The Wrekin is made of very ancient ‘Uriconian’ volcanic rocks (though its shape does not in fact come from having been ‘a volcano’). The Ercall Quarry also has fascinating geology, with a great example of a transition to some of the earliest rocks bearing shelly fossils (aka ‘when life got hard’). The north side of the Wrekin has lovely oak woodlands with associated wildlife, and there is rough grassland and fragments of heathland on the open hilltop. The Wrekin hillfort, stronghold of the Cornovii, is a major prehistoric earthwork which cannot fail to impress, while the woods conceal relics of charcoal burning platforms associated with early industry in the Ironbridge Gorge. Legend has it that the Wrekin was created by a giant who dropped a sack of earth, or was it two Giants quarrelling? Passing through the Needle’s Eye, a rock cleft near the summit, is supposed to be an initiation to being a true Salopian, or else a good omen for marriage.

Car parking is available at the Forest Glen to the north of the hill (Shropshire Wildlife Trust car park and some roadside parking). This gets very busy at peak times – please ensure that you park safely, do not obstruct the highway, and take care crossing the road.