Horse riding in Shropshire

With a network of over 625miles or 1000 kilometres of byways and bridleways zigzagging their way through the countryside and not forgetting the many quiet lanes Shropshire is wonderful horseriding country.

Where can I ride?
On the rights of way network, horse riders may use bridleways, restricted (RBs) and byways open to all traffic (known as 'BOATs') In addition, there are a few unsurfaced, unclassified roads that can be used. It is not legal to ride on footpaths unless you believe you have the right to do so or you have been given permission by the landowner.

How do I find out which routes I can ride on in Shropshire?
A copy of the legal Definitive Map may be consulted at Shropshire County Council's Countryside Access office in Shirehall, Shrewsbury - please contact us if you would like to visit.
In practice the various classes of rights of way are shown on modern Ordnance Survey maps. The best are the Explorer series (orange covers). These are available at most bookshops or direct from the Ordnance Survey. Those that cover Shropshire are as follows:

OS Sheet Number 201 Knighton and Presteigne, 203 Ludlow, 216 Welshpool and Montgomery, 217 Longmynd and Wenlock Edge, 218 Wyre Forest and Kidderminster, 240 Oswestry, 241 Shrewsbury, 242 Telford, Ironbridge and The Wrekin, 243 Market Drayton, 257 Crewe and Nantwich

Rights of way are also shown on the Landranger (pink cover) series, but there is less detail (for instance field boundaries are not shown), and therefore they are less suitable for finding your way across the countryside. Beware of old maps - they do not show definitive rights of way reliably.

Looking for a route
Try the new Shropshire Riding Website by following the link on the right of this page.

Promoted riding opportunities in Shropshire are:

The Jack Mytton Way
Shropshire's long distance bridleway (for use by those on foot, bicycle and horseback). Over 100 miles of rural bridleways and quiet country lanes, this trail takes you through some of Shropshire's most beautiful and unspoilt countryside, compiled in conjunction with the British Horse Society. Funding in 2003/04 allowed the development of a 25 mile link through some of the lesser known parts of South Shropshire, rejoining the linear route near Church Stretton.
The Jack Mytton Way logo (horse and horseshoe) denotes the route and it is shown on Ordnance Survey Explorer Maps.

The Kerry Ridgeway
The Kerry Ridgeway is a linear route which, in the main, follows either roads, unclasssified county roads (UCR’s) or Byways from Bishop’s Castle running along the border and into Wales. The route is available for those on foot, bicycle and horseback.

Ride Shropshire
The Ride Shropshire project part funded by Advantage West Midlands provides well marked and maintained circular rides off the Jack Mytton Way in the Longmynd and Wenlock Edge area. The routes run through parts of Shropshire’s finest landscape and give locals and visitors the chance to confidently explore further afield.

Run in conjunction with the Longmynd and District Bridleway Association and the National Trust, the rides give horseriders, cyclists and walkers a series of interlinking routes that vary between 8 to 22 plus miles. Spend a few hours or a few days soaking up the scenery.

The Ride Shropshire routes form part of a British Horse Society initiative and the Ride UK logo shows you the way.

View the long distance and circular routes on ShropMap, the interactive mapping service provided by Shropshire County Council by following the link on this page. Please download the Ride UK leaflets attached to this page.