Badger Dingle Waterfall Walk

This walk visits the delightful Badger Dingle Waterfall in the Shropshire village of Badger.
The area is a bit of a hidden gem with peaceful woodland, pools, streams and a picturesque waterfall to admire.
Walk Report October 7th 2026 By Andrew Fletcher:
Badger is the sort of Shropshire village you could easily drive through without realising what lies hidden just beyond its cottages. I began by wandering past the village ponds, where the thatched houses and rushes around the water make a particularly pretty scene.... Even the bus shelter has a thatched roof, a small detail that seems to fit the village perfectly. It was a quiet, overcast morning, and I could hear the occasional plop of fish in the ponds as I stopped to look around.
The walk into Badger Dingle takes you away from the village and down into a wooded sandstone gorge. The change in atmosphere is quite striking: one moment you are beside the peaceful village ponds, and the next you are among trees, running water and steep, rocky banks. I followed the path towards the pools and waterfall, taking care on the uneven ground where the trail drops down through the woodland.
The waterfall is a lovely little discovery, tucked away beneath the trees rather than presented as a grand, obvious attraction. Water spills over the old stonework into the pool below, and the surrounding sandstone gives the place a rugged character. I spent a while exploring the area, looking at the rock formations and the small caves in the gorge. They are easy to overlook if you hurry along the main path, but add to the feeling that this is a place with plenty of hidden corners.
There is also an unusual historical feature here: a reconstructed Doric Temple, or folly, among the woodland. It recalls the landscaped grounds created for the former Badger Hall estate, when the brook was dammed to form a series of pools and paths were laid through the gorge. Much of the original landscape has become overgrown, which gives the dingle its slightly forgotten feel today.
The paths can be steep and rough in places, particularly around the gorge, so I took my time rather than treating this as a quick dash to the waterfall and back. After rain, the ground is likely to be muddy underfoot, and sturdy footwear is a good idea. The short distance makes it easy to fit into a morning, but the interesting rocks, pools and historic features reward a slower visit.
Badger Dingle is a small place with a surprising amount of character. The village ponds and thatched buildings make a lovely introduction, while the waterfall, sandstone caves and old garden features provide a different experience just a short walk away. It is a quiet corner of Shropshire that feels all the more appealing because it is easy to miss.
Postcode: WV6 7JX
Pubs and More Info
If you head north to Beckbury you can pick up the epic Monarch's Way. The long distance footpath can be followed towards Albrighton or Telford.
Just to the north of Telford there's the lovely Aqualate Mere to explore. There's a pleasant waterside path to pick up at this large, scenic lake. The site is one of the area's highlights and notable as the largest natural lake in the English Midlands. Just to the west of here there's the interesting market town of Newport where you can enjoy another waterside stroll along the old Newport Canal.
A few miles south there's Worfield where you can enjoy some pleasant trails through the valley of the River Worfe. The historic village is also worthy of exploration with its Saxon church, half timbered houses and the 18th century Davenport House.

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Nearby Routes

Monarch's Way Telford Shifnal Bridgnorth Albrighton Worfield

Photos

Badger Pond and Thatched House in the little village

Sandstone outcrop with caves at the Dingle

Upper Pool

A cascade in Badger Dingle. In the late 18th and early 19th Century, Sir Isaac Hawkins Browne, an iron and coal magnate who owned the Badger Hall estate, hired William Emes, a pupil of Capability Brown, to create a picturesque landscape in the sandstone gorge of the Dingle. Paths were laid and the brook that runs through the Dingle was dammed to form a series of pools with a rotunda at one end and a boathouse at the other. Today most of it has gone or been overgrown but there are still two small cascades below the dammed pond. This photo shows the lower, more natural cascade, the upper one being a series of steps.

Badger Dingle Waterfall

One of the caves at the site.

Reconstructed 18th century Doric Temple feature

A bench next to one of the geological features.

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