Steep Hills & Canal Defenses: A Day at Hawkstone Park Follies

It was an odd day today. I wasn't in the mood for much of anything, for no particular reason. My solution to this low-energy funk? Naturally, to drive an hour and forty-five minutes down to Shropshire to climb a steep hill at Hawkstone Park Follies.

In hindsight, my best option today would probably have been putting my headphones in and heading out into the countryside on a long, solo road bike ride. But instead, we found ourselves tackling the inclines of historic sandstone cliffs.

The highlight of the estate is undoubtedly The Monument—a towering 100-foot column where climbing the 120-odd spiral steps rewards you with panoramic views across twelve surrounding counties. Given my mood, I passed on fighting my way up the steps this time!

The grounds are heavily geared toward kids, packed with trail signs about legendary ogres, trolls, and pixies. While great fun for families, the steep, rocky inclines look like hard work for tired little legs—though, truth be told, it was the older folk who seemed to be struggling most on the paths today.

As is often the case when we visit places like this, surrounded by young families, we probably looked like we’d misplaced a child—or more accurately these days, a grandchild!

Hawkstone Tip: Proper footwear is non-negotiable here. Make sure you pack sturdy walking boots; leave the party shoes strictly at home.

The featured photo for this post was a bizarre little discovery nestled along the trail. It looks like a miniature wooden village—complete with a tiny castle, church, school, and library. They resemble birdhouses at first glance, though I couldn't spot any actual entry holes for birds. Whatever creature they were designed to house, they’ve been provided with a very cultured settlement!

On the way out, around 3:00 PM, we swung through Market Drayton in desperate search of food (at that hour, it's less lunch or dinner and more "lunner").

As the car sped past the canal, my eye caught a distinct, square concrete shape. Aside from my mission to photograph every surviving Concorde, I hold an equally niche pastime: Pillbox spotting.

Pillboxes were small, reinforced concrete guard posts built across Britain during 1940 to repel or delay a potential German invasion. Finding one this far north guarding a canal bridge makes total sense—canals were vital strategic transport arteries and natural defense lines. I didn't get a chance to stop this time, but I may just have to head back with the camera to log it properly!

Photography Notes
Location: Hawkstone Park Follies, Weston-under-Redcastle, Shropshire.
Subject: Woodland Oddities, Sandstone Follies & Macro/Mid-Range Detail.
Shooting Woodland Miniature Details:
Isolate Your Subject: When shooting small objects like miniature wooden buildings in dark woodland environments, use a wider aperture f/2.8 - f/4 to blur out messy background foliage.
Watch Color Temperature: Heavy tree canopies cast a distinct green tint onto wooden subjects. Set your White Balance to Shade or manually bump to $\sim 5600K to keep wood tones warm and natural.