Programme of past events.....
29th July - 1st August 2011
WEEKEND VISIT TO LUDLOW
AND WELSH MARCHES
Text by Stan Oakes
Photos by
Janice Leney, Helen Whichelow & Mike Morley
On
Friday 29th July, a party of 29 boarded a coach and set off for the
Cotswolds arriving at Burford (always a popular stop) in time for coffee.
We parked outside The Priory, a beautiful house with the added interest, so
we were told by a local, of having been bought by Rupert Murdoch and
restored for his daughter. Apparently Kate Moss was married there
recently.
We
continued our journey, arriving in time for lunch at Snowshill which must
rank as one of the most eccentric houses owned by the National Trust.
Charles Wade restored the Manor House in order to display his astounding
collection of haphazardly acquired objects which ranged from old bicycles to
Samurai armour and from mechanical toys to delicate ivory objets d'art.
Comments ranged from 'fantastic' to 'overwhelming' to 'couldn't live
with that lot'!
Then
it was on to our hotel, The Feathers in Ludlow- a beautiful hotel which
proved a delight to all. A coaching inn dating from the 17th Century,
it combined comfort with period character and an excellent cuisine. We
particularly appreciated the James I lounge which was allocated to out sole
use. With its Jacobean panelling, fireplace with coat-of-arms and
magnificent chest, it glowed in the lamplight as we enjoyed our coffee after
dinner.
Ludlow is a beautiful old town, its old buildings dotted with almost as many
blue plaques as London. Indeed, such was the interest in these
buildings that conversation at dinner was dominated by queries and
explanations about king and queen post roofs not to mention crown posts!
Next
day saw us visiting Bridgenorth with its Upper & Lower Towns reached by a
funicular train. Most members enjoyed this ride, along with visiting the
local market or a quilting exhibition in the medieval church. Others
found a peaceful street of exquisite Goergian private houses terminating in
a Thomas Telford church decorated for a wedding. We then boarded a
Severn Railway train to chuff slowly through the lovely Shropshire
countryside to Kidderminster. The sight of 3 elephants and a rhino
grazing in the fields caused some incredulous excitement until it was
realised that we were passing a safari park.
Sunday saw some early birds sampling a service in Ludlow's beautiful
medieval church - a church of cathedral-like proportions, fitting to
Ludlow's position as capital of the Welsh Marches. Then it was
on to the coach for a guided tour through the 'black and white' villages of
Shropshire. Amazing to find so many of these charming villages still
extant in the 21st Century. Finally we arrived in Hereford in time for
lunch and a visit to the Cathedral.
On
Monday we drove to Ironbridge to see Telford's famous bridge, the
centrepiece of the Severn Gorge with its several museums recording the
beginning of the Industrial Revolution. The highlight of this visit
was Blists Hill. After an almost overwhelming electronic ('video'
would not do it justice) display of the history of the local iron industry,
we set off to explore a Victorian town with its shops, houses and schools
all stocked with the paraphenalia of life in Victorian times, much of which
members declared they remembered from their grandmothers' time!
Finally it was time to set off for home - the end of a marvellous trip.
 
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