Dark Sky Locations in Shropshire

[Andyb90]

Hi Everyone,

Can anyone recommend some dark sky locations in Shropshire? I live in Staffordshire, but I can get into Shropshire in around 40 minutes.

I've seen there are some designated dark sky sites near a place called Church Stretton, but looking at Google street view the access to them looks a bit scary. Looks like a steep drop off on one side of the road!

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Andy.

[leo82]

I would like to know too, i'm from wolverhampton so not far away.

The best I can think of would be the wrekin. I dont think you can drive to the top of it though so trying to walk the hill in the pitch black of night in amongst the trees would be a disaster waiting to happen, unless anybody knows a direct route?

[inedible_hulk]

The Long Mynd (Church Stretton) would be my choice. The Burway isn't that bad, unless it's icy or busy. There's a wide track up to the transmitter station on the Wrekin. Ok to walk, about 30 minutes to the summit, but not open to vehicles. There's also a lot of light pollution from Telford to the north and east.

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[estwing]

if you are willing to travel that far another 20mins into wales will be even better....trust me!

[Andyb90]

I think going out to the edge of Wales would be a definite possibility.

Are there any sites or areas you would recommend estwing?

Andy.

[estwing]

I don't use campsites only at star parties we just head towards Elan valley..the closer you can get to there the better TBH

[redfox1971]

I have been on the long mynd a few times but its no fun this time of year trying to set up the gear with the wind blowing a gail and freezing cold,eyes watering not pleasant.Down in carding mill valley would be more sheltered but you would only have overhead views.

[estwing]

Yes wind plenty of that about!

[Beulah]

The Long Mynd is an excellent place and if you want to get darker, the Shropshire borders of the Clun area - pretty much anywhere west of Craven Arms/Church Stretton.

The idea is to get away from the West Midlands Conurbation - skies start to get good in the Corvedale area of Shropshire:  around 5.7 - 6.0 NELM at Zenith; however, light domes are present from the east. (Wolverhampton/Telford, etc)

Street lights in most of South Shropshire go off after midnight, so it might get even darker!

Another suggestion is The Bog carpark - skies are excellent, here:

https://goo.gl/maps/ZaY2iRUJW7R2

The Long Mynd actually acts as a light pollution screen from the eastern conurbation!

The locals are proud of their dark skies and actually fought off plans for street lighting in the area!

[leo82]

Hi beulah,

The bog car park looks great.

Does it get much traffic through there at night?

For example - boy racers and doggers?

Thanks.

[Beulah]

For the former question; Very quiet most of the time - this area is off the beaten track.

The latter; no idea. Haven't been there for a while, it's a bit of a gamble when you arrive and I guess that problem is widespread over the whole of the UK... 

[JED-E3]

Hi beulah,

The bog car park looks great.

Does it get much traffic through there at night?

For example - boy racers and doggers?

Thanks.

I went there recently and it was pretty quiet, the carpark next to the stiperstones had one 'dodgey' car on it but I was there after midnight so it might be worse early on.

I took some widefield shots of the milky way when I was there, I'll post one up in a bit to give you an idea of the skys.

[Beulah]

I went there recently and it was pretty quiet, the carpark next to the stiperstones had one 'dodgey' car on it but I was there after midnight so it might be worse early on.

Is that further up the road: the Devil's Chair car park? (Stiperstones Nature Reserve)

Stunning walks up there.

[Beulah]

Mitchel's Fold might be another cool place to set up...up from Churchstoke, Powys and on the Shropshire Border...

https://goo.gl/maps/29mRR1wgBUk

[estwing]

we go up Devils staircase in Elan ...my its steep!....lot of Devils around there!!

[estwing]

Mitchel's Fold might be another cool place to set up...up from Churchstoke, Powys and on the Shropshire Border...

https://goo.gl/maps/29mRR1wgBUk

that looks a cracking spot...

[JED-E3]

Is that further up the road: the Devil's Chair car park? (Stiperstones Nature Reserve)

Stunning walks up there.

Yes that the one, nice clear horizon to the east and south.

This was the view southish

30 seconds at iso3200 probably f2.8, 14mm on fullframe dslr. md september.

corrosponding roughly with this view

The view north is much worse with the light domes from Shrewsbury and Telford, I don't think I took any pictures that way though.

