The Ludlow Food Festivals are renowned for the diversity of local food and drink producers.  There’s a brilliant atmosphere in the town when these events take place!  Lookout for the Spring Festival and the Ludlow Food & Drink Festival.
https://www.ludlowfoodfestival.co.uk

The Ludlow Farm Shop is an amazing, mouth-watering shopping experience.  Part of the Earl of Plymouth’s Oakly Park Estate, artisans make over half of the food they sell by hand using traditional methods.  Just a couple of miles north of Ludlow, it’s easy to reach from Orchard Barn.
Home - Ludlow Farmshop

Ludlow is renowned for great pubs and restaurants, take your pick from the Ludlow Org website
https://www.ludlow.org.uk/guide.html

Pubs we recommend within walking/cycling distance:

The Tally Ho – Boulden – good traditional pub food in a lovely rural location
https://thetallyho.co.uk/

The Swan Inn – Aston Munslow – good traditional pub food with a warm welcome.
The Swan Inn Aston Munslow Shropshire | Corvedale Pub

The Crown – Munslow – local pub & restaurant with award winning chef.
Award Winning Fine Dining Restaurant and Accommodation Near Ludlow (crowncountryinn.co.uk)

The Clive Arms – Bromyard - a Boutique inn where you can sample great seasonal food in the restaurant, the bar, the Plassey dining room or one of the outside courtyard areas.
www.theclive.co.uk
The Charlton Arms – Ludlow – a short walk from the centre, overlooking the river on the Ludford Bridge. An acclaimed independent family-owned pub with a great reputation for food using local suppliers and selling real ale.
www.thecharltonarms.co.uk
Bistro 7 of Ludlow – Ludlow – great homemade food from the finest local ingredients served in a relaxed environment.
www.bistro7ofludlow.co.uk

Local restaurants for a special meal out

Mortimers – Ludlow – Michelin Plate:  Luxurious surroundings & exceptional dining.
Mortimers Ludlow - Fine dining restaurant serving modern British and French food.
Old Downton Lodge – Michelin Pate:  Downton on the Rock - Elegant dining & tasting menus
Old Downton Lodge a Fine Dining Restaurant with Rooms near Ludlow


Local breweries

Ludlow Brewing Company – Fab beers & brewery tours available - in the centre of Ludlow
Ludlow Brewery | Award-Winning Beer | Brewery Tours | Live Music | Bar (theludlowbrewingcompany.co.uk)


Clun Brewery – A traditional real ale brewed in Clun at the White Horse Inn
The White Horse Inn (whi-clun.co.uk)

The Three Tuns Brewery – Brewery tours available in Bishops Castle & food at The Three Tuns Inn
Three Tuns Brewery | Legendary Shropshire Ales | Home

Craven Arms Takeaways
Razas – Award winning Indian restaurant / takeaway - also does great pizzas!  Can deliver to Orchard Barn.
H O M E | razas

Fryer Freeman – Excellent fish & chip shop in Craven Arms – our favourite!
FRYER FREEMAN, Craven Arms - Restaurant Reviews, Photos & Phone Number – Tripadvisor

Ming Chef – Taste N Eat – Chinese take-away in Craven Arms

The South Shropshire Hills are designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty - it’s a hidden gem rich in wildlife, geology, heritage and culture.  There’s so much variety from the Long Mynd, the Wrekin & Stretton Hills, the Stiperstones and Clee Hills, the Wenlock Edge and the Clun forest – all are special and distinctive.

Shropshire's Great Outdoors – a great site for walking/cycling/riding in Shropshire
Shropshire Hills AONB - Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
Things to do in Ludlow


Walking – there are some wonderful walks from Orchard Barn either down to the river meadows near the Corve or up to the scarp into Hope Dale.  We can share our favourites with you, ranging from a quick 2-mile / 30 minute leg stretch to a wonderful 11 mile yomp ‘The Three Castles Walk’ around the Corvedale.
National Trust:  Carding Mill Valley, the Long Mynd and Wenlock Edge

The Corvedale Three Castles Walk | Shropshire's Great Outdoors
Wenlock Edge | National Trust
Carding Mill Valley and the Long Mynd | National Trust


Cycling – again, we can recommend our favourite rides, from those that keep on the flat(ish) roads in the Corvedale or tracks along the Wenlock Edge to routes that take you to the top of Shropshire’s highest – the Brown Clee – hills.  Just 10 miles away are Hopton Woods – the home of mountain biking in Shropshire, with over 12km of descents and climbs for moderate & experienced downhill riders. Plenty of gravel trails are also waiting to be explored in the Mortimer Forest, again just 10 miles from Orchard Barn.

