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Shropshire is a rural county with a great diversity of terrain that will appeal to any walker. You do not have to travel too far anywhere n Shropshire to find wide open spaces and solitude. This is particularly true round Ludlow which is a country, market town in the true sense.

For casual walkers, Ludlow is surrounded by some beautiful walking places. Close to our self catering accommodation is Whitclffe Common. This area, to the south of the town, offers superb views of Ludlow and is a gentle walk. I like to take the route, known as the Bread Walk, that follows the winding River Teme between Ludford and Dinham Bridge, a stretch of river popular with the fishing community. I particularly like to take this route in the summer as the sun is rising. It shines through the arches of Dinham Bridge penetrating the early morning mist and reflects golden on the river; a sight I never grow tired of.

Whitcliffe was the source for much of the stone used to build the castle. The stone, a mud stone, is rich in Silurian fossils and, as a boy, I used to spend many days in the summer holidays searching for fossils.

If instead of the lower path, you take the upper one it leads you over the top of the cliffs. From here you have panoramic views of the town including the castle, church and Mill Street. You can clearly see the streets as they were laid out in their grid pattern by the Normans. On the top of the Common are ditches which, local legend says were dugt by Cromwell's troops for canon to fire at the castle. It is a nice story but canon then would not have been able to hit the castle from that distance. For those who take their walking more seriously there is The Mortimer Trail. The walk starts in Ludlow and covers a distance of over 30 miles so is perhaps best left to serious walkers. It follows a number of ridges and eventually arrives in Knighton. This fascinating walk will take you through woods and forests, passed hill forts, ruined cottages and along river banks. If you are a walker looking for a bigger challenge then there is the Shropshire Way. As the name suggests, it takes you across the whole of the County through most of the points of interest.

One of our favourite walks is up to the ruins of Wigmore Castle, The site, 30 years ago, was privately owned and covered by trees. It was difficult to get up to and you could not see much or make much out when you reached the top. Today, it is a romantic ruin which rewards the walker with superb views over the surrounding country side. Parts of the path are quite steep and can be slippy in wet weather but the effort is well worth it. The castle was the strong hold of the powerful Mortimer family. Under Edward IV it became a royal castle.

In 1155 the castle was besieged by Henry II because Hugh de Mortimer refused to return the Bridgnorth Castle to the crown. Two small earthworks to the east and west of the castle have survived to the present day, and may represent siege-works built for the campaign.

Parts of the walls were built or rebuilt in stone in the late 12th century or early 13th century, and further work was carried out in the 13th century, perhaps when Hugh de Mortimer (1197-1227) was given Royal money for the castle's garrisoning. The works included the curtain wall that surrounds the bailey, which still stands to this day at its full height on the east side and the south side between the south tower and the gatehouse.

Whatever type of walking you are interested in our self catering accommodation will provide you with the ideal base for your holidays.