Brief encounter on Hopesay Common

A white pony looks me in the eye during a brief encounter on Hopesay Common, near Craven Arms.

Brief encounter on Hopesay Common

The colour of his coat echoes the snow-capped summit of Heath Mynd, which can be seen in the distance.

I managed to get off a couple of frames before the pony lost interest in me and returned to the far more important business of grazing.

This peaceful spot is a grazed common which is owned by the National Trust and has not been ploughed in centuries.

It overlooks the village of Hopesay, whose name refers to the Norman de Say barons who arrived in Shropshire after 1066 and built Clun Castle.

Hopesay churchyard is the final resting place of author and adventurer Vivienne Goschen, who wrote two books based on her experiences in East Africa in the 1920s.

She is, however, best remembered for taking charge of an expedition to Africa at the age of only 24 after her father was killed by a lion.

Vivienne lived in Hopesay for a time after she was married, and the village was also home to her grandfather, Captain H. W. Beddoes, R.N.

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