Day Thirty – Monday, 11 June 2012

Ludlow – Oxford

Accommodation – Gables Guesthouse, Oxford

Weather –overcast morning and then rain, rain, rain

Temperature – 11 degrees

After breakfast we wandered up to The Parish Church of St Laurence, Ludlow which is at the centre of the town.  It has been on this site since the 11^th century and retains a significant amount of the original structure including the wonderful The Lady Chapel built in 1199.  The stained glass was put in place in 1330.  Another chapel, St Catherine Chapel was built in the 14^th century and has a very interesting memorial to Dame Lady Eure which was placed there in 1612.

I think Dame Lady Eure must have been quite a character!

The carvings behind the altar - exquisite.

The bell tower has ten bells and can be played in two ways:  either hand pulled or programmed.  Each day the carillion is rung at 8am, noon, 4 and 8pm and plays a different tune each day including Bluebells of Scotland, Home Sweet Home, Psalm 113 and See the Conquering Hero.  It was this belltower which surprised us yesterday evening with God Save the Queen.  It has ten bells which is why so many diverse tunes can be played.

We wanted to hear from family so we decided on a break and visit the well-known DeGray’s Teahouse and access the free wifi.  The morning tea of scones and meringue was more successful than the wifi which was slow to load.

At the end of the market area we walked to Ludlow Castle which is a vast Norman construction of the 11^th century.  It was built in stone from the start unlike other Norman castles and the remnant of the moat, judges’ rooms, apartments, chapel and banqueting area give a good idea of times past.  We climbed the Mortimer Tower overlooking the inner bailey and the castle.  As usual, the stairs were narrow, steep and winding and it gave good views over the very green countryside and township of Ludlow.

The Shropshire countryside from the castle.

The castle showing the moat. 

The Round Chapel which is dedicated to St Mary Magdelene was built in the 12^th century and is one of the few circular naves in Britain to survive.  Original ornate carvings have survived including the typical zig-zag pattern of the period.

The Round Chapel at Ludlow Castle.

It was time to move on and head closer to London.  It was a very very wet drive and there has been a lot of discussion on the news about the flooding and traffic disruptions.  We were going to walk the streets of Burford in the Cotswolds however the weather was still poor and as there were no overhanging awnings we decided to push on to Oxford to find accommodation.

We were lucky to get the last bedroom available at a four star B&B which is warm, comfortable and very welcoming.  The landlady actually won an award as England’s best B&B host!  It is our last evening of our holiday and we will don our wet weather gear and head out for a drink and a meal and reflect on the wonderful experiences we have enjoyed in England, Wales and Ireland.

What a life we have!