Last summer, (2018) we decided to visit Worcestershire, Shropshire and Herefordshire. We chose Ludlow as our base, and rented a Sykes cottage three miles outside the town. Ludlow's recorded history begins in 1086 when the castle was first developed as a part of a defensive line of castles along the Welsh Marches but also to subdue the local Anglo Saxon population.
It’s a fine castle, with four main gates and three postern (secondary) gates and I took many photos and drew many sketches. One of these has made it to a framed watercolour, and is currently on exhibition at the HVA Big Art Showcase at the New Maynard Gallery in Welwyn Garden City.
Ludlow itself is a magnificent town, planned with wide main streets, intersected by narrow side streets, so that one is drawn to the centre for the market, church and castle. Ludlow contains over 420 listed buildings, many of them still in regular commercial use. Broad Street, with the Buttercross at the top and the town wall gatehouse at its foot, has been described as one of England’s finest streets.
Outside the town, we were staggered by the wonderful country houses, and the fantastic vistas of the rolling country, with the Cotswolds, Malvern, Lickey and Clent hills all visible in turn from the many rises in Shropshire and neighbouring Worcestershire and Herefordshire. On a visit to Hanbury Hall, the rolling countryside inspired two oil paintings available for sale on this site.
One of the most amazing houses is Stokesay Castle. Often described as the finest and best-preserved fortified medieval manor house in England, it is unchanged for over 700 years. I sketched and sketched, and perhaps one day I’ll try turning these into oil paintings. But I fear I cannot do the scene justice.
Another amazing picturesque scene was on the Brockhampton Estate in Bringsty just outside Worcester. It’s magical. There are lots of amazing buildings and wonderful views. More sketches!
On a slightly different note, we visited Shrewsbury and among much else to admire, I was particularly taken by the railway station. As I was painting it, a friend commented that it looked like the Houses of Parliament, and it certainly is a wonderfully grand building. The finished watercolour is also for sale.
Ludlow and surrounding counties are truly inspiring. Finally, here are some links you may find useful. Please comment, share or like below.
https://www.sykescottages.co.uk
https://newmaynardgallery.co.uk
https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/stokesay-castle/