Шропширдың Ұзын Тауы (Long Mynd)

Heath and moorland plateau in Shropshire, England
the Long Mountain on the western border of Shropshire

The Long Mynd (Cefn Hirfynydd) is a heath and moorland plateau that forms part of the Shropshire Hills in Shropshire, England. The high ground, which is common land and designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, lies between the Stiperstones range to the west and the Stretton Hills and Wenlock Edge to the east. Much of it is owned by the National Trust, and is managed by the Longmynd Commoners. The Long Mynd is approximately 7 mile (11 km) long by 3 mile (5 km) wide, and is broadly characterised by steep valleys on its eastern flanks, and a long slope to the western side rising in a steep escarpment. In its vicinity are the principal settlements of Church Stretton, Little Stretton and All Stretton, Pulverbatch, Smethcott, Woolstaston, Asterton, Myndtown, Wentnor and Ratlinghope. The highest point on the Long Mynd is Pole Bank (1693 feet (516 m)); this and the adjacent hill of Caer Caradoc (1506 feet (459 m)) are classed as Marilyns.

The name Long Mynd means "long mountain", the second element being Brittonic in origin. In modern Welsh it is named Mynydd Hir , which has the same meaning, or Cefn Hirfynydd, meaning "long mountain ridge".

There is pollen evidence to show that trees began to be replaced by grass on the plateau of the Long Mynd from the Bronze Age over 2,000 years ago and written evidence of organised management as a grazed common from the 13th century over 700 years ago. The Longmynd commoners’ ponies and sheep grazed here are hardy animals and are well adapted to the harsh conditions of life on the hill. They graze selectively and very close to the ground, leaving patches of long vegetation which benefits insects and small mammals. This grazing pattern has resulted in a special ecology and the Long Mynd Common is therefore designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest. To enhance the ecology the Longmynd commoners have, since 1999 been in an environmental stewardship scheme that also supports sustainable farming practices.

The Bronze Age period is by far the most recorded period of time on the Long Mynd. There are dozens of tumuli on the moorland. Some are small, the remains of chamber tombs for example. Others are quite large, the sites on the Long Mynd, from the Bronze Age, include dykes, cross ridge dykes and barrows. Barristers Plain Cross Ridge Dyke runs southwest to northeast, almost in a straight line for It runs across the narrowest area of a ridge between Grindle Hill and Round Hill. The remains of the dyke is now covered in heather, and is approximately wide, and is high. On its western side it is fronted by a wide ditch. At both ends of the Cross Ridge Dyke, it fades into the steep hillside. A gap in the dyke, from the south east end, is thought to make room for a trackway along the ridge. Its purpose was to cut off Grindle Hill from the main plateau, and to create a barrier for access from the west. Devil's Mouth Cross Ridge Dyke lies between Cardingmill Valley and Townbrook Valley. The dyke is long, but is cut though by the Burway road and a small car park, of the dyke is now missing. Both ends of the dyke end on steep slopes! It was built with stone and earth, and is wide, and high, with shallow ditches either side. It is roughly 1,500 years old. It was probably built to control the access along the ancient east to west route, which still crosses the Long Mynd today by means of a modern road. High Park Cross Ridge Dyke, another dyke on the Long Mynd. At it is the longest on the Long Mynd. It is approximately wide, but in areas survives only as a crop mark. The highest point of the dyke, on the west side of the bank, stands at high, and reaches its widest point at A trackway, like that found on Barristers Plain Cross Ridge Dyke, cuts through the dyke. Of the Long Mynd Barrows, over twenty scatter the plateau. The best examples are in the northern area of the Long Mynd. Robin Hood's Butts barrow, near Duckley Nap, are two well known barrows, and the largest on the Long Mynd, being approximately in diameter and high. The Shooting Box Barrow is named after a grouse shooting hut that stood on the site until it was removed in 1992. It is the only known example of a disc barrow in Shropshire. in diameter and high, it is in the centre of a flat circular enclosure in diameter, the edge of which is defined by a wide bank, which has been partially destroyed by a modern path. It had been dated to 1950–1700 BC. The Port Way is an ancient trackway, which runs the length of the Long Mynd massif, and is the largest historical feature on the Long Mynd, at just over 5 mile (8 km) long. It is still walked today, and is part of the Shropshire Way, and a road that goes to the Gliding Club. A common misconception is that it goes over Pole Bank, but instead it bypasses the hill, following its contours.

