AREAS OF OUTSTANDING NATURAL BEAUTY
THE SHROPSHIRE HILLS AREA OF OUTSTANDING NATURAL BEAUTY This covers 23% of Shropshire and mostly lies in South Shropshire District. However part lies in Shrewsbury and Atcham District and includes part of Frodesley and Ruckley. We are lucky that this includes LODGE HILL, which rises to 1000feet and is owned by the Forestry Commission. It has become an open access area for walkers and is also known as Causeway Wood. Access may be obtained by footpath from Frodesley, Acton Burnell and Ruckley and there is also a small car parking area by the Longnor Green to Chatwall road at the foot of Hoar edge. There are spectacular views from the top of the southern peak, which is crowned by a trig point. Within Causeway Wood there are a number of old Yews three of which have girths of about 4.5metres and may have been marker trees. There are also some Beech trees which were once pollarded. Just outside the AONB by a bridleway near the Lodge and converted barns is the Lodge Oak, which may be over 700 years old. This veteran has a girth of 7.73metres, is hollow and is now 90% dead. A recent survey states that it remains as one of Shropshire’s greatest trees and a link to late medieval parkland landscapes. The Forestry Commission is currently replanting the hill in a more natural way with curved species boundaries to bring out the natural shape of the hill. Some natural regeneration will be permitted. The hill is made of a very tough sandstone the Hoar Edge Grit which is Ordovician in age. The Romans quarried the stone for their town at Wroxeter known as Virconivm. The quarries lie near the Longnor to Chatwall road and the Causeway name may indicate the link road between the quarries and the Roman Road that runs through Frodesley NE to Virconivm. In Acton Burnell the remains of a high level Roman Bridge occurs where the road crossed a gorge. Later the Hoar Edge Grit was used to build Frodesley Lodge in 1591. It has tall, decorated brick chimneys, stone gables and a semi circular stair-tower. Later in 1750 the local Lord of the Manor, Godolphin Edwards created a Park on the hill by building a network of walls from the local stone. Whilst following good seam of rock in a quarry not far from the Lodge a cave was created perhaps as a Folly. Also to be found is a ornate stone built construction at a spring on the east side of the hill and a stone lined underground pit capped by a boulder on the hill above the Lodge. VISIT
