"Oh, come you home of Sunday, When Ludlow streets are still, And Ludlow bells are calling,
To farm and lane and mill" A E Housman - A Shropshire Lad

Is it any wonder that A.E.Housman had his ashes brought back and interred at Ludlow church, for this is one of the loveliest places in the Marches. Take a look at the town from any direction and you cannot fail to notice the prominence of the castle, particularly when arriving by train from the Hereford direction.
Ludlow is built on a steep hill with the rivers Corve and Teme running around three of its sides, and has since earliest times been recognised as a strategic site. This Norman fortress, now an impressive ruin, crowns the hilltop looking out over the Welsh Marches as it has done

since being built in 1085 by Roger de Lacy, the henchman of the earl of Shrewsbury.
The castle was held by Royalist supporters in the English Civil War and suffered much damage at that time. Between then and the 19th century it fell into disrepair. However, since 1811 it has been in the hands of the Earls of Powys. It is open to the public and is the centre piece during the lively annual Ludlow Festival.
Ludlow is a very fashionable place to live these days and quite rightly so. Indeed it has been a sought-after place

since the wool days, when fortunes were made out of the sale of fleeces by diligent merchants.
Narrow medieval alleys contrast with wide Georgian streets, and elegant 18th century architecture rubs shoulders with half timbered Tudor buildings with leaning walls and steep pitched roofs. There are over four hundred listed buildings in Ludlow, and the original street layout, as planned in the 12th century is still distinguishable today.

Click here for some Ludlow Ghost Stories!

For more information about Ludlow and South Shropshire, or to receive a free brochure, please click on the logo above to visit the South Shropshire Tourist Information page