Ludlow
Wenlock Priory
Ludlow Castle
Stokesay Castle
Stokesay Castle
Stokesay Castle
Wenlock Priory
Ludlow Castle
Stokesay Castle
Ludlow Castle
Dinham Bridge Ludlow
Ludlow
Stokesay Castle
Croft Castle in Yarpole
Haughmond Abbey
Clun Castle
Haughmond Abbey
Walled Garden, Croft Castle
Pretty Ludlow and its castle
Atmospheric Feathers Hotel in Ludlow
Haughmond Abbey & Much Wenlock Priory
Stokesay, Clun and Croft Castles
Talks from both Julian Humphrys and Dr Elizabeth Norton
This superb new tour based in lovely Ludlow at the atmospheric Feathers Hotel includes some of Shropshire’s most interesting sights including four castles, two historic towns with walking tours, an abbey, a priory, two churches and a battlefield – all brought to life by your expert historian hosts, Julian Humphrys and Dr Elizabeth Norton, who will also deliver an illiuminating and entertaining lecture each.
Available Departures |
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| 15 - June - 2025 | £ 829.00 | Travel Info Book Now |
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Provisional Timings |
Day 1: Arrive independently at the Feathers Hotel, Ludlow from 15.00. This evening there will be a welcome reception, private dinner with wine and a talk by expert Julian Humphrys – “The Welsh Marches”.
Day 2: Ludlow - on foot
Ludlow is a thriving medieval market town and an architectural gem. The historic town centre is situated on a cliff above the River Teme and is surrounded by the beautiful countryside of south Shropshire and the Welsh Marches - the England-Wales borderlands. Today we have a guided walking tour of this ancient town with Julian and Elizabeth, including St Laurence's Church and Ludlow Castle. Time will be allowed for lunch at one of the many cafes and restaurants in this foodie town (not included). This evening dinner at the hotel and a talk by historian Dr Elizabeth Norton - "Shropshire Life through the Wars of the Roses and the Reformation".
Day 3: Stokesay, Clun and Croft Castles
Our first visit of the day is to Stokesay Castle, one of the finest fortified manor houses in England. Standing in a peaceful Shropshire valley near the Welsh border, Stokesay has survived remarkably intact since a leading wool merchant, Laurence of Ludlow, built it in the late 13th century. His fine fortified manor house was both comfortable and impressive, designed as a statement of his wealth and power. Today, barely touched by the passage of years, the castle offers a unique insight into life in medieval England. From here we’ll head to Clun for a light lunch at the White Horse before visiting Clun Castle. In stark contrast to the lavishness of Stokesay, just ruins and earthworks remain of Clun, a Welsh border castle founded shortly after the Norman invasion, but its colourful history will be brought to your life by your hosts. From here to another castle that is more about comfort than defence, Croft, a castellated 17th century manor house and home to the Croft family to this day. An intimate manor house, grounds, gardens and St Michael and All Angels Church make this a fascinating and enjoyable visit. Evening dinner at the hotel.
Day 4: Much Wenlock, St Mary Magdalene, Shrewsbury Battlefield and Haughmond Abbey
A packed day of variety starts with a visit to Much Wenlock and a guided walk in the capable hands of Julian and Elizabeth, including a visit to the tranquil ruins of the 12th century Priory. Free time for lunch (not included) in beautiful Much Wenlock before heading to the Church of St Mary Magdalene in the village of Battlefield, which stands in open countryside on the site of the ferocious Battle of Shrewsbury, which took place in 1403, in which Henry IV defeated Henry “Hotspur” Percy. Some 1600 men are said to have died in the battle and subsequently buried at the church. There will time to visit the Exhibition at Battlefield 1403, before continuing to the final visit of this varied and fascinating tour at Haughmond Abbey, a ruined 12th century Augustinian abbey close to Shrewsbury. Return to the hotel for approximately 17.30.
NB: Exact order of itinerary may vary according to local conditions and tour managers discretion.
Please note: Post tour extra nights are available at a supplement.
