I will tell you at the outset that I had much anxiety about today's route, and so spent much time plotting various escape routes should I not be able to manage.  The worry was not because of the distance; it was barely 11 miles, but because of the topography.  

You see how close together those lines are?  That means STEEP ! You see where it says "little hill? That hill was so not little I can't tell you.  There you are walking very straight up—it looked/felt like 90º over tree roots and what not and to top it off there was the Needle's Eye (see about half way up to the right), which the blurb for the day said you could squeeze through but to be careful because you could fall off the edge an die, and then, after that, there was a short scramble to the top.  I am not into squeezing though rock formations and my scrambling at the top of mountains is pretty much over.  I do not think I  squeezed through the Needle's Eye, and there was no scramble, but what a horrific climb. I think going down that trail would have been just as bad, if not worse.  Bottom line:  it was a punishing climb but not at all dangerous.

This is the trig marker at the tippy top:

 

On one of my walks several years ago, I met a guy whose intention was to see every trig marker in the UK.

As you might imagine, the views were supposed to be spectacular but there was a thick mist (great for breathing), so the view was not spectacular:

Of course this is the perfect place for a cell tower:

Oh, interestingly, the descent was much much much much much more gradual than the ascent.  I guess it depends which side of the hill (mountain?) you are on.

Now that the drama is over, we can go back to the details of the day.  Let's start with the lady who owned the B&B.  She was really kind, generous, and lovely, but she was also hyper and did not stop talking.  She insisted that I reminded her of Barbra Streisand and kept saying it over and over.  I was tempted to say, "Maybe it's the Jewish thing," but decided that would not be smart.  

The route, near the start,  passed one of the museums, Enginuity I did not get to see.  It is a museum that encourages the visit of children, only not too much:

Now that is a bummer for the ramblers of Telford:

Fortunately, I did not have to go there

Sheep do not usually pose to have their picture taken:

What they prefer is to lie around:

Until your unwanted presence makes then run away:

Chopping down all the trees is now called Harvesting:

Towards the end of the walk, there were the Ercal Woods.  They seem to have earned he Girl/Boy Scout badge of approval:

Can you spot the Shropshire symbol?

I am staying at Crescent House Apartments here in Wellington.  I actually got bumped up from the unit I had chosen to "the penthouse" (definition: penthouse is the only unit accessible by an external  flight of stairs.  It could also be called the attic) either because it was a mistake or there is a hot water issue with the original unit.  Lest you think this is just too too fancy, let me tell you a couple of things about it.  One: there are 17—unless I missed a few— plastic plants decorating the place.  I have to laugh because this whole complex screams, "Decorated by a man." In addition to the you-don't--need-to-water-us-plants, the artwork, such as it is, is beige and black as is the general decor. Oh here is my private patio:

Cocktails, anyone?    But I gotta tell ya, the tech is first rate!

And one more thing: less than 10 minutes away is a fantastic Morrisons (supermarket).  When I read that it was part of a gas station complex, my heart sank because often those are just convenience stores, but, no!  Alex Allain, this Morrisons is better than a Tesco Superstore!  I will be eating well for a couple of days!