The Shropshire Hills (Ludlow, Shrewsbury, and a walk in Church Stretton)

Shrewbury was an obvious stop for us between the Cotswolds and Wales. I had been there before ('N' used to teach at a school in Shrewsbury), and I had a hotel in mind that I knew my parents would absolutely love.

Before arriving in Shrewsbury, we stopped in Ludlow. Ludlow is a cute town with a large Market...and a castle....

The Hotel in Shrewbury was called the Lion and Pheasant, and is part of the Mr. and Mrs. Smith group. I apologise as this blog post may come across as my ode to the Lion and Pheasant, but I loved it.

Unfortunately our time in Shrewsbury was quite wet, but we made the best of it. We spent the first night strolling through the streets and getting acquainted (once again, Dad decided he liked it so much, we needed to stay two nights), then had a lovely dinner in the hotel restaurant.

The rowing team from Shrewsbury School.

Excellent, locally sourced food, see for yourself.

After a great breakfast, I took them for a hike on the Long Mynd in Church Stretton. It was wet, but it was wonderful. The along the stream to the top of the mynd is incredibly scenic, dotted with Sheep and lambs.

I loved the granola bar at breakfast with all sorts of fixings (above).

I attempted to get as close as I could to these little squirts, but they didn't like me.

A few days later, I would read a sign posted in the street, 'It is against the law to worry the livestock'. 

How do I know if I was worrying them?

Mom made it to the top with only one good knee. Impressive right?

....and we encountered Wild Welsh Ponies (we didn't know they were wild, just assumed they were filthy). Neat right? I was impressed. Apparently you can sometimes encounter up to 50 wild ponies up in the hills.

Back in town...

Should you wish, you can also do this (from another visit): Tootsies Foot Spa. Yes, dipping your toes in the first time is absolutely Terrifying!

Small little fish, nibbling the dead skin off your feet. 

Yum (I apologise if you were eating your breakfast!).

And then, there's Shrewsbury's best kept secret....A Moroccan Lunch Spot in their Covered Market Hall. Go up the stairs, it's located in the corner. They are very friendly and will be delighted to see you. The food is fantastic...especially if you're starving after climbing the local hills.

Sweetened Moroccan Mint tea.

The red glow is a space heater they brought us, as we were freezing from our hike.

Next Stop: Wales!