Iconic 20th century poet John Betjeman described Ludlow as the 'most perfect town in England'.
Begun as a town from 1085 soon after the Norman Conquest, Ludlow grew rapidly into one of the most
important British towns in all of Medieval England, and was recorded as being the third most prosperous in 1377.
The ruins of its once majestic castle, tower impressively above the labyrinth of half-timbered and
Georgian style buildings that have remained virtually unchanged since it was first established,
essentially as a Marcher fortified town.
In its time, the castle was the royal residence of young British princes and princesses, and was
interestingly where the elder brother of Henry VIII, Prince Arthur, was raised. However, sadly,
he died before he could take up his birthright, the throne of England.
Until the late 17th century, Ludlow was a key town for managing the affairs of all Wales,
and border counties, and a council was set up there for that purpose by Edward IV in the
late 15th century. This seat of government lasted until it was disbanded in 1689.
Ludlow, as it developed as an extension of the castle outbuildings, became particularly
important for Britain's wool trade, and more latterly in the 19th century became renowned
for its glove-making industry.
But in recent years, Ludlow had perhaps become something of a rather tranquil backwater,
where its previous incarnation as a vibrant hub of commerce and trade gradually receded to
a mere shadow of its former self.
But as recently as 1995, a group of civic-minded people decided something had to be done to
revitalise Ludlow's fortunes, and push it once more into the limelight as a leading English
market town.
And its slow, tranquil pace of life became its unique selling point. Now known as the 'Slow
Food' capital of England, Ludlow's business leaders decided to reinvent it as a pastoral
paradise for food and drink enthusiasts, and for those who had a thirst and appetite for
products that were original and unlikely to be found anywhere else.
The Slow Food Movement was developed in Italy in the mid 80s to champion small, artisan
producers of regional food.
Italian journalist, Carlo Petrini was horrified to see that a McDonalds had been established
at the foot of the Spanish Steps in Rome in 1986, and began his campaign, which has spread world
wide, to preserve traditional food and drink from the marketing onslaught of the world-wide super-brands.
There is a particular emphasis on cultivating food or drink products that are wholesome,
organically made and where superlative taste and flavours reign supreme.
Ludlow was the first ever town in England to become a Cittaslow town, and part of the
growing international Slow Food Movement. The local promotional body, or convivum, is
responsible for raising awareness of local and regional produce through food festivals, tastings,
a quarterly magazine and educational programmes. For more details, please visit the following
website:
This, it can be said, seems to have been roundly achieved, and today Ludlow holds at least four
major food events throughout the year, which include a medieval Christmas fayre and and food and
drink festival in September.
There is also a weekly market and monthly farmers market, so that people can catch many of the
specialist producers that also gather at the larger scale events.
Among the star producers at such attractions are Celtic Country Wines, who have been pioneering
techniques in making fruit wines for several years now.
Among some of the group's most impressive products are Medieval Mead Wine, Blackberry Wine, Toffee
Vodka and Celtic Orange Marmalade with Celtic Perfection (Whisky Mead).
A spokesperson revealed that the Teifi Valley-based company wanted to fuse traditional recipes with
modern techniques and ideas.
He went on:"At the winery, we spend a lot of time blending wines to improve their quality and taste,
and they are distinctive because our fruits are gathered at the height of their ripeness.
"Today's tastes have moved away from the strong, sweet wines of yesteryear. With the benefit of
modern wine-making knowledge and equipment, we are now producing fresher, lighter wines in today's
styles." To find out more, out to buy some of their exciting produce, please go to the following
website: www.celticwines.co.uk.
And another exciting regular at Ludlow food fairs and markets is the Country Fudge Company, which
perhaps like all the best businesses started humbly as a fund-raising vehicle for charity.
Internet consultant by day, Herman Mittleholzer, not so long ago became a master confectioner at
night, until his hobby became more than just a passing diversion.
A faithful keeper of his grandmother's sweet-making secrets, he spent many hours in the kitchen
with her in his younger days, in a bid to perfect her delicious recipes for fudge.
