Ludlow is in Shropshire. It is a typical English market town, and has been described as probably the loveliest town in England by Sir John Betjemen.

Get in

There are trains from nearby Shrewsbury and Hereford, as well as from further afield including Manchester and Cardiff, or you can get there by car or bus. The town is situated on the A49 road, which bypasses the town. To get to it from the east (for example from Birmingham) you can take the A4117 from Bewdley.

Get around

Ludlow is quite small, and its centre consists of medieval streets, so getting around by foot is suggested, although to visit many of the surrounding areas of beauty and villages, a car will be necessary, as public transport in rural England is generally sporadic.

The town centre is situated on a small hill, but once you're there it's largely flat ground. There is a small car park in the town centre itself, at Castle Street, otherwise there are two larger car parks a short walk away at Upper Galdeford (by the Co-op supermarket) and Lower Galdeford (the old Smithfield). Parking fees apply Monday-Sunday at these car parks and also on-street in the centre. Parking is free between 18:00 and 08:00.

See

• You can see many fine examples of historical architecture in Ludlow, from its grand St Laurence's church to a magnificently restored late medieval house on Castle Square, open to the public.
• Ludlow Castle, Castle Square, SY8 1AY, ☏ +44 1584 874465, fax: +44 1584 874465, info@ludlowcastle.com. As is typical of medieval English castles, dating from as early as the Norman invasion of 1066, it has had a rich and interesting history, particularly being involved with the Wars of the Roses and Tudor royalty. 
• St Laurence's Church (Tucked away from the main streets, can be reached by walking round either side of the Church Inn, behind the Buttercross.). Shropshire's largest parish church and described as the 'cathedral of the Marches'. You can climb the tower for £3. Otherwise entry is free. 

Do

• Overlooked by the castle and the church, the River Teme in Ludlow is also nice to see. In the summer, you can hire boats and row along the river, under the shade of some trees.
• Ludlow market is sells a wide range of foods and local products, and runs on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays in Castle Square
• Ludlow festival runs each year in June and July and has a wide programme of events, including a Shakespeare play performed in the castle grounds.
• Ludlow Assembly Rooms hosts films and various plays, workshops and performances.
• Ludlow Medieval Christmas Fayre (Ludlow Medieval Christmas Fayre), Ludlow Castle. Saturday 28 & Sunday 29 November 2009

Savour the sights and sounds of a medieval fayre in the glorious setting of Ludlow Castle 

Buy

• Ludlow has a number of small independent food shops - including both old fashioned butchers and bakers, and more specialist shops selling up-market, unusual or health foodstuffs.
• The independent bookshop on Castle Square comes highly recommended, although it is small.
• Bodenhams is a well-regarded, family-run clothes shop situated at the top of Broad Street, and has been operating since 1860 making it one of the oldest clothes shops in Britain.
• Again, Ludlow market. There are additional specialist markets held on some Thursdays and Sundays.
• A wide list of shops and businesses in Ludlow is available here - [1].

Eat

Ludlow recently had the highest number of Michelin starred restaurants anywhere in England outside of London. There is only one such restaurant currently in the town - Mr Underhills. Nevertheless, Ludlow is bursting with nice looking places to eat, and probably the most rewarding thing to do is to walk around (it's really not that big) until you find something you fancy. Walking just outside the centre is worth it though, as there's a tiny, but delightful, Japanese restaurant towards the bottom of Old Street, called Koo.

• Koo, 127 Old Street, SY8 1NU, ☏ +44 1584 878462. 

Drink

Just like places to eat, Ludlow has many pubs.

• Church Inn, The Buttercross, SY8 1AW (Located right by St Laurence's church), ☏ +44 1584 872174. A long-time entry in the CAMRA Good Beer Guide. Serves food. 
• The Queens, 113 Lower Galdeford, SY8 1RU (From the town centre, head along Tower Street.), ☏ +44 1584 879177. Beer garden. Good food. 

Ludlow also has its own brewery, which is open to the public during the day, located close to the town's railway station and Tesco supermarket, off Corve Street.

Sleep

• Ludlow is a small and quiet town, and so does lack cheap accommodation. There is a Travelodge located at Foldgate, on the A49 bypass about 1 mile east from the town centre.
• Ludlow tourist board offers a fairly comprehensive list of places to stay [2]

• The Bringewood, Burrington, SY8 2HT, ☏ +44 1568 770033, neil@thebringewood.co.uk. Check-in: 14:00, check-out: 11:00. Renovated Victorian farm buildings (est. 2006) in 250 acres of beautiful English countryside. 11 ensuite rooms with modern touches blended in with the traditional building. Unique accommodation for people who want something different. With 2 lounge areas to relax and enjoy the stunning views or the large wood burning stove to keep you warm during the winter. Restaurant offers high quality meals in an atmosphere and caters for intimate meals for 2 as well as weddings, civil ceremonies, business conferences, private functions, team building days and corporate events. Near the market town of Ludlow; famous for its Michelin star restaurants, Shakespearean plays, food fairs and local farm produce. £75+. 

Go next

• Around the Ludlow area are many places of great natural beauty, and the hills of Shropshire are great for walkers or cyclists. Try the Wyre Forest[3] which has a number of different walks for people of different abilities, and also sculptures etc handily placed on the paths to stop it from getting boring. You could also try walking around Clee Hill, which has great views of Shropshire, Herefordshire, Worcestershire and beyond.
• 1 Stokesay Castle, Nr Craven Arms, SY7 9AH, ☏ +44 1588 672544. adults £6.20, children £3.70, concessions £5.60. 
• Ironbridge is a great place for a day out (The Tar Tunnel is recommended.)
• Visit nearby Craven Arms[4] to go to the Shropshire Hills discovery centre or Acton Scott historic working farm. Both are great for children.
• A number of larger towns with many things to do in them are within driving distance of Ludlow - Shrewsbury, Worcester, Birmingham, to name a few.
• For a more complete list of local attractions, Ludlow has a good tourist information centre, located on Castle Square.