Very little Iron Age human activity has been recorded on the Long Mynd. However, this later period has a specific ancient site. Bodbury Ring Hill Fort, a hill fort above Cardingmill Valley, and sits on the top of Bodbury Hill at This feature dates from the Iron Age, 500 BC, and is therefore much later than other ancient sites on the Long Mynd. Another hill fort nearby sits on the summit of Caer Caradoc. Bodbury Ring is now looked after by the National Trust.

During the 18th century, Church Stretton began to grow in the wide valley between the Long Mynd and Caer Caradoc, as a market town, and later a spa. Historically the town was known for its textiles, specifically in Cardingmill Valley. Carding Mill was built in the 18th century, and named after a stage in making cloth, the three stages being carding, spinning and weaving. Carding would have been done by children, and involved using a hand card that removed and untangled short fibres from the mass of raw material. The cards were wooden blocks with handles and covered in metal spikes, which were angled, (to make it easier to untangle) and set in leather. When untangled, the material would be spun, and then weaved into the final product. The mill is still in the valley today, but has been converted into luxury apartments.

The Long Mynd Hotel in Church Stretton was built in 1901, originally as the Hydro, at a time when the town was popular as a spa. A large area of the Long Mynd (almost all its upland area) was bought by the National Trust in 1965, and was designated an AONB as part of the Shropshire Hills in 1958.

Long Mynd is part of the Shropshire Hills designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and is a popular tourist destination, particularly due to the many footpaths, varied terrain and impressive scenery and views. Two major footpaths are the Shropshire Way and the Jack Mytton Way. The Long Mynd's open spaces make it a popular place for horse riding and mountain biking on the bridleways. Carding mill Valley is the busiest location as it is home to the National Trust's centre for the area. The windward slopes to the west are popular with glider, hang glider and paraglider pilots. In winter some valley slopes become makeshift ski slopes, but Long Mynd can be treacherous in severe weather, and has claimed many lives. In 2015 snow gates were installed at various points of access onto the Long Mynd, to deter motorists planning to use the routes in wintry conditions. The Longmynd Hike is a 50 mile (80 km) competitive race that crosses over the Long Mynd twice and must be completed in under 24 hours. It has been running since 1967 and takes place annually, usually on the first weekend in October. There is a golf course, the Church Stretton Golf Club, located near the Cardingmill Valley, on the slopes of Stanyeld Hill and Bodbury Hill. The clubhouse is at approximately above sea level and the hilly links course rises up to around 375 m (1,230 ft). It is the oldest 18 hole golf course in Shropshire, opened in 1898, and one of the highest in the country. Cycle racing's British National Hill Climb Championship was held on the Burway, the road ascending the Long Mynd from Church Stretton, in 1989. The title was won by Chris Boardman, the second of his four National Hill Climb titles, who went on to win a gold medal at the 1992 Summer Olympics and have a successful professional cycling career.

The Long Mynd has been home to the Midland Gliding Club since 1934. The club owns of land on the south end and flies gliders there throughout the year. It runs residential training courses and offers members of the public trial lesson flights. Many long flights have started from the Long Mynd, most recently one of during the summer of 2007. The gliding club is one of the few remaining clubs in Europe to regularly launch gliders by bungee. One early distinguished past member was Amy Johnson, from 1937 to 1939.

Historical grazing rights are held by the Long Mynd Commoners who graze sheep and ponies on the land. The grazing livestock slow the invasion of trees by pushing into the scrub and bracken helping to create and maintain the heath. They also graze in the pools, eating the pondweed and consequently there is a healthy population of brown trout (Salmo trutta) and otter (Lutra lutra). Tree pipit (Anthus trivialis) and red grouse (Lagopus lagopus scotica) are found here as well as the recent arrival of the grayling butterfly (Hipparchia semele).

The Revd E. D. Carr's A Night in the Snow describes his experience, in 1865, of surviving a winter's night on the Long Mynd when attempting to walk home after conducting a Sunday service and visiting an isolated parishioner. He spent 23 hours struggling to force a route to safety. The Long Mynd features in literature in the poetry of A. E. Housman, the novels of Mary Webb (in particular Gone to Earth), Malcolm Saville's Lone Pine series for children, and Sheena Porter's The Knockers (1965).