WHAT ARE THE TOP TOURISTS SPOTS IN LUDLOW?

Ludlow Visitor Information Centre

Ludlow Visitor Information Centre is manned by a team of dedicated volunteers. They’ve recently opened their new HQ at Ludlow Assembly Rooms close to the town centre so you can pop in to get useful guides and maps (and then pop into Bill’s Kitchen next door to digest it all!).

Opening Hours

Monday – Friday: 10.00 – 16.00

Saturday: 10.00 – 18.00

Closed Sundays

email: admin@ludlowassemblyrooms.co.uk

Telephone: 01584 878 141

Ludlow Assembly Rooms

The Ludlow Assembly Rooms has reopened after a huge refurbishment and the box-office is open for ticket sales offering a wide range of culture, films and exhibitions. Tickets can be purchased in person or via the website. The box office hours are Monday-Saturday 11am – 2pm & 5 – 8pm.

Ludlow Broadgate & town walls

The Broadgate is the sole surviving medieval gate in Ludlow and dates back to the 13th century. You can approach from the town centre or climb up from the river via Lower Broad St. Next to the Broadgate is the Wheatsheaf pub under which is rumoured to be one of Ludlow’s oldest jails. The building is actually a listed home which featured in Country Life magazine in 2022.

The Castle walls were constructed in the early 13th Century and it is still possible to view long stretches around the town as well as the sites of the town’s original seven gates.

Ludlow Castle

At the heart of historic Ludlow, lies our 11th century Castle, it’s must-see on your visit to Ludlow, hosts festivals throughout the year, is an amazingly unique wedding venue, offers comfortable accommodation, a gift shop, the Castle Gallery and the fantastic Chapter 66 Café. It’s an attraction that appeals to all ages.

Our Top 3 reasons for visiting:

1. Importance: The castle was once the centre of administration for the council of the Marches of Wales, an area that covered all of modern Wales and most parts of Shropshire, Herefordshire, Worcestershire, Cheshire, and Gloucestershire
2. Access: the Castle is pushchair and wheelchair friendly although due to the natural topography of the grounds, some areas are inaccessible. Disabled toilets can be found in the Shop, outer area and Tea Rooms, baby changing facilities are provided in the Tea Rooms and the castle welcomes dogs on leads in both the grounds and the Tea Room’s Courtyard
3. Location: located in the centre of Ludlow, it’s just a short stroll to our famous market and fabulous independent shops, cafés and restaurants. A walk around the castle walls will take you down to the river and if you’re up for the challenge of climbing the towers, expect spectacular views across the Shropshire countryside.

Opening times vary from 10/11am-4/5pm and the castle does close infrequently for private events. No pre-booking required. Visit the Ludlow Castle Website for the latest updates. Admission, Adult (16yrs +) £8, Child (under 5 are free) £4.00, Family (2 x adults and up to 4 x children 5-16yrs) £21.00.

St Laurence’s Church

However you approach Ludlow, you can’t miss the imposing tower of St Laurence’s Church. Once you arrive in town, it’s a little harder to find but definitely worth a visit. The church is renowned for the famous 18th century Snetzler organ (originally installed in 1764), the Carillon bells, stained glass windows (including ‘one of the greatest mediaeval stained glass windows in the country’), the comper banner and the highly unusual medieval carvings of the misericords (mercy seats) in the chancel.

If you’re feeling brave, climb the tower that rises 135 feet (41 metres) to reach the highest point in Ludlow and you’ll be rewarded with a fantastic bird’s eye view of the medieval streets below and the beautiful hills beyond. And don’t forget to visit the wonderful Icon Coffee for freshly roasted coffee and delicious cakes. And pop into the brilliantly colourful gift Shop which champions ethically produced and fair trade items. If you’d like to find out more, read our latest article

The church is usually open daily throughout the year, 10am – 5pm, 11am – 5pm Sundays.

The Feathers Hotel

The iconic Feathers Hotel was built in 1619 by an attorney, Rees Jones and converted into a hotel by his grandson 50 years later. This grand old dame of Ludlow has been welcoming guests since 1670.

The building was listed Grade 1 in 1954 and has been described by architectural historian, Pevsner as ‘that prodigy of timber-framed houses’ and by the The New York Times as the ‘most handsome inn in the world’.

In 2018 The Crest Hotel Group took over the hotel and  embarked on a £2.7 million renovation. The Feathers’ English tearoom was re-opened in early 2019 and the restaurant,  Plume@Feathers opened in September 2019.

The Feathers is a dog friendly hotel.

Ludlow Market

Ludlow’s award winning market trades every Monday, Wednesday, Friday & Saturday all year round as well as every third Sunday for the Antiques & Flea market and the 2nd and 4th Thursday of every month for the Local Producers’ market.

For markets, events and a list of traders visit the Ludlow Market website

Ludlow Museum at the Buttercross

Ludlow Museum at the Buttercross, SY8 1AW. Open Every Week – Friday, Saturday and Sunday 10am-4pm. Bank Holiday Mondays 10am-4pm. Closed between Christmas Eve and New Years Day. Adults: £1.20 / Children under 16 years are free. For regular updates visit the website or  Facebook page

The Georgian Buttercross building is generally claimed as the centre of Ludlow. It was designed by William Baker and built in 1746 and as the name denotes, was originally used as a butter market.