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  "path": "/2026/06/30/loveliest-town-england-also-a-underrated-food-destination-28365905/",
  "publishedAt": "2026-06-30T05:00:00.000Z",
  "site": "https://metro.co.uk",
  "tags": [
    "Lifestyle",
    "Travel",
    "England",
    "Shropshire",
    "Travel Inspiration",
    "UK Travel",
    "UK",
    "Metro Deals",
    "Get deal now",
    "Mousetrap Cheese Shop",
    "Nina & Co",
    "Ludlow Market",
    "@to_travel_back",
    "medievaltown",
    "oldengland",
    "medievalengland",
    "tudorarchitecture",
    "alleyways",
    "♬ Pacing – Julianna Barwick",
    "Csons",
    "Ludlow Brewery",
    "Ludlow Kitchen",
    "Add Metro as a Preferred Source on Google\nAdd as preferred source"
  ],
  "textContent": "This picturesque market down deserves more attention than it gets (Picture: Getty Images)\n\nWith rolling hills, ruined castles and fabulous food, Ludlow is one of the UK’s most underrated destinations.\n\nNestled in an area of outstanding natural beauty in the heart of the Shropshire Hills, it is one of our culinary hotspots that, rather unfairly, rarely features on travel lists.\n\nThe great English poet John Betjeman said of Ludlow that it is ‘probably the loveliest town in England’, and its renowned food and drink festival in September is really a wonderful place to be.\n\nAll of the food in the festival comes from local producers. It’s a fun and lively time to visit the town, and an opportunity to sample some of Shropshire’s finest cuisine.\n\nBut there is plenty to see and do here at every time of year.\n\nHomemade bread stall at Ludlow food festival (Picture: Getty Images)\n\n##  Best of Metro Deals\n\nGet exclusive discounts with Metro Deals – save on getaways and spa days. Powered by Wowcher\n\n**Bannatyne Spa** : Spa day for two with treatments, lunch & prosecco — save up to 57% off.\n\n Get deal now\n\n**Mystery Escape** : Hotel stay with return flights from as low as £92pp — save on worldwide holiday packages.\n\nGet deal now\n\n**Beach Retreat (Lanzarote)** : 4* Lanzarote beach holiday with flights — save up to 58%.\n\nGet deal now\n\n## Shops and sights\n\nStart by taking a walk around some of Ludlow’s star attractions: the buildings themselves.\n\nAround 500 are listed, and locals say that ‘every house here has a story’.\n\nA good starting point is St Laurence’s Church, one of the largest parish churches in England and a pointer to the town’s historical importance.\n\nThe gorgeous facade of The Feathers Hotel (Picture: Maria Astardijeva)\n\nThe interiors feature fine wood panelling and stained-glass windows, while a brisk climb up the tower affords panoramic views of the town and the Shropshire and the Clee hills.\n\nBehind the church, pay respects to A E Housman, the poet of Shropshire, who lies buried here, then move on to the stunning, half-timbered Reader’s House.\n\nFollow the archway down to the Bull Hotel, Ludlow’s oldest coaching inn, and cross the street to inspect the incredible Jacobean façade of the Feathers Hotel.\n\nThe surrounding streets are just as charming, lined with a mix of timber frames, sandstone facades and Georgian architecture.\n\nLudlow Castle stands on a wooded hill and is steeped in history (Picture: Getty Images)\n\nTake time to browse the independent shops, specifically Mousetrap Cheese Shop, vintage store Nina & Co and The Potters Shop.\n\nOther local favourites include Planta Bay, a quirky terrarium and houseplant shop, plus All the Seasons, Broad Bean Deli and Period House Shop.\n\nAnd if you’re visiting during the week, don’t miss Ludlow Market, where traders sell everything from local produce to antiques and handmade crafts.\n\nIf time allows, dive into history at Ludlow Castle, a Norman fortress built between 1086 and 1094, and added to over the centuries.\n\n> @to_travel_back\n>\n> Exploring Ludlow’s old town. #medievaltown #oldengland #medievalengland #tudorarchitecture #alleyways\n>\n> ♬ Pacing – Julianna Barwick\n\nAmong the famous residents of Ludlow Castle’s 900-year history were the Mortimer family, one of whom was Edward IV who reigned on the English throne for two periods during the 15th century Wars of the Roses.\n\nIt was from here in 1483 that his son, young Prince Edward, made his ill-fated journey to the capital that would end not in accession to the throne, but in his murder in the Tower of London.\n\n## Where to eat and drink\n\nFor lunch, locals recommend Csons on the banks of the River Teme, known for its seasonal menu and focus on hyper-local produce from the Shropshire and Welsh Marches region.\n\nBeer lovers should beeline for Ludlow Brewery, an independent microbrewery and tap room just a short walk from the town centre.\n\nAlongside its own ales, the brewery hosts regular live music and pop-up food events, plus serves a bespoke gin.\n\nIf you fancy an old-fashioned pub crawl, Ludlow has no shortage of historic watering holes.\n\nStandouts include Dog Hangs Well, Blood Bay and Old Street Tavern, alongside cosy favourites like The Blue Boar, The Queen’s and Rose and Crown.\n\nLudlow enjoys a reputation as one of the UK’s gastronomic hot spots, so there is plenty of choice for dinner.\n\nIt’s hard to look past The Ludlow Kitchen (though only occasionally open for dinner); it has one of the most enviable menus in the country.\n\n##  Getting to Ludlow\n\nLudlow is an easy trip on the A49 from either Hereford or Shrewsbury.\n\nComing by train from the North is easy, less so from London: the three-and-a-half-hour journey involves a change at Newport.\n\nComment now Comments \nAdd Metro as a Preferred Source on Google\nAdd as preferred source\n",
  "title": "The ‘loveliest town in England’ is also a very underrated food destination"
}