Ludlow and Stokesay Castles

We stopped by Mew and Liam’s home for coffee in the morning before we left town. Mew was much more relaxed and it was nice to just sit and chat. Her mother and brothers were there as well. So we were able to say a proper goodbye before we left.

After saying our goodbyes, we headed north towards York. We decided to make a few stops along the way to check out some Castles.

Ludlow Castle

This is one of the first castles built in England and has a rich history.

Henry VII’s two sons, Prince Arthur and Prince Edward lived at Ludlow. Prince Edward married Catherine of Aragon and lived here until his death. His brother, Henry VIII, married Catherine of Aragon as his first of six wives.

Blue Boar Inn

Grabbed a quick lunch at the Blue Boar Inn. We had a great pulled ham hock sandwich with hot honey,, green apple, watercress, egg may on a sourdough bun. It was yummy!

Next, we drove to Stokesay Castle.

Stokesay Castle

Stokesay Castle is widely celebrated as the finest and best-preserved fortified medieval manor house in England. Located in Craven Arms, Shropshire, it was built in the late 13th century by Laurence of Ludlow, one of the country's most prosperous wool merchants, who designed it as a secure private home and a visual symbol of his wealth. Remarkably, the structure has survived for over 700 years without major alteration, acting as an authentic medieval time capsule.

We did the free audio tour of this castle. It was narrated by kjelke which make it more interesting. Since it was mostly a Manor and not a defensive castle, it survived remarkably well.

We continued our journey to York where we are staying at No. 1 by Guest House. This is an American Express benefit where we get a cheaper price, a free room upgrade and $100 credit to use at the hotel during our stay.

No 1 by GuestHouse

Boutique hotel just outside of the Walled City of York.

We found a parking lot about ¼ mile from the hotel. (There is no parking at the hotel). We received our room upgrade and headed to our room. One unique thing about this place is that they have a turntable in every room. In the lobby, there is a wall of records to choose from. Most were 80’s, so we were excited.

It was fairly late when we arrived and the restaraunt was closed, but the bar was open and they had a short menu. Due to the agriculture issues in the states, we have not had lettuce for a long time. We were excited to be able to safely order a Caesar salad and a burger with lettuce on it. Small things in life!!! I also tried a local gin. I was not impressed.

On the wall of the bar was a large painted portrait of a woman with what appeared to be stalks of rhubarb. I looked into it and learned that York is in the “Rhubarb Triangle” of England. This area is famous for producing the most “forced rhubarb” on earth. Forced rhubarb is grown in complete darkness so that is produces tender, sweet bright colored stalks. I learned something new today!