This year's celebration of walking in Shropshire, the Bishops Castle Walking Festival, is already proving popular with more than a third of the wide ranging selection of routes already sold out.

From going underground into the heritage lead mines, including an exploration of the miner/smallholders' cottages, to a section of Offa's Dyke, the festival demonstrates why Shropshire has been designated one of the Association of British Travel Agents' (ABTA) ten places to watch this year.

Other walks will include a look at different habitats in the Stiperstones area of the Shropshire Hills with Charlie Bell, project manager with the National Trust, who will lead the Stepping Stones in the Landscape route, an 'energetic' seven-mile walk around the southern edge of the Stiperstones ridge on Thursday, May 16.

Rob Dingle, Offa's Dyke National Trail Officer will lead Midpoint on Offa on Friday, May 17, a hilly walk amongst beautiful unspoilt scenery.

The Bishops Castle Walking Festival runs from Thursday, May 16 to Sunday, May 19. Find the full programme and book your place at bishopscastlewalkingfestival.co.uk.