Hopton Wood | Forestry England
Pearce Cycles Shop & Racing Events


Fishing – there’s a superb trout fishery just 2 miles away at Delbury Hall, and a variety of other opportunities for fishing in the Ludlow area.  See the Ludlow website for further details

Trout Fishery (delbury.co.uk)


Golf – Ludlow golf course is only 5 minutes drive from Orchard Barn – described as ‘inland links’ it offers visitors an excellent relatively flat course.  By contrast, Church Stretton golf course, right in the heart of the Shropshire Hills uses the spectacular ‘undulating’ landscape to provide the golfing challenge – not for the faint hearted!

LUDLOW GOLF CLUB LIMITED
Church Stretton Golf Club Ltd


Ludlow racing – known as ‘Lovely Ludlow’, this friendly racecourse shares its position with Ludlow golf course.  Racing between October and May each year and just a 5 minute drive from Orchard Barn.

Ludlow Racecourse and Ludlow Races


Horse riding -  Country Treks is a short drive away, but offers great opportunities to ride in the beautiful South Shropshire countryside.

About us - Horse Treks


Telford Snowboard and Ski Centre – advanced bookings recommended for use of the ski-slope
Telford Snowboard and Ski Centre (telfordandwrekinleisure.co.uk)

Telford Ice Rink – Check out the internet pages for opening times during term times or holidays.
https://www.telfordicerink.co.uk/site/index.php

Wild Swimming - There are a few sites available for wild swimming in the area, including:
Church Stretton - Cardingmill Wild Swimming – the National Trust is happy for people to swim at the old reservoir in Cardingmill Valley – about 25 minutes from Orchard Barn
Ludlow - River Teme – enter above the weir by the Millennium Green so you can wade in slowly, then swim upstream towards the pontoon. There’s coffee, cake, lunch and warm rugs/hot water bottles at the Green Café when you’re finished!
Leintwardine - At the confluence of the River Teme and River Clun, there are shadows for paddling and deeper stretches where the two rivers meet
Burwarton - Boyne Water is a peat-coloured pond at the top of the Brown Clee Hills and relatively undiscovered due to it position near the top of the hill.

Ludlow Castle:  Founded by Walter de Lacy, this was one of England’s first stone Castles with an imposing position looking over the river Teme.

Home - Ludlow Castle


St Laurence’s Church, Ludlow:  this is known as the ‘Cathedral of the Marches’.  It’s possible to climb the tower of 135 feet & admire the views of the town and surrounding countryside.

St Laurence (stlaurences.org.uk)


Ludlow Museum:  displays local historic information in a beautiful building at the head of Broad Street

Ludlow Museum


English Heritage:
Stokesay Castle:  The finest and best-preserved fortified medieval manor house in England
Wenlock Priory:  Remains of large Cluniac priory close to Much Wenlock town centre
Wigmore Castle:  An impressive set of ruins, once the stronghold of the turbulent Mortimer family (free entry)
Clun Castle:  Ruins and earthworks sit high on a mound on the edge of the picturesque village of Clun (free entry)

English Heritage Home Page | English Heritage (english-heritage.org.uk)


National Trust:
Wilderhope Manor:  Elizabethan gabled manor house
Morville Hall:  Elizabethan stone build house
Dudmaston:  A working estate with an old family home at its heart
Knowles Mill:  Preserved derilect mill on the Dowles Brook in the Wyre forest
Berrington Hall:  Neoclassical mansion with fine interiors, set in ‘Capability’ Brown’s landscape & gardens
Croft Castle & Parkland:  1000 years of politics, pleasure and power in a family home