Please note the maximum group size on this tour is 40 passengers
Tour Grading: This tour has been graded as moderate due to the amount of walking between and around sites, and standing time for viewing. Please note Day 2 is spent all on foot in Ludlow including a 2 hour walking tour involving some uphill sections and some steps. Castle visits include uneven pathways, steps and no lifts, with not many places to sit and rest. Please visit the mobility page on our website, or call our team for more information.
INCLUDED
NOT INCLUDED
Feathers Hotel, Ludlow
The beautiful Feathers Hotel, a Grade I listed building with its authentic half-timbered façade, is a landmark building in the heart of beautiful Ludlow. Recently renovated and refurbished facilities here include bar, lounge, restaurant and comfortable bedrooms with all modern amenities including en-suite bathroom, TV, telephone, wifi and tea/coffee making facilities.
Car parking: Parking is available at the Feather’s Hotel private car park subject to availability and is chargeable at £7.50 per night, payable directly to the hotel. Alternatively parking may be found on the surrounding streets and Ludlow’s Galdeford Pay and Display car park which is approximately three minutes away.
Your Guide
Julian Humphrys
Julian read history at Emmanuel College, Cambridge, has worked at historical sites both in Britain and overseas and is now a trustee of the Battlefields Trust and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. He has a very infectious enthusiasm for history and has published numerous books on castles and battles. He currently leads more than a dozen tours for Travel Editions and imparts his extraordinary historical knowledge with wit and panache, making a tour led by him both an educational and entertaining experience.
Please note that all our UK tours start and finish at the relevant hotel.
You can normally check in from 3pm onwards but hotels will always be happy to store your luggage if you arrive earlier in the day.
For full details of how to get to the hotel, directions and the nearest train station, please click on the hotel website or call our office for details. These will also be sent automatically with your confirmation.
The welcome reception and first evening dinner / talk will commence at about 6pm - full details will be sent with your joining instructions about 10 days prior to the arrival date.
Review by Anonymous who travelled 18-October-2024
Review by Anonymous who travelled 06-October-2024
Review by Anonymous who travelled 18-October-2024
Travel Editions feedback:
We are very pleased to hear that the tour was such a success despite Julian not being there.
I should particularly like to commend the restaurant staff in the hotel. A team of energetic, cheerful and efficient young women who were very well led.
Review by Diamond who travelled 18-October-2024
Review by Anonymous who travelled 18-October-2024
Cannot speak too highly of Julian & Elizabeth - they made the tour come alive. The hotel was good, but the service in the restaurant (both for breakfast and dinner) was very, very slow - the first night it was 1 hour per course! Excellent coach driver and lovely new coach.
Review by Fulton who travelled 06-October-2024
Travel Editions feedback:
We are very pleased d that the tour was such a success with Julian and Elizabeth but sorry to hear that service was so slow and we will speak with the hotel about this.
As always Julian was excellent, informative and entertaining. The hotel was very good indeed , we were impressed by the variety offered for the evening dinners. So often on a group tour menus are bland but interesting options were available each evening.
Review by Lord who travelled 06-October-2024
An excellent tour which was enhanced by having two very knowledgeable historians as tour guides. The hotel was very atmospheric and comfortable with very good food and friendly staff. A highly recommended tour!
Review by Stephens who travelled 06-October-2024
Julian was excellent as always and Elizabeth is very knowledgeable but my husband could not hear her well which was frustrating, also cut down the length of the visit to Croft Castle as it made the evening very rushed.
Review by Tuck who travelled 06-October-2024
Travel Editions feedback:
We are pleased that the tour was a success with Julian and Elizabeth but sorry that your husband was not able to hear some of the commentary and that you felt the evening rushed after Croft Castle.
Ludlow is beautiful and historic, plus the bonus of having two eminent historians feeding us information made the tour extra special.
Review by Anonymous who travelled 06-October-2024
Excellent trip overall, Elizabeth and Julian make an excellent double act! Hotel very comfortable (a building that age is going to have creaky floors) and service very efficient (especially Grace) and great breakfast selection. Slight shame Much Wenlock was on a Wed when most shops and museum were closed.
