The 11th century castle at Ludlow is spectacular, surrounded by stone walls, and almost intact in a few places with a circular tower you can walk up (only 50-some steps, one quarter of the number at the Ludlow church) for some fantastic views of the town and rolling green countryside with sheep dotting pastures.
As part of our sentimental journey/tour of charming country homes, Jemima drove us along narrow curvy roads lined with hedges to Presteigne, on the welsh border, where we dropped by her family’s former ancestral home that is now a public property showcasing artwork by Sidney Nolan. I visited what was known as The Rodd and the nearby Little Rodd about 40 years ago when it was a private home in Mima’s family. Still spectacular.
On the way back to Ludlow, we stopped briefly in the “black and white town” of Pembridge (so called due to its abundance of white stucco with black timber framed buildings) and then onto an enormous old farmhouse mansion in Herefordshire (near Shropshire) where my friend’s sister lives. Dinner was back in Ludlow at CSons, overlooking the river.
Before leaving town today, we loaded up on sandwiches and florentines at Watsons, the bakery in town (there was a line out the door) and then took one last walk through town, past the market and castle , down to the river and then back to Ludford and the bridge leading into Ludlow.
TakeBetsywithyou 