Hawkstone park Follies is a gorgeous place to walk in Shropshire. It’s a magical walk, particularly for families as there are so many things to keep kids entertained. The views are stunning for adults too. That’s why it’s one of our favourite family walks. We have done the full route (4.5 miles) with our kids on two different occasions. They manage the whole thing with no complaints, magic!
Why visit Hawkstone park follies?
We’ve done this walk twice now with our children and it’s not a free walk either. So why do we love it so much?
There are lots to keep everyone entertained on the walk. The views are stunning, and the landscape and terrain are really interesting. There are up and downhill sections, lots of steps, bridges, narrow passages between huge rocks, caves to pass through, follies to explore, trolls to spot, a frequently changing kids trail and lots of activities for kids too.
Did I mention the views are stunning, the walk is over 4 miles and we never hear a complaint from our kids?
Getting to Hawkstone Follies
Hawkstone Follies is not far from the a49 near Shrewsbury in Shropshire. It is well signposted from the main road and there is plenty of free parking.
The address is Weston-under-Redcastle, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, SY4 5JY
How much does Hawkstone Follies cost?
When we visited in August 2022, a ticket for a family of 4 cost just under £32. Not cheap for a walk but it is a magical place and we knew it would fill most of the day.
The best prices are available if you book online. You can book tickets on the day of your visit. We did and it didn’t take long for our e-tickets to arrive. We didn’t need to show them as they have a list of online bookings and simply asked for our name.
Visiting Hawkstone follies
We first discovered Hawkstone Follies in 2020 when our kids were 4 and 8. We loved the walk and were amazed that they walked over 4 miles without any complaints.
We had fond memories of the walk so decided to visit again when we were camping nearby this summer. We’re really glad we did as we enjoyed it just as much 2 years later and even discovered a few bits that weren’t open on our first visit.
The walk starts at the visitors centre which is a short walk uphill from the car park. You show e-tickets or buy tickets in the visitors centre which also has a really nice gift shop and cafe.
From the visitors centre, you enter the trail through a small room which tells you a bit about the history of Hawkstone park follies.
Hawkstone park follies is a series of sandstone hills that were developed into gullies, caves, towers and bridges starting back in 1556. The grounds were added to over the years and were a popular place to visit through the 1800s. The grounds were then forgotten about and became overgrown but were reopened to the public in 1993. It is now a grade 2 listed landscape by English Heritage.
After the visitors centre, you continue to walk uphill. You’ll pass the Menageries on your left (the only bit of Hawkstone park Follies that we found underwhelming). Before the main trail starts there is a small play area that mine enjoyed.
We loved this gateway that graded walkers into munchkins, pixies and ogres based on height!
The walk is mostly uphill at this point with plenty of steps too. There are troll signs and lots of other magical details right the way through the park.
The first folly you come to is white tower which isn’t white at all! This is only a small tower which you can’t enter but there is a nice scene inside that you can see through the gated entryway.
It’s worth taking the route through the rhododendron jungle next as it’s really magical for kids.
The next folly you reach is the monument. This tower is really tall and it is open for visitors to climb the spiral 150 steps to the top. My husband and 9 year old climbed it and really enjoyed it. There are picnic tables and a few activities for kids like a huge naughts and crosses board. These were great to keep our 6 year old entertained while we were waiting.
If you continue along the path you can take a small circular detour to see St Francis viewpoint and cave as well as the hermitage which is a cute little hut.
The swiss bridge at the top of this section is really cool and then you’ll soon find yourself at the summit. Here you’ll find the biggest cave which is very cool to explore.
There is also ravens shelf and the gothic arch from where you can enjoy stunning views.
It’s also worth exploring the cleft and the grotto.
Up here there are also toilets before you decide to head back down to the visitors centre.
To do the full route, you can now walk back following the lower path. This path goes through several small caves/tunnels, includes plenty of steps and is generally a really lovely path along the sides of the sandstone hills.
Before long you will find yourself back at the play area and then the visitors centre.
How long do you need to spend at Hawkstone Follies.?
We did the full route which was a little under 4.5 miles (from the car park and back to it). We arrived at 10:30 am and left at 3 pm.
We stopped for a picnic and explored the place fully. The kids also played on the small play area briefly at the beginning and end. It can no doubt be done in less time, particularly with older children.
There are shorter routes if you have less time but the full route is needed to really get the most of your experience.
Find more great UK family days out and holidays here.
Why is it so magical for kids?
The walk is filled with things for kids to see and do. There is a kid’s trail to enjoy which is currently how to be a dragon trainer. They usually do a Halloween trail and you can see father Christmas here in December which I imagine is magical!
For the dragon trail, the kids get a free trail sheet with a mini map. It includes some things for them to count and find on the walk. They need to count fairies and trolls for example (there are quite a lot on the full route). They also need to find various signs to do with the dragon training skills they need to develop. At the end, they can get a free certificate from the visitors centre.
Top tips for Hawkstone follies
- Pack torches. You will need torches for some of the caves. We used the torch on our phones but i wish we’d packed a small torch for each of the kids as they would have loved this.
- Pack a pencil for the kid’s activity trails. They can be purchased in the gift shop if you forget.
- Make sure you have plenty of drinks and food. There is a cafe at the entrance but then nothing throughout the rest of the walk.
- There are plenty of picnic tables along the route.
- Where sensible walking shoes. There are lots of steps, root covered woodland floors and caves.
- Dress for the weather.
- This walk is definitely not pram-friendly.
- Allow plenty of time to really enjoy the area.
- There are toilets at the entrance and right at the top.
More nearby walks
Just over the border in Cheshire, there are some more fantastic family walks. Find them here – Child-friendly walks in Cheshire.
Hawkstone park follies is definitely not suitable for prams but there are many more walks that are in Cheshire. Find them here – Child-friendly walks in Cheshire