Ludlow

Ludlow sits on the edge of the Shropshire Hills, an area of outstanding natural beauty and spectacular countryside and is a perfect location for exploring the Shropshire and Welsh countryside. The town has an abundance of historical architecture and has around 500 listed buildings, and our holiday cottage is perfectly positioned to explore it all.  St Laurence’s Church is one of England’s finest churches and is a member of the Greater Churches Group.

Ludlow is vibrant and entertaining all year round.  The inner and outer baileys of the castle are used for numerous events each year, such as Ludlow Spring Festival (May), the famous Ludlow Food and Drink Festival (which takes place every September which sees people flock to the town to visit over 140 food and drink producers and to take part in the sausage, bread and ale trails - it truly is a food lovers’ utopia, and of course, not forgetting Ludlow Medieval Christmas Fayre (November). A number of locals open their garden gates for the Secret Gardens of Ludlow in June each year too – a popular fundraising event.

Ludlow provides everything you could need – great coffee shops, wonderful places for lunch and dinner, a good selection of pubs, a speciality wine merchant only yards from the gates of Ludlow Castle and next door is a gourmet chocolate shop with chocolate truffles to die for.  There are delicious delis for light bites and picnic treats, a speciality cheese shop championing local delicious artisan cheeses and award-winning Ludlow Brewery (located by the train station).  Ludlow has a range of small independent shops with a sprinkling of high-street chains too.  For the horse racing enthusiasts Ludlow Race Course is a popular National Hunt racecourse, just 2-miles north of Ludlow www.ludlowracecourse.co.uk

There are antique and collectors’ fairs, local produce markets, craft markets showcasing local artists, design-makers and artisan food producers from Shropshire. For events in Ludlow Castle and Ludlow and the surrounding area please visit the town’s What's On Guide.

Whitcliffe (20 minute walk from Charlie’s) gives you the famous view of Ludlow Castle, the Church and Ludlow’s historic town centre and beyond. Ludlow is a great base for exploring the nearby English Heritage and National Trust sites, such as; Berrington Hall, Croft Castle, Stokesay Castle, Eastnor Castle and Powys Castle.  Ludlow is also well positioned for day trips to Shrewsbury, Hereford, Worcester and Hay on Wye and with the train station just down the road – you could be in Cardiff in an hour and a half!  If walking is your passion, Mortimer Forest is just 1 mile west of Ludlow and The Malvern’s, Brecon Beacons, Offa’s Dyke, the Long Mynd and the Wye Valley, are all within an hour’s drive of Ludlow. Please see www.ludlow.org.uk/walking.html  for more information on Ludlow Walks.

Eating Out

Ludlow has many places to eat – too many to list individually, but there are Thai and Indian restaurants, a pizzeria, and a licenced sea food bar at the Fish House - all within walking distance of Charlie’s.  Many of the town's pubs offer very good pub food.  Bistro 7 serves great food in a relaxed atmosphere.  If fine dining is what you desire, then Mortimer’s (17 Corve Street) is for you, serving modern British/French food. If it’s a river view you are after, the Charlton Arms is situated on the iconic Ludford Bridge with a roof top terrace and spectacular views.  Talking of river views, the Green Café on Dinham Weir is a popular destination for locals as well as visitors and the adjacent Millennium Green is a perfect spot for a picnic underneath the cliff which the castle ruins sit upon.  The choice is endless……you will have to come back again to continue your experience!