Welcome to Ludlow & South Shropshire
And the market towns of Bishop’s Castle, Church Stretton, Clun, Cleobury Mortimer and Craven Arms.
Arguably the most diverse part of Shropshire, South Shropshire is where you will find the "Blue Remembered Hills" that Housman wrote about (Although there is an awful lot of green too) and Shropshire’s Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty – which says it all really.
Between the Shropshire Hills, and rivers and streams the six market towns and tiny hamlets are all waiting to be discovered. So where to start looking? Shropshire's gastronomic capital Ludlow, the Alpine like setting of Church Stretton, Bishop's Castle famed for its microbrewery, Cleobury Mortimer with its twisted spire, Craven Arms home of the Shropshire Mammoth and Clun (apparently the quietest place under the sun and immortalised by A.E.Housman). Each has their own unique charm and character. But all offer real shopping in proper shops, friendly pubs and inns offering local food and drink. You will even find that some have lively street markets, antique markets, specialist food shops, art and craft galleries.
A legacy of a more turbulent past there are castles at Clun, Ludlow and Stokesay - a 13th Century fortified manor house said to be so beautiful that when attacked no-one could bring themselves to destroy it.
Visit the Historic Farm at Acton Scott (of TV Victorian Farm fame) with a working millstone, horse ploughing and butter making, meet the Shropshire Mammoth at the Shropshire Hills Discovery Centre at Craven Arms. A spell spent in the nearby Land of Lost Content Museum may bring back memories of a not so past age. The Judges Lodgings are well worth a visit or just indulge your senses at Burford House Gardens with its national collection of clematis.
Only a short drive away are Shrewsbury, Shropshire’s county town, with its medieval buildings and the World Heritage Site of Ironbridge and Blists Hill Victorian Town, Bridgnorth and Much Wenlock are well worth a visit.