Review by Thrussell who travelled 06-October-2024
Travel Editions feedback:
We are delighted that the tour was such a success with Julian and Elizabeth. Your feedback about the visit to Much Wenlock is noted and we will look at this.
We thoroughly enjoyed our holiday and both our tour managers were excellent and knowledgeable. My friend, in particular, found the amount of standing to listen to commentary was at times rather long, even though it was very interesting. We wondered if more information could be given on the coach so that not as much was necessary at the sites. The staff at the hotel were friendly and helpful, but we felt that the dining room staff were not experienced in dealing with a large group, and food and plates at the breakfast buffet often ran out and had to be asked for as the staff hadn't noticed. It may be that the hotel was short staffed, or that some staff were new and still not fully trained. We were also surprised that there wasn't any choice over the evening meal, and that we didn't know until that evening what we were going to be eating. The food itself was very good. We would have liked a bit more storage space in our rooms - either wider drawers or some shelves. Only minor points. Generally an excellent holiday - as interesting as we had hoped it would be.
Review by Astall who travelled 16-June-2024
Travel Editions feedback:
We are delighted that the tour was a success overall and your comments are noted.
Overall a lovely tour. Some of the walking was more difficult than expected. Hotel was charming but although a lift to 1st floor there were lots of stairs to encounter to get to our room. The evening meals were not well balanced and would benefit from some adjustment - steak pie followed by sticky toffee pudding a bit heavy and prawn starter followed by fish caused not the best for those not keen on fish. Looking forward to our next trip.
Review by Giles who travelled 16-June-2024
Travel Editions feedback:
We are delighted that the tour was a success. Your comments about the dinners are noted and we will review this with the hotel. We look forward to you joining us on our In Search of Old Suffolk Tour in October.
Extremely good tour with excellent guides who gave a lot of insightful information regarding the subject. We self drove to Ludlow and parked at the Hotel which was a very old & historic one and was fascinating to stay in. We really enjoyed this tour and would recommend it but to bear in mind that there is a lot of walking and standing quite often on uneven surfaces.
Review by Ramsay who travelled 16-June-2024
An excellent tour with knowledgeable guides. The hotel was comfortable and welcoming. The group meals were a bit unbalanced, a fish starter and fish main course on one day and a pie and sponge pudding on another. They would have benefitted from being a bit more varied but they were cooked well and nicely presented. The waiting staff seemed a bit confused at times, but it turned out that many of them were new in post. This tour was excellent value for money.
Review by Murrish who travelled 16-June-2024
Travel Editions feedback:
We are delighted that the tour was a success. Your comments about the group meals are noted and we will be speaking to them regarding future groups.
Review by Anonymous who travelled 16-June-2024
Review by Brown who travelled 16-June-2024
Whilst The Feathers Hotel at Ludlow was very comfortable, the food should have been better. There was no choice at dinner and no fresh fruit or vegetables at either breakfast or dinner.
Review by Price who travelled 16-June-2024
Travel Editions feedback:
We are delighted that the tour was a success. Your comments are noted though and we will review this.
Perhaps somewhere to sit for the longer talks on site would be helpful.
Review by Moss who travelled 16-June-2024
Julian and Elizabeth were a great pair of leaders with masses of information between them making this a very enjoyable trip, highly recommended. The only slight down point was that the meals at the hotel were not very balanced.
Review by Barker who travelled 16-June-2024
Travel Editions feedback:
We are delighted that the tour was a success and that Julian and Elizabeth made it so enjoyable. Your comments about the meals at the hotel are noted.
Good choice to use the Feathers hotel, but on occasions, particularly breakfast, only one person was doing check in, tea/coffee bringing, taking food order and serving it. Later a breakfast time slot system was attempted. Our bedroom was very pleasant and serviced daily.
Review by Tyler who travelled 16-June-2024
Travel Editions feedback:
We are pleased that you enjoyed the tour but your comments about breakfast are noted. We look forward to seeing you on tour again in September.