Similar to Thornton's Chocolates, Dairy Butter Tablet in appearance, the company now produces a
mouth-watering range of flavours from Maple and Pecan to the more traditional Vanilla and Chocolate.
Herman revealed that in 2003 he made up 150 bags of his specialist fudge for a charity event at
the Shire Hall in Hereford. Mid-way through the day, all of his contributions had gone. When he
made up 200 bags for another event soon after, to support the area's St Micheal's hospice, which
again sold out in record time, it acted as a catalyst to him setting up in business and selling
the fudge locally and online.
Presently, his brand of home-made style fudge can been found at many retail outlets throughout
the Herefordshire and Shropshire region, and his company regularly has a stand at the Ludlow food
festivals and other local fairs in Wales and on the borders. For those wanting to find out more,
they should visit his website at www.countryfudge.com.
The above two companies are just a small sample of the fantastic range of food and drink produce
that can regularly been found in and around Ludlow. Other interesting local producers to watch out
for are Dore Valley Chocolates, who make exquisite hand-made chocolates using ingredients from
Belgium and France at a converted building on their small-holding in Peterchurch. Go to
www.dorevalleychocolates.co.uk to find out more.
While, The Pudding Shop started by retired couple Don and Dorothy from Worcestershire, has been
a surprise success, and now has them supplying local shops and restaurants with their fantastic
traditional steamed puddings. For those who would like to try one of their many varieties, such
as treacle, lemon and lime or Christmas pudding, they should visit their website on
www.thepuddingshop.co.uk or catch them at a Shropshire event. They typically have a market stall
in Ludlow every 2nd and 4th Thursday of the month.
Among the most well attended events in the Shropshire social calendar is the 2009 Ludlow Food
and Drink Festival, which will be held from Friday - Sunday 11-13 September this particular year.
Apart from the many food stalls and attractions, vistors are not just expected to be mere spectators,
but rather willing critics of produce ranging from sausages to bread.
The Sausage Trail has been among the most well subscribed events, whereby festival-goers are asked
to pick their favourite sausage recipe from several served up in tastings from local butchers.
After they've completed the tastings' tour, visitors then receive their favourite recipe in a roll.
When all votes are tallied, the most popular flavour is announced. Butchers are said to devise at
least one new specialist recipe per festival.
It's certainly better to visit Ludlow when it's market day or a festival is occuring. But, with
plentiful tea-rooms, with De Greys on Broad Street being among the most famous, a cheese shop,
chocolate gourmet shop and The Marches Little Beer Shoppe, day-trippers should be assured a tempting
array of delicious, delights for the whole length of their search and discovery expedition into the
region's food and drink.
To find out more about the food festival in September, please go to www.foodfestival.co.uk, and for
more information on Ludlow itself, please go to www.ludlow.org.uk.
Shrewsbury: another top UK market town
Shrewsbury was once firmly part of Wales and belonged to successive generations of the royal
house of Powis, until King Offa, he of the Offa's Dyke fame, changed all that.
The famous Mercian king was responsible for pushing back the Princes of Powis further still
into present day Wales, and annexed Shrewsbury and the surrounding lands for his own.
The ancient Britons, now Welsh, once held all of mainland Britain, and were firmly rooted in
terrorities stretching from present day Glasgow down to Tintagel in Cornwall.
Shrewsbury was one of the last remaining outposts of the Britonnic empire, but soon went the way
of much of Britain and fell in to the hands of Offa and his Saxon warlords, who made it their own
fortress town in 778.
From this time onwards,Shrewsbury began to prosper as a centre of commerce and industry. However
its fortunes peaked in the Middle Ages, especially after the Norman Conquest, when Roger de
Montgomery began building a castle here and an abbey (in 1074 and 1083 respectively).
The town not only became an important centre for industry, but also became a significant pilgrimage
site, when the relics of St Winefride were moved to the abbey from Holywell, in a bid to raise its
status as a holy shrine.
