Ludlow was described as “the loveliest town in England” by the late Poet Laureate, Sir John Betjeman, and for many this still holds true today. It’s a few miles from the Welsh border and surrounded by excellent walking country. The Shropshire Hills, including the Long Mynd and Stiperstones, are a few miles to the north. The fine town castle sits high above the River Teme and was built in AD1080–90, a few years after the Conquest, by Walter de Lacy as defence against the Welsh. Now owned by the Earl of Powis, it is well worth a visit. For 500 years, Ludlow’s main industry was the wool trade and at one stage there were eleven mills on the fast-flowing Teme. The increasing prosperity of the town is reflected in its many fine buildings and large parish church.
[1] Start in front of the castle facing the market square.
(A) The large stone house on the right (corner of Mill Street) is Castle Lodge. Note the 16th / 17th century timber-framed upper storey.
(B) On the opposite corner of Mill Street are the Assembly Rooms, built in 1840. This is where the gentry would hold balls, card parties etc. when the town became a fashionable centre.
Continue across Market Square. At the far end of the square, continue along the narrow pedestrian street on the left.
[2] Turn left into College Street and then right at the church.
(C) On the left, opposite the church are Hosier's Almshouses. Founded by John Hosier, a wealthy merchant who died in 1461, to house 33 poor people. Rebuilt for the Corporation in 1758. Note the Ludlow coat of arms on the pediment.
(D) St. Laurence's Church: One of the largest and finest parish churches in England, it is built of local red sandstone. The present structure was completed in the 14th & 15th centuries to reflect the prosperity of the town, as a result of the flourishing wool trade. Note the memorial plaque to the poet AE Housman, who wrote 'A Shropshire Lad'. The interior is well worth a visit for its woodwork, stained glass, misericords and monuments.
(E) The Reader's House, opposite the church's east end, is a late medieval stone building which housed the boys' Grammar School in the late 15th century. The fine timber-framed porch was added in 1616.
[3] Go through the archway and down the steps to Bull Inn Yard.
The Bull is the oldest inn in Ludlow in continuous use.
(F) Across street is Ludlow's most famous building, The Feathers Hotel, which was built in 1619 but didn't become an inn until 1670.
Continue up the street and turn right into King Street (watch for traffic behind you!) and then left into Broad Street.
(G) The Buttercross, built 1743-46 is a fine stone structure where dairy products were sold in the open loggia. The town council has its offices in the upper rooms.
[4] Proceed down Broad Street towards the Gate, noting the many fine town houses.
(H) The Broad Gate is the last survivor of Ludlow's seven medieval gates, probably completed c1270. Despite considerable later rebuilding, the original structure of two drum towers flanking a central passage remains. As you walk through, note the groove for the portcullis. You are now in Lower Broad Street which was the centre of cloth working in the Middle Ages. This area was largely destroyed by fire in the Civil War so the houses are mostly 17th century or later.
[5] Cross Ludford Bridge – parts of the structure are medieval. Walk past the Charlton Arms and turn right past some cottages and up the steps onto Whitcliffe Common. Continue along, then down natural stone steps to the riverside walk.
[6] Soon the castle and the town's other bridge, Dinham Bridge (1830) come into view. Turn right over the bridge and left into Linney. Take the path on the right up through the trees beneath the castle walls. At the top, continue in the same direction, taking the next path right to return to the start by the castle entrance.