Days Out | Shropshire and Staffordshire | National Trust

Ironbridge Gorge Museums:
The birthplace of the industrial revolution, and a UNESCO World Heritage site, the Ironbridge Gorge should be on your must-visit list!  Buy tickets online.
Welcome to The Ironbridge Gorge Museums - birthplace of the Industrial Revolution


Blists Hill is a fascinating open-air museum recreating a Victorian town in the late 19th/early 20th Century (Madeley Wood Company Outdoor Adventure - built in the woodlands of Blists Hill)
Enginuity – an interactive design, science & technology centre – a fun way of learning/experiencing engineering
Jackfield Tile Museum – being at the heart of British tile production, these exhibits showcase the best of British tiles
Coalport China Museum - Step inside workshops & check out the treasures made in these quirky buildings
Coalbrookdale Museum of Iron – exhibits showing how Coalbrookdale iron changed the course of the world
Museum of the Gorge – step inside to see displays of the Ironbridge Gorge
Derby Houses – These former homes to the Darby family give a glimpse of an industrialist’s life
Tar Tunnel – Look into an eerie tunnel dug into the hillside with treacle like bitumen oozing through the walls
Broseley Pipe works – See inside this factory, for a glimpse into the best clay tobacco pipe manufacturing of its time

Ironbridge -  Walk across the first built (1779) cast iron bridge over the River Severn.
Ironbridge Gorge – go for wonderful walks up and down the deep gorge (exposing the commercial deposits of coal, iron ore, limestone and fireclay enabling the rapid economic development of the local area).
Severn Valley Railway – join a steam train from Bridgnorth down the Severn Valley through Worcestershire

Orchard Barn, Corfton
From Orchard Barn, we’ve spent many hours watching families of buzzards circling overhead, red kites gliding past in search of prey and flocks of swifts screaming around the buildings on summers evenings.  Come in the spring to hear the chatter from the jackdaws nesting in the trees at the bottom of the field.

From Orchard Barn, there are many local birding sites that can offer a rich variety of flora and fauna:

Whitcliffe Common - Woodland habitat with the River Teme in a steep sided valley – 15 minutes drive, in Ludlow

Eardington Nature Reserve – A former quarry & open mosaic habitat with 70 bird species & 23 species of butterfly recorded .  Seasonal and permanent ponds surrounded by meadows, scrub & woodlands– 20 minutes drive, near Bridgnorth

The Long Mynd – Large area of upland & a good chance to see Meadow Pipit, Merlin, Ravens & Red Kites – 20 minutes drive, near Church Stretton

Venus Pool – managed as a wetland site for waders and waterfowl - 30 minutes drive away, near Cound

Severn Valley Country Park – A massive reclamation project has resulted in the colliery spoil heaps to be landscaped with birch woods, open scrub, meadows & formal grassland – 40 minutes drive, near Alveley

A Guide to Shropshire Birding Sites | Shropshire Ornithological Society (shropshirebirds.com)

Midland Gliding Club
One of the longest established gliding clubs in the UK & one of Britain’s prime gliding sites. Set 1,500 feet above sea level, it’s set on top of the Long Mynd, near Church Stretton and designated by Sport England as a Nationally significant Area for Sport, for gliding
www.midlandgliding.club

Long Mynd Soaring Club
LMSC has 13 soaring sites in the Shropshire Hills area. Many of these are open sites, a day fee can be paid online, or in an honesty box. Check out their web page for site guides, webcams and further details.
www.longmynd.org

If you like to pootle and mooch around local market towns, rich in character and wonderful local history, just take your pick from the wonderful gems nestling in the South Shropshire landscape.  All are within a 20-30 minute drive from Orchard Barn

Much Wenlock – Market days:  Tuesday, Friday and Saturday
A lovely medieval town that feels more like a village.  There are no ‘big names’, but plenty of traditional, independent shops.  Discover links to the revival of the Olympic Games in the museum & visit the Wenlock Priory.
Much Wenlock Tourist Information and Visitor Guide (visitmuchwenlock.co.uk)

