TakeBetsywithyou

Medieval church with a vicar/barista, Market, shops – Ludlow, England

betsyrubiner

Nov 10

How lucky to have a friend from London who moved to Ludlow, a beautiful medieval 11th century town, in the Midlands, just east of Wales in Shropshire. And where else would you find an ancient parish church, St. Laurence’s, with a 201-step circular tower that leads up to the top, with spectacular views of the town’s castle…and that has a cafe inside with vicars trained as baristas? Also a very nice gift shop, as well as stunning stained glass windows. (More on the famous castle to come…)

Lots to see and good shopping, with an outdoor market on Thursday with local cheese (Cheshire!), bread and sausage. Among the lovely shops, a butcher (a favorite of Jemima’s sweet pup Winston), the Index bindery with gorgeous leather and marbled paper found books, and the Silver Pear. Amidst the medieval timbered buildings (some with 18th century Georgian brick and stucco front), are some lovely pubs. I finally found a ploughman’s lunch at The Blue Boar pub, as well as an excellent sausage plate, with three sausages, fried eggs chips and peas. We also enjoyed drinks at another pub, the Wheatsheaf inn.

Beautiful narrow lanes with cobble stone and brick pavement are lined with pretty cottages and the occasional shop. We walked across an old stone bridge to the neighboring village of Ludford, with its smaller, beautiful church, graveyard and several timbered homes, then along the river which was rushing with water (no otters sighted yet but they’re in there!) Jemima tells me Lud means water and ford means crossing and lowe” means “sound” in old English.