‘The most beautiful town in England’ is how many people describe this Shropshire market town. To measure up to this claim, Ludlow certainly has a host of beautiful mediaeval buildings, though a more recent supermarket proposal had the locals rightly aroused. The final design had a roofline that complements the hills beyond, so even if the present result is not perfect, at least some thought has gone into it.

The same views across town to the hills beyond can change dramatically from season to season, from the magical appearance of frost-covered trees in winter (top) to the russets and golds of autumn (below).  In both these pictures, you can see Ludlow Castle taking centre-stage, with the town beyond.

Perhaps the oldest teashop in England is based in Ludlow. De Greys (window shown below) dates back to 1570, in the days of the Tudor Queen Elizabeth I, and has occupied the same timbered building for nearly four and a half centuries. Amazing! The place has a teashop, plus nine bedrooms if you want to stay there.

The Welsh borders are famed for their profusion of ancient castles, defending the borders between England and Wales. Ludlow Castle dates back to the 11th century and remains mostly intact today. It’s a few moments walk from the River Teme (below), which loops around the town like a necklace. It’s a handsome river, with a strategically placed – and very pleasant – footpath running alongside.

Other Ludlow buildings to note include The Feathers Hotel, built in 1619 as a private house, and taking its present name in the 19th century. The Feathers is Grade 1 listed, which marks its historical importance – and is far from alone in that distinction, as Ludlow is unique for its size in having some 500 graded buildings.

So perhaps the ‘most beautiful’ title is well deserved, after all.

Photograph of Ludlow in winter, shown courtesy Shropshire & Telford TSB.

Well, according to the craftsman-artist William Morris (above) it is – or was, when he was around in the last half of the 19th century. At that time, of course, the village of Bibury was deep in rural England, and the road through it would have been just a muddy trail.

Today, Bibury is best known for the ridiculously handsome Arlington Row, a line of weavers’ cottages that overlook the River Coln, a tributary that feeds into the River Thames at Lechlade, a small town a few miles away.

The River Colne is fast-flowing and quite shallow, so you can lean over and see wild trout swimming along. There’s also a big trout farm at one end of the village that breeds some 10 million fish every year, though whether trout in the stream are escapees, I don’t know. Wildlife in this area includes ducks, coots, moorhens and swans, so it’s a fascinating place if you’re interested in animals. When I was there, a rare black swan also put in an appearance, which added some pizazz to the visit.

My friend Lizzie turned up from her home in the Georgian town of Cheltenham for a walk along the riverbank, and we sat in the sunshine at The Swan Hotel afterwards, for a tasty (but not too hugely gross-out) tea of hot crumpets and scones, accompanied by melting butter and home-made raspberry jam.

If you’re into fine country retreats, then another hotel is worth knowing about. The 18-bedroom Bibury Court Hotel is a dignified pile that dates from Tudor times, with landscaping in the grounds that includes a small waterfall and sweeping lawns.