2024 Shuttle Bus

Home > Explore & Enjoy > The Great Outdoors > Shropshire Hills Shuttle Bus

Our weekend Shuttle Bus is a perfect day out in the heart of the Shropshire Hills, whether you're keen to explore on foot, or just go for one of the most scenic bus rides in the UK.

The service runs every weekend until Sunday 29th September*. 

*The last running day is Sunday 29th September.  This is an extension to the advertised service in the 2024 printed timetable leaflet.  We have enough funds to run until the end of September thanks to the excellent response we’ve had from passengers and a very generous donation from the Little Stretton to Stiperstones time trial run/walk event. 

We look forward to welcoming you on board.

photograph of the Shuttle Bus parked on the Long Mynd with view of the hills

“Absolutely fantastic service on the shuttle buses from Church Stretton. Great stops at Stiperstones etc – knowledgeable and friendly drivers.  well done!!!  A very happy day for us.”

2024 shuttlebus timetable

Route description

The bus climbs the Long Mynd with its panoramic views of the hills from Snowdonia in the north to the Malvern Hills in the southeast. The view from the bus is exceptional, and not without thrills, with sheer drops on both sides of the road. From the Mynd, the bus descends to the charming villages of Ratlinghope and Wentnor, passing some of the finest pubs in the area. From here it climbs again to pass the jagged tors and purple heather of the Stiperstones National Nature Reserve and the Bog, with its unique community run visitor centre in the restored Victorian school. From here it’s a winding road that threads along the edge of the Stiperstones, passing the Stiperstones Inn, famed locally for its excellent Sunday lunches. A few miles on, it turns at Snailbeach Mine Heritage Site to return to Church Stretton.

The route provides exceptional opportunities for walking, wildlife watching, exploring local history and site seeing. Its last stop brings you into Carding Mill Valley one of the National Trust’s most popular and welcoming places. As you would expect, it has an excellent tearoom!

2024 shuttlebus timetable leaflet - printed copies are available from Church Stretton Visitor Information Centre, The Bog Visitor Centre, Shropshire Hills Discovery Centre, Carding Mill Valley and pubs along the route.

2024 Ticketing

Buy your ticket for cash only on the bus or contact us to splash out on a season ticket.

  • Child & adult single ticket start at £2
  • Adult Day Rover £6, (allows you to hop on and off any service, all day)
  • Child Day Rover £4 (allows you to hop on and off any service, all day)
  • Family Day Rover (2 adults + up to 3 children) £15.00, additional child £3
  • Season ticket £50 (allowing unlimited travel throughout the season)

     

Support

40 is the magic number!

We have set ourselves the target of 40 passengers a day to make the service sustainable for the longer term. Please help us achieve this by using the bus, and telling your friends, family and visitors about it. Please let us know what you think of the new service too by commenting on our Facebook site (Shrophillsnl) contacting us through the website.

You can also donate through our Shuttle Bus Supporter Scheme and help with passenger research and promotion.

The buses are managed by the Shropshire Hills National Landscape Team, with funding support from Shropshire Council, and operated by local bus company Boultons Coaches.  For further information please contact us.

Popular shuttle stops & walks

Carding Mill Valley The National Trust looks after much of the Long Mynd. Carding Mill Valley is the ideal starting point to find out about the wildlife, history and conservation work on the Mynd. Events and activities are held throughout the year and lots of walks start here.

Church Stretton Set in the heart of the hills.  There are plenty of cafes and interesting shops, including a huge antiques emporium, to browse. Lots of walks start/finish in Church Stretton, which is designated as a Walkers are Welcome town.

Wentnor & circular walk - pretty village with the Long Mynd as it's backdrop.  Two pubs and camp site close by.

  • 6.6 mile circular walk, time 3 hours, moderate difficulty.  This walk takes you to the scenic beauty of Linley Beeches, a row of ancient beech trees planted by French prisoners of war during the Napoleonic War. 

Shooting Box, Long Mynd & walks

  • 2 mile walk into Carding Mill Valley. Use the Shuttle Bus to climb onto the Long Mynd and enjoy the down hill walk with breathtaking views.
  • 5 mile walk to Bridges. Jump off at Shooting Box and follow the Portway heading north to join the Shropshire Way, route 8 to Bridges. At Bridges, catch the Shuttle Bus back to Church Stretton.

Bridges, Ratlinghope & walks from this stop.  The Shuttle Bus stops next to the River Onny and outside the popular Bridges Country Pub (open from noon). There is also a Youth Hostel at Bridges. 

The last bus from Bridges departs at 1705 to return to Church Stretton.

Stiperstones National Nature Reserve & walks
This is a wild and atmospheric landscape. The Ordovician ‘Stiperstones Quartzite’, which makes up the ridge was shattered during the last ice age to create the jagged, boulder-strewn landscape seen today.

  • Walk from the Reserve to the Bog Visitor Centre and enjoy a slice of homemade cake whilst you wait for the Shuttle Bus. To do this, go through the Reserve gate (which leads up to the Stiperstones ridge) and follow the grassy path on the left which skirts around the ridge. This eventually leads you to a junction – turn left (right leads you up onto the ridge). Go through the gate on the left to reach the road. Cross the road and follow the waymarkers across the field to another gate. Entre the next field and head straight down, following an old hedgeline. Go through the kissing gate and follow path down to the Bog Mine and Visitor Centre.
  • Stiperstones Butterfly Trail - leaflet to download. An 8-mile circular walk with short cuts.  If starting from this Shuttle stop, start from point 9 in the leaflet!

The Bog Mine and Visitor Centre & walks.  A warm welcome awaits, along with homemade cakes, local crafts and displays on the wildlife and history of the area.  

  • 5.2 mile Stiperstones circular walk. Walk from the Bog up to and along the Stiperstones ridge, and back.  The walk will take around 2.5 hours.
  • 4.5 mile Flenny Bank Walk. A shorter walk through scattered mining remains to Shelve, Flenny Back and back.
  • 5.5 mile Bog & Stiperstones Walk. Walk walk along the edge of the Stiperstones to Shelve and Flenny Bank.
  • 6 mile Mucklewick Walk. This walk leads you through quiet borderland onto Mucklewick Hill and through Nipstone Nature Reserve.
  • Nipstone Nature Reserve – stop at the Bog Visitor Centre. The volunteers at the Centre will be able to point you in the right direction for this nature reserve. You want to be heading south on a small lane from the Centre. The entrance to Nipstone is ahead on your left.


Stiperstones village & walks.  Stop here for the popular Stiperstones Inn and village shop.

  • 7.5 mile circular walk Hope Valley’s Hidden Heritage. You can halve the length of this walk by taking the short cut at the Hope Valley Nature Reserve and head back to Stiperstones village to catch the Shuttle Bus - last shuttlebus to Church Stretton departs at 1626.

Snailbeach village & Lead Mine & walks. Stop here to explore the site of  Snailbeach Lead Mine, once one of the biggest and richest mines in the country. 

  • waymarked walks guide you around the site and surrounding woodland (Resting Hill).
  • walk up to the restored miners cottages at Blakemoorgate, following the follow the blakemoorgate cottage waymarkers through the lead mine site and woodland up to the cottages - it's an uphill walk of about 40 minutes.
  • explore Brook Vessons (ancient woodland and boggy pastures) and The Hollies (parkland of ancient holly and rowan trees), both nature reserves, looked after by Shropshire Wildlife Trust.