Small Batch Campsite, Little Stretton: Camping Beneath the Long Mynd, Shropshire

James
Jul 11
6 min read

Updated: Jul 24

Royal Enfield motorbike at Small Batch Campsite

Small Batch Campsite Quick Summary

Small Batch Campsite in Little Stretton, Shropshire sits beneath the Long Mynd with electric hookups, two pubs within five minutes walk, and some of the best hill walking in the Midlands right on the doorstep.

Campsite Scorecard

Location ⛺⛺⛺⛺⛺

Setting & Views ⛺⛺⛺⛺⛺

Facilities ⛺⛺⛺

Value for Money ⛺⛺⛺⛺

Food & Drink Nearby ⛺⛺⛺

Peace & Quiet ⛺⛺⛺

Price per night: £27-29 for campervan with EHU (electric £4 extra) £16 one person with small tent.

Hook up: Yes, electric on all pitches

Dogs welcome: Yes

Campfires: No , BBQ's allowed of the ground.

Nearest town: Church Stretton, 1.5 miles

Best for: Campervan / Tent / Couples / Solo / Dog Owners / Walkers

Open: April 1 to September 30

The Adventure Starts

Weather looking good again this weekend so I decided to pack up the Royal Enfield gear and head to Church Stretton. I'd been meaning to go for a while so had a look online and found Small Batch Campsite in Little Stretton, right beneath the Long Mynd. Electric hookups, two pubs within five minutes walk and National Trust countryside on the doorstep. Sounds right up my street.

Packing for the Enfield is a completely different game to the van. Everything has to fit on the bike so there's no room for anything that doesn't need to be there. Tent, sleeping bag, Duvalay mat, cooking gear and the bare essentials, all strapped down and ready to go. I actually love packing for a bike trip, there's something about stripping everything back to just what you need that feels really freeing compared to loading up the Doblo campervan.

Getting There, Birmingham to Small Batch Campsite

The drive from Birmingham takes around an hour and twenty through some lovely Shropshire countryside, one of those routes where you don't mind it taking a bit longer.

On the way I always try and stop off somewhere to pick up local produce, and this time I found a brilliant one.

A Ryan & Sons Pig and Pie Shop in Much Wenlock, famous for their quiches and judging by the queue when I arrived, the locals know it. I had to wait but it was absolutely worth it. I picked up a chorizo and cheese quiche, a pork pie, and some nice salads to take back to camp, great value for money too, which always helps.

Much Wenlock is a really lovely little market town, good independent shops, decent cafés, and well worth a proper wander if you're passing through. I'm already planning to stop here on the way back home for breakfast.

Given how hot it was I didn't fancy cooking that evening anyway so the Ryan & Sons haul worked out perfectly, good homemade local food, no stove required. Thank god!

Pig And Pig Shop front
The quiches at the Pig and Pie

Arriving at Small Batch Camping, Little Stretton

If you're heading to Small Batch, make sure you enter via Elms Lane from the Ragleth Inn end, it's the only way in so put that in your sat nav before you set off.

Small Batch sits in a beautiful sheltered valley right beneath the Long Mynd, owned and run by Pam and Oscar who are genuinely one of the friendliest couples you'll meet running a campsite. The kind of owners who make you feel welcome from the moment you pull in.

Once I'd checked in Pam and Oscar showed me to my spot, a really nice pitch near the main building looking down the campsite towards the hills. Perfect. I unpacked the Trip Machine duffel bag, pitched the tent, assembled the lightweight chair, and that was me sorted. One of the things I love about motorbike camping is how quick the setup is.

There's a stream running alongside the site too which adds a lovely soundtrack to the whole stay, that and the birds, which is pretty much all you can hear once everyone settles down.

The entrance road to Small Batch Campsite
Main building at Small Batch Campsite
The river at Small Batch Campsite

The Site

The site is immaculately maintained, really well kept considering how tucked away it is in the valley. Lovely setting with hills all around in every direction, loads of rabbits and wildlife about, and the stream running alongside is a nice touch, cold enough for a quick dip on a hot day if you're brave enough.