James.

[leo82]

Nice photo james.

It just shows whats possible once you leave the lights from the cities behind.

[Andyb90]

I have been on the long mynd a few times but its no fun this time of year trying to set up the gear with the wind blowing a gail and freezing cold,eyes watering not pleasant.Down in carding mill valley would be more sheltered but you would only have overhead views.

Must admit I hadn't considered Carding Mill Valley. I assumed it would be closed off at night, but now see on street view there are houses up there so it must have 24/7 access.

Will definitely take a trip there.

Mitchel's Fold, The Bog car park and Stiperstones Nature Reserve also look good from the street views.

I did a few more searches on street view. I didn't find any other likely spots, but did find a tank!! 

https://goo.gl/jiZJYK

Andy.

[JED-E3]

Just keep in mind that the roads around the stiperstones area are not great, single file lanes mostly. It would be much quicker to get to Carding Mill valley side of the Long Mynd but there is more light pollution, being closer to Shrewsbury.

Just to give an idea, as the crow flies, I live 20 miles from the Stiperstones but it takes an hour to drive there.

[laser_jock99]

Anywhere within the Shropshire Hills AONB should be fairly good

http://www.shropshirehillsaonb.co.uk/a-special-place/map/

But as others have pointed out - it only starts to get really dark west of Craven Arms. Driving another 40 minutes into the Welsh mountains will improve darkness to another level.

This light pollution map is a useful demonstration.

[iamjulian]

I can walk to the Stiperstones from my house. The skies from The Bog are good. Low southern horizon and the light of Shrewsbury and Telford behind a hill, as someone already mentioned. Lots of possible places around the Welsh Shropshire border. Long Mountain above Welshpool gives commanding views and is pretty dark too.

[Mark62]

I was is the area of Wall Under Heywood in August this is a 30 second single sub on a fixed tripod nice and dark and horizon to horizon milkyway

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[Beulah]

Yep, I am familliar with that village. Near Rushbury and in the dark zone. Wenlock Edge provides a nice LP screen. Nice photograph!

Anywhere round there, and the Corvedale, is very good; gets better the more westwards you go (as long as you are far away from Ludlow/Craven Arms).

Consulting my old observation records in the areas described, the structure of the Milky Way is very evident at Zenith, even down to the Southern Horizon, where its structure below Scutum is very nice, with M11 easily found.

Exceptional sky conditions has rendered M81 to the naked eye.

Milky Way fades out past Cassiopeia.

Winter Milky Way is easily seen.

NELM records state: a few 6.2 NELM readings on a good night (few readings six miles north of Ludlow over April 2013).

Somebody ought to get some dark sky status for the area...soon!!

[Walshie79]

Nobody's mentioned North Shropshire yet, so here goes....

Firstly, it's flat. No large hills obscuring the horizon (unless you get close to Wales), or towns miles away being visible at night. Basically you can't see Shrewsbury anywhere north of Baschurch, and you can't see Telford anywhere. The only towns are small (Wem, Ellesmere, Shawbury) and they don't have big light domes. Everywhere else is empty fields, the only pollution is those blasted security lights on farm buildings. Find a spot down a lane away from one of those and you'll have a great sky. I find the area north of Wem to be particularly good, though even closer to Shrewsbury it's dark enough. Here 5 miles north of it you can see 5th mag stars away from the few streetlights, and M31 is an obvious naked eye object. Only problem is finding somewhere to stop the car, there aren't many laybys on those lanes. I just use those pull-ins next to gates.

As for south Shropshire, the southern end of the Stiperstones is good though there are a lot of hills around it. The northern end not so good, you can see Shrewsbury and Telford. Forget the Wrekin, you can see most of the West Midlands from there as well as Telford sprawling below. And it's a blumming steep climb! I'm not sure where in Staffs the OP is from- if it's Stoke then North Shropshire is not far at all. The really dark bits of south Shropshire like Clun are a long enough drive from here, it's easier to go to somewhere in Wales like Lake Vyrnwy or the dark bit west of Welshpool.

Re the above post: M81 naked eye in Shropshire? Seriously? I thought that had only been done from 8000 feet up in Arizona. I've split Epsilon Lyrae naked eye round here, and seen M74 in binoculars, but I'd never think M81 possible.