Not only this, Shrewsbury Abbey was also were the first ever House of Commons sitting was staged by
Edward I, during his campaigns against the Welsh in the 13th century. This was when parliament moved
around the country and sat wherever the monarch of the day was residing.
The woollen trade was the bedrock of much of Shrewsbury's wealth. As a market town, it was also
central to Welsh and English life as a place of trade for food, livestock and other household
goods and materials.
Today, the town has left behind a fantastic legacy of its commercial prime, with an array of
well over 600 listed buildings, which tend to be either Medieval, Tudor, Jacobean, or Georgian
in origin.
Fortunately, not all have been demolished in the 60s new wave of concrete, monolithic architecture
and the destruction so typical of the Second World War also passed much of this enchanting Shropshire
town by.
To begin a tour of the town, it's often best to park in the Asda car park right next door to
Shrewsbury Abbey. It also makes a handy base for shopping for items for a picnic or other
refreshments while out and about.
Moroever, Derek Jacobi and Shrewsbury Abbey may at first glance may not have that much in
common. But if you were to mention the fictional medieval monk turned detective Brother
Cadfael, then you would most definitely be on to something.
Shrewsbury Abbey in its now rather more modest formation, was known to have had extensive
cloisters and outbuildings typical of what is perhaps left at Chester Cathedral. Henry VIII
wanted to make Shrewsbury into a cathedral town during the dissolution of the monasteries
from 1536 onwards.
However, today, much of that has been demolished and given over to the railway and roads and
traffic system that now dominate this part of the town.
Author Ellis Peters, also known as as Edith Pargeter, used medieval Shrewsbury Abbey as
the fictionalised backdrop to her Brother Cadfael series of novels,
which she began in 1977.
They were famously televised on ITV in the 90s and also appeared on radio as well as in book form.
Cadfael was typically immersed in some unsolved murder or other intrigue while trying to get on with
life as a monastic.
There's is little at all left of the aesethtic life as you walk into the abbey today, and it's fairly
small for such a large, impressive title.
However, nonetheless, it has some impressive Tudor remains of local nobles, a series of information
tableaux and panels around the walls which remind people that this place of worship was considerably
reduced not only after the Dissolution of the Monasteries, but also after the Civil War.
King Charles' personal chaplain was said to have also been vicar at Shrewsbury. And in move that
could be seen as somewhat sacriligeous, Scottish prisoners of war were actually detained within
the abbey walls for some time after the Battle of Worcester in 1651, during the travails of the
Civil War.
Out through a side door, and past a row of shops, people will come to a magnificent stone bridge,
that was rebuilt entirely at the beginning of the 20th century and it affords a fanstastic view
of the River Severn, which forms a protective arc around much of the town.
Across to the other side, and then the retail therapy can beging in ernest. Wyle Cop is one
of the major streets that runs through the town, starting at the bottom of a fairly gentle hill.
What hits you almost straight away is that every other shop seems to be either a restaurant,
tea room, delicatassen or some other specialist outlet that has food or drink in on sale in
there somewhere.
From Tanners Wine Merchants through to the Chocolate Gourmet Shop, Appleyards Fine Foods and
the Cornucopia souvenir shop, people should soon find they have little change left if they
succumb to all the shopping temptations.
For traditional teas, there's the Cloistors tea shop or Poppy's Tudor tea room. Also The Lion's
Head is down a side street, with the Good Life whole food shop, for those who are more diet conscious.
As you hit the busier, central part of time, then more familiar high street name shops come into
view, until you arrive at the square which is not only filled with even more fantastic shops and
cafes, but where many major events of interest are held throughout the year.
Key among them are the Shrewsbury International Street Festival, which typically takes place in
September each year, and sees acrobats, jugglers, street artists, novelty acts, such as the Traffic
Wardens, entertain Shrewsbury for a long weekend, which this year will take place from Friday 4 - Sunday
6 September.
And if you're wondering who the Traffic Wardens are, they are none other than twin brothers
Colin and Tom Jones who take the 'nanny state' to a whole new level.
