Did you know?
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1.Ludlow has a reputation for the quality of its food and drink with many excellent restaurants and cafes encouraged by the area’s abundance of quality food and drink producers. This is showcased every September when the town is filled with food lovers from all over the UK and beyond for the Ludlow Food & Drink Festival.
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2.Shropshire is unusual in that it doesn’t have a single city within its boundaries. Its county town is ancient Shrewsbury while its industrial heart lies in the newer and more urbanised Telford district.
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3.Henry VIII’s elder brother Prince Arthur has his heart buried in a silver casket beneath the chancel of St Lawrence’s Church in Ludlow. The rest of him is buried in some style at Worcester Cathedral. Arthur was travelling with his new wife, Catherine of Aragon, to Wales when he fell ill – possibly the terminal stages of TB – in Ludlow.
Ludlow Area
Surrounding Villages
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LeintwardineSet in the heart of the Marches on the Herefordshire and Shropshire borders, once the site of a significant Roman settlement, today Leintwardine is a thriving village with ever increasing popularity. The village amenities include a local butcher, fantastic village shop, petrol station, two busy pubs, a primary school, library, doctor’s surgery, and an excellent fish & chip shop!
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Tenbury WellsTenbury Wells is a small ancient market town situated in the very north west of Worcestershire on the River Teme. Tenbury had ‘Wells’ added to its name in the mid 19th century to help promote the mineral water wells that had been found in the town.
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Bishops CastleA market town in the south west of Shropshire approximately 1.5 miles east of the Welsh border. The town is within a thriving agricultural area and has also become known for its alternative community including artists, musicians, writers and craftspeople. The surrounding area is hillwalking country with the long distance footpath, the Shropshire Way, running through the town and Offa’s Dyke only a few miles to the west.
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ClunClun is a small town in south west Shropshire and the Shropshire Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty which is full of history. Clun takes its name from the river upon whose banks it stands and was on the historic drove road where flocks and herds were driven from Wales to the markets in the Midlands and London.
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Cleobury MortimerOne of the smallest towns in Shropshire, and usually referred to as just ‘Cleobury', Cleobury Mortimer is nestled between the Clee Hills (Titterstone Clee and Brown Clee Hill) and the Wyre Forest, with panoramic views and wonderful walks in Cleobury Country surrounding it. Hugh de Mortimer was granted a market charter by Henry III in 1226, and then 'in perpetuity' in 1227.
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Church StrettonNicknamed ‘Little Switzerland’ due to its rolling green hills, Church Stretton is identified as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. However Church Stretton is not just a pretty face, it offers plenty of fantastic walking, horse-riding and cycling spots, as well as plenty of restaurants and leisure facilities.
Lifestyle
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Shopping
Shropshire’s traditional market towns remain the backbone of local life, carrying their prime function into the modern day.
Fresh food and homemade crafts are regularly sold at markets across the county. One of Ludlow’s strengths is its wide and varied range of independently owned shops including Ludlow Food Centre.
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Eating
CSONS at The Green Café
A worldwide inspired cafe restaurant that uses the best locally sourced produce. Located next to historic Dinham Bridge and the weir.
Old Downton Lodge Restaurant
Listing in Michelin Guide since 2015 with evolving monthly menus, including A La Carte as well as a tasting menu. Fine dining in romantic, sophisticated surroundings.
Mortimers, Ludlow
This 16C townhouse restaurant is named after a local forest. It boasts plenty of character in its design and concise set menus with a personal touch.
Smokehouse Deli and Cicchetti Bar, Ludlow
A steady favourite with locals and visitors, Ludlow’s shoe-boxed sized Cicchetti bar is a king of tapas with an Italian edge.
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Drinking
The Lion, Leintwardine
Named the Best Pub in Shropshire in the National Pub and Bar Awards, The Lion is set in stunning surroundings in the picturesque village of Leintwardine.
Ludlow Brewery
Located in a specially converted railway shed which has been fully refurbished, Ludlow Brewery produces award winning high quality ales right in the heart of the beautiful town of Ludlow. The Brewery is a cafe-bar open to the public, hosting a variety of events including live music, and brewery tours.
The Charlton Arms, Ludlow
An award winning, independently owned and family run pub offering delicious home-made food, situated on the iconic Ludford Bridge.
The Blue Boar, Ludlow
Throughout its more than 300 year history, this pub is a place to meet friends and make new ones. The Sitting Room upstairs at The Blue Boar is ‘Ludlow’s quirky little secret’.
Travel
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Trains
The region is linked via the mainline Cardiff to Manchester which provides excellent connections to Birmingham and London and the rest of the country.
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Other transport
A good regional road network provides links to the area’s main towns and beyond to the national motorway network with the M50 in Herefordshire, M5 in Worcestershire and M54 in Shropshire.