Dudmaston Hall and Estate – The Dingle Woodland Walk loop from Quatt

Hiking trails & Routes

Dudmaston Hall and Estate – The Dingle Woodland Walk loop from Quatt

Easy

4.7

(7)

hikers

Dudmaston Hall and Estate – The Dingle Woodland Walk loop from Quatt

01:52

7.02km

70m

Hiking

Easy hike. Great for any fitness level. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels. The starting point of the route is right next to a parking lot.

Last updated: July 18, 2026

Waypoints

Start point

Parking

Get Directions

139 m

Dudmaston Hall and Estate

Highlight • Monument

Nestled deep in the Severn Valley, Dudmaston Hall has been lived in by one family for over 875 years. The hall as it stands today was mostly built in the 17th century, but its origins date back to the 1100s. Still lived in today, by the Hamilton-Russell family, the Hall continues to be involved in community, arts and cultural events.

Tip by

330 m

Dudmaston Estate Gatehouse

Highlight • Other

1.99 km

View of the Countryside Near the Red Telephone Box

Highlight • Viewpoint

4.46 km

Hampton Loade Jetty (Severn Canoe Trail)

Highlight • Rest Area

Hampton Loade Ferry was a pedestrian cable ferry linking the villages of Hampton Loade and Hampton across the River Severn in the English county of Shropshire and providing a link to Hampton Loade village from Hampton Loade station on the heritage Severn Valley Railway, in Hampton village.

The crossing had been in use for around 400 years, and may have provided a route across the Severn during the Middle Ages.

During flooding on Sunday 13 December 1964 at 3.25 PM the ferry sank drowning the operator and caused inconvenience for the hamlet residents who had to take detours. The service was restored the following year.

In 2004 a new ferry was built by the nearby Ironbridge Gorge Museum to the design of the previous boat, which had seen 38 years' service. The new craft was of wooden construction, measures 20 feet by 9 feet, and carried up to 12 passengers.

Hampton Loade Ferry information for passengers

The ferry was affected by the floods of 2007, which damaged the river banks and access roads and also affected the Severn Valley Railway, with a consequent loss of tourist revenue to the ferry. As a result, the ferry did not operate during the remainder of 2007 or during 2008, and the owner put it up for sale. Local people created the Hampton Loade Community Trust, a charitable trust, to reopen the ferry. This was achieved in April 2009.

The Hampton Loade Ferry was a reaction ferry, propelled by the river current. An overhead cable is suspended across the river, and the ferry was tethered by a second cable, to a pulley block that ran on the suspended cable. To operate the ferry it was angled into the current, causing the current to move it across the river.

The ferry permanently closed in 2016. The ferry now lies in a state of disrepair half submerged in the river Severn.

Tip by

4.89 km

Chelmarsh Water Bridge

Highlight • Structure

Water bridge carrying water from Chelmarsh Reservoir to Hampton Loade water treatment works.

Tip by

5.85 km

Long Covert

Highlight • Viewpoint

Long Covert is a pleasant sheltered route in hot or wet weather. The covert eventually emerges into a more open area.

Tip by

6.36 km

The Dingle Woodland Walk

Highlight • Viewpoint

The wooded valley was a pet project of Francis Whitmore who, along with her husband William, resided in Dudmaston between 1775 and 1815, and was a keen botanist. Together with their head gardener, Walter Wood, they created a picturesque route over rustic bridges and past waterfalls, urns and a hermitage.

Tip by

6.68 km