Start on Ditherington Road opposite the Comet pub (1). The walk goes along the public footpath here, under the sub-way and past new houses on your left. After about 400m a small path leads off to the left (2). This was known as New Inn Lane, where there used to be a hostelry for steersmen. The two rows of bricks here were the piers on which the bridge stood and show how narrow the canal was (the barges on this were called "narrer-narrer" boats). Walk on as far as the first open water section (3). The canal was constructed between 1792 and 1796, mostly under the auspices of the famous engineer, Thomas Telford. He introduced several unique features including the world's first iron aqueduct, lock gates that opened upwards instead of outwards and a towpath through the long tunnel at Atcham. Barges were often in trains of 12-20 boats, each carrying a load of eight tons, for which tuppence per barge per mile was charged. It eventually closed in 1921 and was last navigated in 1941, since when it has been filled in both by man and by nature.

The section you are looking at now has been dredged to encourage wildlife such as the rare great crested newt which breeds here. The thick hedges provide a green corridor along which wildlife can travel into the town.

Continue along the old towpath and track past Pimley Manor and on under a second subway to Uffington (4). The cottages here are all that remain of the old wharf. Cross the road, go along the track opposite and go over the stile on your right to Haughmond Hill (from "haw" as in hawthorn and managed by Forest Enterprise). As you near the Hill take the right of two paths then left up to the summit (5). There are superb views across Shropshire, its hills, villages, Shrewsbury and, of course, the canal.