I visited a thriving 'dog-walking village' 15 minutes from Telford and was met with friendly faces and wagging tails
A short detour off the A5 led me to a village far livelier and friendlier than I ever expected.
It's not very often that I have no experience whatsoever of a town or village on my list for this weekly excursion to local towns and villages.
But my only experience of the small South Staffordshire village of Wheaton Aston is passing the sign pointing off the A5 between Telford and Cannock.
For the few minutes after I turned off Watling Street and drove down the quiet country lane towards the unknown, I pictured a handful of houses centred around a village hall - or, if they were really lucky, a pub.
How surprising it was then to see a fully fledged townlet appear out of the autumnal-tinted agricultural landscape. My second surprise came moments later in the form of not just one, but two village pubs.
Despite its location in the heart of the Staffordshire countryside, the 2,600 or so residents of Wheaton Aston and the surrounding hamlets are well served by amenities including a medical practice, a garage, a hairdresser's, a barbershop, two convenience stores and - of course - a village hall.
