Beginners Navigation for Women Holiday in the Shropshire Hills

Duration: 3 nights

Interests: Navigation skills

Type: Small group holidays

Overview

There’s an art to navigating the outdoors that goes beyond mastering a GPS tracking device and loading a smartphone app. The National Navigation Award Scheme (NNAS) Bronze Navigator Award is designed for beginners who are seeking to improve their navigation skills and build confidence in the outdoors. Upon successful completion of the course, you’ll be able to plan and follow your own countryside walks, with a good understanding of safety, weather, kit and judgement of time and distance. This holiday is exclusively for women and no previous experience of navigating with a map and compass is required.

What you’ll love

Having the chance to complete the NNAS Bronze Navigator Award
Learning basic navigation skills through practical indoor and outdoor exercises
The expertise of a knowledgeable and experienced tutor
Joining a group of like-minded women
Staying at Longmynd House, our country house in Church Stretton
A more personalised experience thanks to small group sizes (maximum 8 people to 1 leader)

What’s included

Comfortable en-suite accommodation in our country house
Cream tea on arrival day
Cooked or continental breakfast every morning
Daily packed lunches
Three-course evening meals, plus tea & coffee
Registration with the NNAS

Trip Notes

Easy to download as a PDF, our trip notes provide detailed information for every holiday. Please click below to find the trip notes for your departure date.

Itinerary

All our carefully-curated itineraries are designed by our experts. While we make every effort to adhere to the described itinerary, we may take alternative routes or adapt the running order for weather and/or operational reasons.

Day 1: Arrival Day

You’re welcome to check in from 4pm onwards. Enjoy a complimentary cream tea on
arrival. After tea meet your leader and have a course introduction.

Day 2 - 3: Navigation Days

Our days will be spent working through a range of practical indoor and outdoor exercises
that will help us cover the Bronze Navigator Award Syllabus:

Navigate using a variety of maps and scales.
Use 4 and 6 figure grid references with worded descriptions to define the position
of a map feature and to locate a feature on the ground.
Orientate the map using handrails, obvious point features and major landforms.
Use linear features (e.g. paths, tracks, clear boundaries) as handrails in simple
navigation exercises.
Relate prominent landforms such as large hills and valleys to corresponding
contour information on the map.
Orientate the map by aligning a compass needle against grid north and be aware
that magnetic variation causes an inaccuracy.
Use an orientated map to confirm the direction of travel.
Use clearly identifiable features to confirm position along the route and to
recognise when the target has been overshot.
Measure horizontal distance on the map and estimate distance on the ground
using timing, pacing and simple visual judgements e.g.100m.
Plan and implement simple routes and navigation strategies based on the above
skills.
Recognise a navigation error within a few minutes and apply simple relocation
techniques using handrails and prominent features.
Be aware of the use of mobile phone location apps as a back up to map and
compass and in emergencies.
Demonstrate an awareness of local and national access issues, access legislation,
personal responsibilities, the Countryside Code and sustainability.
Demonstrate appropriate knowledge of walking equipment, safety equipment and
emergency procedures.

If you would like more information about what you will learn on a Bronze course please
read these Participant Notes
You will be outside for parts of the course and there will be some standing around
outside so please bring warm clothing with you. You can expect to walk between 2 to 4
miles each day.
The course includes map work exercises and walk planning in the evenings. Maps will be
provided for use during the course but you will need to bring a compass we recommend a compass which has a baseplate, 360 degree protractor, map measuring features, plus
scales of 1:25k and 1:50k an example compass is the Silva Expedition 4.

Day 4: Departure Day

Enjoy a leisurely breakfast before making your way home.

Accommodation

Longmynd Hotel

For rural calm in the Shropshire Hills National Landscape, the location of this characterful country house is hard to top. Set in a wooded hillside just a short stroll from the market town of Church Stretton (nicknamed Little Switzerland for its picturesque landscape), you’ll be within walking or driving distance of the Stiperstones, Caer Caradoc, Ironbridge Valley of Invention, and the historic towns of Ludlow and Shrewsbury. And then, of course, there’s the Long Mynd itself – an area of registered common land that has been cared for by a group of farmers (the self-named commoners) who have grazed sheep and ponies here for generations.

Rooms

Designed with your comfort in mind, Longmynd Hotel has 56 well-appointed guest rooms available in two categories: Classic and Premium.

Classic Rooms are comfortable en-suite guest rooms, ideal for a peaceful night's sleep. Amenities include free Wi-Fi, tea and coffee-making facilities, toiletries (hand wash, shampoo, and shower gel), and a TV.

Premium Rooms are more spacious en-suite guest rooms*. Amenities include free Wi-Fi, tea and coffee-making facilities, toiletries (hand wash, shampoo, body lotion, shower gel), and a 32-inch TV. Extras include bathrobes, slippers.

We love: For more privacy, the lodges have their own terrace.

The Choose Your Room service is available at our UK country houses, allowing you the option of choosing and confirming a specific room for an extra charge of £30 per room. This is subject to availability. Upgrade supplements apply.

Check in & check out
You are welcome to check in from 4:00pm at the earliest. On arrival, you’ll enjoy a complimentary cream tea and get to meet your fellow guests, our HF Holidays Leaders, and the rest of the friendly team.