The pitches are on a slight slope so if you're in a campervan bring levelling ramps, worth knowing for next time i come in my van. Two honest niggles, the pitches are quite close together which takes the edge off the peace and quiet slightly, and for a busy site the toilet and shower facilities feel a little limited. Not a deal breaker but worth being aware of in peak season.

No campfires on site but you can cook on a BBQ off the ground. And with two great looking pubs within five minutes walk you won't be sitting around the pitch all the time.

Worth noting, there's no TV signal down in the valley, but I always carry my TP-Link 4G router with me for exactly this kind of situation. Even when phone signal is poor it picks up enough to give you a decent connection.

Church Stretton is only a mile and a half down the road, a proper market town known locally as "Little Switzerland" thanks to the dramatic hills surrounding it.

View of the hills at Small Batch Campsite
View from my pitch
My Royal Enfield motorbike and tent

Walking the Long Mynd

The walking from Small Batch is genuinely breath taking, Carding Mill Valley, Ashes Hollow, and Batch Valley all accessible straight from the site. Proper National Trust hill walking with views that stretch for miles on a clear day.

After setting up and chilling out for a bit I decided to head out for a short walk up the closest hill. About an hour in the heat got the better of me, it was absolutely roasting, so I turned around, headed back to the site, and decided the Ragleth Inn pub was a much better idea. After a couple of ciders in the shade i headed back up the track to the campsite.

I'll be back to do the full Long Mynd walk when it's a bit cooler, it's the kind of landscape that deserves a proper day out rather than a sweaty half hour scramble in a heatwave.

Walks at Small Batch Campsite scenery
Views of Long Mynd from small batch campsite
The Ragleth Inn pub near the campsite

Food and Evening at Camp

Got back to camp, put some music on and cracked open another cider, picked up from Much Wenlock and kept cold in the stream all afternoon, which worked a treat. Dinner was the chorizo sausage, cheese quiche and salads from A Ryan & Sons, really good, nice and light, exactly what you want when it's that warm.

As the evening wore on I did notice the site gets quite lively, kids everywhere, plenty of noise from neighbouring pitches. Not what I was expecting for such a tucked away spot if I'm honest. That said I always pack earplugs when I'm motorbike camping just in case, so it wasn't a problem. If you're after complete peace and quiet this might not be the one, but if you don't mind a bit of life around you in the evenings you'll be absolutely fine.

As it got darker the Long Mynd rising up behind the pitch with the sound of the stream nearby made it all worthwhile.

Morning, Barrow Street Café, Much Wenlock

After an ok night's sleep I had a quiet shower, packed up the Enfield and headed back to Much Wenlock for breakfast as planned on the way down.

I found a table outside at Barrow Street Café and went for the full English, one good quality sausage, two bacon, mushrooms, black pudding, grilled tomato, fried egg and toast, with a flat white. £11.25 which felt a touch expensive for what it was, but the ingredients were clearly local and good quality so you can see where the money goes. Solid breakfast, nice spot to sit outside in the sun before the ride home.

The full English breakfast at Barrow St Cafe

The Verdict

Small Batch is a cracking little campsite, stunning location tucked beneath the Long Mynd, electric hookups on nearly every pitch, friendly owners, and two brilliant pubs within five minutes walk. Church Stretton on the doorstep adds another layer too, good independent shops, a curry house, great cafés, and some of the best hill walking in the Midlands right on your doorstep.

The only downsides worth mentioning, the pitches are quite close together and it gets noisy in the evenings with families around, so if you're after complete peace and quiet it might not be the one. The toilet and shower facilities are also a bit limited for how busy the site could get in peak season.

Would I go back? Probably, but next time in the campervan and with Davo. The Long Mynd deserves a proper full day walk and that's always better with company