I think its an arum, I know it as lords&ladies or cuckoo pint, a wild flower

Agree with Pamg

you are spot on Pamg. I have them in my garden too. the leaf can be plain or splashed with black . They are a good woodland plant.

Arum maculatum is the native British species. The one with variegated leaves is a form of Arum italicum.
Both can be very invasive where suited ie my garden!

I wonder how it got its names and why two quite different ones.

Pamg

Both names 'lords & ladies' and 'cuckoopint' are based on the appearance of the plant in flower. Nudge, nudge, wink, wink.

'Pint' should be said to rhyme with 'mint' because it is short for 'pintle'.

They have the largest number of common names of any British plant. Almost all of them refer to the flowers phallic appearance.

Lovely red berries in autumn.

Ah, but poisonous.

Have a look inside the spathe (the hoody bit). Cut it open to reveal the inner parts, it's beautifully made. Insects are attracted to the spathe by the spadix (the sticky up phallic bit) and they fall in past a ring of soft bristles where they are then trapped to ensure the pollination of the flower. Clever stuff, and we think we're good inventors.

There arent so many about now, like all the other wild
flowers we knew as children, due to crop spraying.
I always enjoyed seeing them in early spring, meant
summer was on its way.

When we moved here 18 years ago, there was a small patch at the far end of our lane. It has taken that long but they have now spread almost a mile along the verges, almost reaching us.

I'd happily have them spread into our garden...

The bottom of my garden used to have an old field boundary hedge (until the wretched developers got hold of the land!) and I think all the cuckoo pintles in my garden originated from there. I do leave a few each year, but they are definitely increasing!
Another plant which I think came from the same place is garlic mustard or Jack-by-the-hedge. I have loads of it and always leave some in odd corners or along the fence for the orange tip butterfly larvae. It is quite a stately plant and easy enough to pull up before it seeds.

I have a lot that are increasing year on year. I dig the corms out regularly but they keep on coming.

Many thanks, everyone! I knew I could rely on GoYers to answer my Shropshire host's question!

... Out on a search for wild garlic, next! (or is it too late for this?)