On the day of departure, we kindly ask all guests to check out by 10:00am. You’ll be asked to settle your bill prior to leaving. You may, of course, make a charitable donation to our HF Holidays Pathways Fund if you wish. Please note that we only accept card payments.

Room supplements

Premium single	Premium double/twin	Choose your room
£20 pppn	£20 pppn	£30 per room

*Views and layout reflect each properties unique character and location

About your stay

A warm welcome
We want you to feel comfortable from the moment you arrive. You’ll find a welcome pack in your room with guest registration forms, menus, order forms for dinners and picnic lunches, the Wi-Fi password, and the front door code. Our houses are locked at night, so we recommend noting the Duty Manager’s number on arrival in case of an emergency (or getting locked out).

Evening entertainment
While evening entertainment varies from house to house, the HF Holidays Big Pub Quiz held after dinner on Wednesdays is a weekly staple. Your HF Holidays Leader may be around for tips on guided and self-guided walking routes as well as visit-worthy local attractions.

Walks talks
Our HF Holidays Leaders host guided walking information briefings before dinner on arrival days. This is followed by a group Walks Talk for information on the following day’s walking delights (held before dinner every evening). Self-guided walking guests are, of course, welcome.

The walking day
Prior to setting off on walks, your HF Holidays Leader will run you through a short safety briefing. There’s also an up-to-date weather forecast on display at the house to ensure you have appropriate clothing and footwear. If you choose to do your own walks or are on a self-guided walking holiday, we ask that you please complete an Independent Walker Card each day. These can be found near the Discovery Point in the house.

Food & drink

Led by experienced chefs, we serve a wide range of dishes made with fresh and seasonal ingredients. We always aim to source the best produce available and use home-grown herbs and vegetables from our own gardens whenever possible. Additionally, we have a licensed bar with beers, soft drinks, and a superb selection of spirits. Full-board comes as standard and includes a cream tea on arrival and a hearty breakfast on departure day.

HF Holidays understands the importance of managing allergens effectively to ensure food is safe for guests with food allergies. Whilst we are always able to confidently inform guests which allergens are present in our ingredients and dishes, we are unable to guarantee absolute freedom from the 14 main allergens in our kitchens. Vegetarian and vegan menu choices are available. If you have allergies, food intolerances, or any special dietary requirements, please inform our reservation team at the time of booking.

Accessibility

For accessibility and assistance information, please contact our expert team on 020 3974 8865 or view the accessibility information online for Longmynd Hotel

Getting to Longmynd Hotel

Find out more about this location including travel details and room types.

More Information

Travel Details

Address

Longmynd Hotel
Cunnery Road
Church Stretton
Shropshire SY6 6AG

Tel: +44 (0)1694 722244

By train

The nearest station is Church Stretton. Although Longmynd Hotel is less than a mile from the station, it is at the top of a steep hill and there is no taxi rank at the station. Taxis are in extremely limited supply in the Church Stretton area and drivers usually come from further afield which is reflected in fares.

Shrewsbury has more choice of trains, and you can take a taxi directly to the house from the station (see below).

Check National Rail for train times and routes.

By taxi

From Shrewsbury, it’s a 15-mile journey taking 30 to 40 minutes.

Single journeys are approx £45 but please contact Shropshire Cars directly for confirmation.

You can pre-book a taxi from our recommended Shrewsbury based company, Shropshire Cars*. We recommend booking your taxi, including your return journey if needed, at least seven days in advance by contacting via WhatsApp or using their App:

WhatsApp: 07379338526

APP STORE:

https://apps.apple.com/app/shropshire-cars/id6578451220

and

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.shropshirecars.passengerapp

By car

There’s free car parking at Longmynd Hotel if you decide to drive.

Follow the A49 to Church Stretton. At the traffic lights turn off into town, then at the first junction turn left onto the High Street. Go straight over the mini-roundabout, and then take the next right into Cunnery Road. Follow the road up the steep hill to Longmynd Hotel.

By air

The nearest airport is Manchester International Airport.

Trains take about two hours, with a change in Crewe.

You can also fly into London Heathrow airport, but it’ll take at least 4 hours to reach Shrewsbury by train.

National Rail has up-to-date routes and train times.

Packing List

“There’s no such thing as bad weather, just the wrong type of clothing!” goes the adage. Come prepared for all eventualities and you’ll walk in comfort as well as safety. Britain’s famous for its changeable weather, so here’s our advice on what to wear and bring.

Essentials

Waterproof walking boots providing ankle support and good grip.
A waterproof jacket and over-trousers
Gloves and a warm hat (it can be chilly at any time of the year)
Rucksack
Water bottle (at least 1 litre capacity)
A small torch (everywhere in winter, year round in mountains)
Compass
Sun hat and sunscreen
Denim jeans and waterproof capes are not suitable on any walks.

Recommended

Several layers of clothing, which can be added or removed
Specialist walking socks to avoid blisters.
A first aid kit inc plasters– your leader’s first aid kit doesn’t contain any medication
Sit mat (insulated pad to sit on when you stop for a break)

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