Rodney's Pillar

The Breidden Hills rise abruptly out of the Severn Plain and are most often viewed by walkers on Offa's Dyke National Trail. They are very dramatic in form and any ascent is steep, but their isolation makes them among the most rewarding viewpoints that you could find. On the other hand the going underfoot is easy with two notable, if short, sections on the route that I have chosen. The nearest town is Welshpool in Powys but the walk wanders happily in and out of south Shropshire. In recent years extensive signposting and footpath work by both authorities has made life much easier for walkers, but the walk is characterised by a number of short, steep climbs

The hills are an igneous rock exploited as road building material because of its hardness; it is also rich in calcium and supports a wide range of flowers, including the spiked speedwell, which was found here by Edward Lluyd in the seventeenth century, the first time in Britain. The 'dden' part of Breidden is the Welsh word 'ddin' meaning a fortress and you will walk through the remains of the ramparts of one on your ascent of each of the two hills. Next to the Rodney's Pillar monument is a trig point and a little further off a viewfinder - the views are both beautiful and extensive.

Simon Morris

Shropshire Young Ramblers