Why the road through the Hope Valley road was closed to traffic while I was in Shropshire

I went to Bishop's Castle twice while I was on holiday in Shrewsbury. Because the A488 through the Hope Valley was closed, the buses were diverted via the road that runs through the villages of Snailbeach and Stiperstones - hairpin bends and all.

This video shows what was happening in the Hope Valley. The road there was laid out in the 1830s, and heavy lorries have been taking an increasing toll of it in recent years. Heather Kidd, the local councillor who appears in it, is the Liberal Democrat leader of Shropshire Council.

A page from UK Fossils tells you what is so interesting about the geology of the Hope Valley. The woods in the valley are, of course, known for their media-savvy dormice.