The coppices supplied local industries and were strategically sited, just within the tithe-free ex-forest area.
East of the Coppice Gate, footpath 45 leads south down the steep escarpment ( 'Lyth' = concave hillside ). at the bottom, where the boundary ditch of the old forest is still visible, turn north east along footpath 3. Note the weird shapes of anciently coppiced oaks along the hedgerow. 'Packs' of 'hounds' still 'hunt' along here!
Under the steep slope are the remains of early settlement. Rubble of houses/gardens 586 and 588 can still be traced in the bracken.scrub as can 'amenity pits' (or quarries) for building stone.
Families of Edward Jones and Abraham Wellings (Agricultural Labourers) are recorded in 1840. 587 was Edward's garden too. The adjacent spring, which was their water supply, is now rich in botanical specimens.
Four of the small cluster of five families under the Rope Walk. 570-574 were Agricultural Labourers, probably rope-workers/green wood operatives. William Davies, 574, however was a 'jockey' ( i.e. a horsebreaker!)
Return to the start via footpath 3, the road passing 'Woodpile Yard'. Nearby field names; Stakers Oak, Withy Reins, Alderley Leasow indicate seasonal green wood industry.
This brief itinerary covers approx three miles in a web of footpaths generated by the needs of rural activities.
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