Church Stretton – Market Day:  Thursday
A busy and historic market town known as ‘Little Switzerland’ from its picturesque setting in the South Shropshire Hills.  Popular as a base to explore the Long Mynd, Caer Caradoc & Hope Bowdler Hills, it has a variety of interesting shops and cafés to enjoy.  Many go to walk the Cardingmill Valley, we’d encourage you to explore beyond that!
Homepage - Church Stretton

Bridgnorth – Market day - Friday & Saturday
A spectacular setting for a town split into two: the high & low towns are connected by Britain’s steepest inland funicular railway.  The River Severn flows past the low town which housed one of the busiest river ports in Europe.  The high town has many timber framed buildings & the Castle Keep leans at an angle greater than the Tower of Pisa!
Visit Bridgnorth - Tourist Information, Attractions, Activities and Accommodation

Bishops Castle – Market Day - Saturday
A small market town in lovely hill country, quite a centre for live music, arts & crafts.  The 18th Century Town Hall stands at the top of the main street with several pubs, restaurants and cafés to pop into.  A handful of interesting, independent shops and a couple of breweries – one at the top and one at the bottom of the hill!
Home - Bishops Castle

Clun
Mentioned in the Doomsday book & given an early town charter in the 14th Century, Clun in reality is more like a village.  The Norman castle ruins make a scenic picnic spot & an idyllic stone packhorse bridge takes you into the heart of the village.  From the quiet square, drop into the Clun Brewery or one of the little cafés for a cuppa.
Clun - Shropshire Tourism & Leisure Guide (shropshire-guide.co.uk)

Wildgoose Nursery and Garden –The Wildgoose independent nursery, garden & tearoom is housed in the old redbrick walls of Millichope Park’s former Kitchen Garden. Just 3 miles up the B4368 towards Much Wenlock
Wildegoose Nursery, Home of Bouts Violas

Benthall Hall – (National Trust) Fabulous crocus displays in the spring & autumn, a restored plantsman’s garden & an old kitchen garden.
Benthall Hall | National Trust

Stockton Bury Gardens - The four-acre garden is home to a medieval pigeon house, kitchen garden & water gardens.
Stockton Bury Gardens Home - Stockton Bury Gardens

Hampton Court Castle - a 15th-century castle in Herefordshire with spectacular gardens and a famous maze
Visit Hampton Court Castle, Herefordshire

National Garden Scheme - There is plenty of variety to choose from in the National Garden Scheme’s collection of gardens. Before your trip, check out which of the many beautiful gardens in Shropshire might be open – pre-booking is only essential where mentioned on the garden page, otherwise you can buy your tickets on arrival.
www.ngs.org.uk

WESTHOPE CRAFT COLLEGE – Westhope College was founded as a supportive space where visitors / students can be be inspired and learn their craft.  Suitable for all abilities, creative talents are developed or discovered.  It’s only 10 minutes drive from Orchard Barn and an absolute gem!
Westhope College – Welcome


ANTIQUES
Leominster is a small local market town in the Marches, famed for antiques and full of specialist shops, antique markets and galleries.  Just 20 minutes south of Orchard Barn

Bridgnorth Antique Centre – 20 traders under one roof offering everything antique & vintage from furniture to architectural pieces & shabby chic.
Bridgnorth Antique Centre & The Clockface | Facebook

Ironbridge Antiques Arts & Crafts – 60 traders in nearly 5000 square feet offering antiques and collectatbles.  Also work handmade by local craft people & artists.
Antiques Shop | Ironbridge Antiques Arts & Crafts | Telford (ironbridge-aac.co.uk)

Shrewsbury Antique Centre
Church Stretton Antiques Market

ART GALLERIES & FESTIVALS
Shrewsbury Museum and Art Gallery
Shrewsbury Museum & Art Gallery - Shropshire Museums

Ludlow is awash with fine art galleries and local artists selling their wares

Church Stretton Arts Festival – the highlight of the Arts scene in South Shropshire – usually held at the end of July or early August.
Church Stretton Arts Festival | Home (strettonfestival.org.uk)