A NEW book that sets out 20 circular pub walks in Shropshire, including five in the north, is now on sale.

The book is by Judy Smith who has written of number of publications setting out walks in the county, and takes in Whitchurch’s Brown Moss and Ash Magna’s award-winning The White Lion, plus Loppington’s The Dickin Arms.

Welshampton’s The Sun is joined by The Old Three Pigeons in Nesscliffe as well as The Cross Guns in Pant.

A spokesman for publisher Countryside Books says the book, which is available online and at Whitchurch’s Bookshrop, shows the county as its best.

They said: “The 20 circular walks in this book showcase Shropshire at its very best – from rolling farmland and quaint villages to hilltop panoramas, sleepy woodlands and tranquil waters.

“The walks range between 3.5 and six miles in length.

OTHER NEWS:

“At the heart of every route is a top-rated local pub.”

Countryside Books has released one excerpt for north Shropshire, a 4.5 mile walk from and to the Old Three Pigeons in Nesscliffe.

In it, Judy says: “Here you are in highwayman territory.

“Humphrey Kynaston (d. 1534) was something of a Robin Hood character, robbing wealthy merchants returning from London along the old London road and distributing his spoils to the village poor. He and his horse hid from the authorities in a two-room cave on Nesscliffe Hill, which you can see (but not go in) on this walk.

“Beyond is a badger sett, a village pump and pound, a high viewpoint, the ramparts of an Iron Age hillfort, open countryside and mixed woodland, making this a perfect before-a-hearty-lunch ramble.

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“The Old Three Pigeons, dating from 1405, has a decor of oak beams and heavy wooden tables that respects its heritage, while the food represents the 21st century at its best.

“The inn is also dog-friendly and cosy, with an interesting choice of dining rooms.

“Surely there’s no other pub that keeps a fireside seat for a highwayman – or at least his ghost! Truly, there are customers who swear they’ve met a spectre perched in that inglenook.”

To buy the book, which costs £9.99, head to Bookshrop in Green End, Whitchurch or to https://countrysidebooks.co.uk/