During the three day event, they have been empowered with the jurisdiction to enforce any law or
rule that they see fit. Walking on the cracks in the pavement could land you with a 'fine'. Wearing a
loud shout in a built up area could also get you a ticket. Watch out for them, and make sure you're
not caught walking without due care and attention ....
Shrewsbury has some major event happening most months of the year, which includes an intriguing
Cartoon Festival in the spring, whereby 40 professional cartoonists offer visitors to the town a
free cartoon portrait as they sample the shopping, attractions and dining out.
The town also has two other fantastic events that are well worth noting down in your diary, and
they would be the Shrewsbury Folk Festival and the towns namesake Flower Show.
The Guinness world record holding flower show is said to be one of the longest running events of
its kind ever in the world, and has been held at Shrewsbury's Quarry Park since 1875.
The event this year has seen a waiting list emerge as gardeners and horticulturalists have been
lining up to book a space to exhibit their wares.
Quarry Marquee manager, Gordon Parry, said: "We are encouraged by the high level of interest this
year and hope this will be reflected in the number of gardening visitors.
"There is no doubt that more people are seeing gardening as an interesting and practical hobby - a
situation stimulated by regular gardening programmes on television and radio."
This year's show takes place on 14 and 15 August and promises a fantastic display of over 3 million
blooms.
Top celebrity chef James Martin will be cooking up a storm in the food hall. Gardening expert Chris
Beardshaw will also be on hand to give talks, and there will be music from the London Community
Gospel Choir, military bands in addition to show jumping, gymnastics displays and competitions
for the best gardening displays. For more details go to www.shrewsburyflowershow.org.uk.
A few weeks later sees the increasingly popular Shrewsbury Folk Festival take centre stage at the
West Mid Showground in the town. Run for four days over August bank holiday weekend,
(this year 28-31 August), visitors can seem some of the best, and often unsung heros of international folk music.
Ticket sales have been phenomenal this year according to the organisers who have the well known,
Scots-band, The Proclaimers headlining the show.
A spokesperson said: "We feel the festival will be a sell-out before the August Bank Holiday.
Festivals are looking good for 2009, perhaps we all need to escape from the uncertainties of what
promises to be a difficult year for many, and start looking forward to things we enjoy the most.
"Our line up also includes Show of Hands, Patrick Street, the Dust Poets from Canada,
Chris Smither from the USA and Hoven Droven from Sweden."
To find out more, or a book a ticket please go to www.shrewsburyfolkfestival.co.uk.
And last and by no means least 2009 also sees the start of 18 months worth of celebrations in
the town to mark the 200th anniversary of Charles Darwin's birth.
He was born and raised in Shrewsbury from February 1809, and spent his formative years in the
Shropshire Hills, particularly around Wenlock Edge, and in North Wales indulging his passion for
nature.
It was during his childhood and early adulthood and as a medical student at Edinburgh, that he
begin to theorise about evolution, natural selection and the true origins of man.
His work, to say the least, has been ground-breaking and perhaps among the most important scientific
breakthroughs in recent times. Interestingly, this year also marks the 150th anniversary of his publication:
"On the Origin of the Species".
Among the events planned for 2009 is a specialist play written especially to mark this anniversary by
the Pentabus Theatre Group, who have also created West End hits, the Hound of the Baskervilles and Spyski.
The group's play 'Inspired by Charles Darwin' is scheduled to appear at the Theatre Severn Auditorium in
Shrewsbury from 3-12 September. For more details, please ring 01743 281200.
There are a whole host of other activities, exhibitions and events being organised throughout the
year, and to access all of them, please go to
www.discoverdarwin.co.uk.
With its near 500 listed buildings, impressive concentration of Michelin-starred restaurants and host of
food fayres and historical attractions, few could deny it a place among the top ranking elite.
Slow food is reportedly everything fast food is not. It's not part of any mass
produced, homegenised
or globalised brand name or product portfolio. 
