Ludlow, Morville and Benthall Hall

As vaccinations prise us free of Covid's grip I offer my first post about somewhere new since last August's Wharfedale posts (see here and here). I hope to get abroad, too, before the end of the year!

1 Castle, 2 Stately Homes, 6 Different Cheeses, and a 40th Birthday

Morville

Shropshire

Our daughter was 40 this weekend. I am not sure how this happened; I know for a fact I am far too young to have a daughter of such an age, I am only a few silver hairs and an arthritic finger or two off my prime – and my wife (who has a 40-year-old daughter!) does not even grey hairs or arthritis.

To celebrate her birthday she hired Morville Hall, just outside Bridgnorth for a long weekend.

Morville Hall nr Bridgnorth
Photographed across the ha-ha, lol (thanks James)

No of course she didn’t, it would be ludicrously expensive, even if available, which it isn’t. But they do have two nice barn conversions.

Morville Barns on a cool May morning

And very comfortable they are too, the rooms are efficiently warmed by eco-friendly air-source heat pumps, and the remarkably well-equipped kitchens have arrow-slit windows - very useful should defence become a priority.

Arrow slit window in the kitchen

Bats are another bonus. Sadly, we saw none flitting around at dusk - always a pleasing sight - but they shared our accommodation. They did not bother us, I hope we did not bother them.

No access to the roof space above our bedroom - unless you are a bat

The weather was typical of this late April/early May, high pressure giving bright sunshine, but dragging in cold air from the east. Fortunately, we are hardy people, Lynne brought out the birthday cake…

The Birthday Cake arrives - why a significant birthday is celebrated with a hedgehog cake will remain a family secret

…for an al fresco birthday tea which continued into al fresco birthday champagne.

Stop taking pictures and blow out the candles!

Morville Hall

Morville Hall belongs to the National Trust and is, of course, currently closed under Covid restrictions. The dower house gardens are something special and would have been open had they not been closed by a different problem. Such is life.

Henry VIII’s dissolution of the monasteries created opportunities for a fortunate few to appropriate armfuls of monastic moolah. Morville Priory was grabbed by Roger Smyth who built himself a two-storey mansion.  The mansion's Tudor character disappeared when the third storey - and much else - was added around 1750 by Arthur Weaver, the MP for Bridgnorth.

St Gregory the Great

Despite his antipathy to the monasteries, Henry VIII knew every village must have a church and the former Priory Church of St Gregory the Great became the Parish Church in 1540.

St Gregory the Great, Morville

There had been a Saxon minster on this site, but a new church was dedicated in 1118. St Gregory’s has evolved over the past 9 centuries as the congregation’s needs have changed, but the chancel arch, the south door and the font are original.

St Gregory's facing Morville Hall

From the church we walked down to and then along the little Mor Brook…

The Mor Brook - April has been cool but dry

…and then tried to set up a family photo. Herding cats is easier, and the best photo turned out to be one taken during the herding process.

Family photo

The Village

The village of Morville is strung out along the A453 and looks as good as a village riven by an A-road can, though the pub is in a sorry, neglected state. During our stay a local came to canvas our opinion on the matter – a restored pub, café, village shop or take-away? The Covid months have shown us a village pub can be all these: how much influence she has, and what will eventually happen are another matter.

The Ludlow Kitchen and Farm Shop

On Saturday morning we set out on the short drive to Ludlow. Rural Shropshire – and it is mostly rural – has pleasant rolling hills, and one or two more significant uplands. The upland retains a hint of wildness while the villages in the valleys feel integral to the landscape rather than imposed upon it.

We followed the line of Wenlock Edge a couple of kilometres to our right, before swinging more sharply south to reach the A49 (Ludlow to Craven Arms) across Ludlow Racecourse. The road crosses the track twice – I presume it closes on race days.

Shropshire Butter Bun

Our first stop was at the Ludlow Kitchen and Farm Shop on the A49, the immediate object of desire being a Shropshire Butter bun.

A Shropshire Butter Bun

How this delight remains virtually unknown outside Shropshire is a mystery. A sweet bun made with industrial quantities of butter and soft brown sugar, it is not health food, but it is undoubtedly a treat. Unfortunately, the Ludlow Kitchen only had two left, so some generous sharing was required even to have a taste.

Buns for everyone - if not always the bun they wanted

Coffee and buns over, daughter and I headed for the farm shop while Lynne and son-in-law supervised the grandchildren in the playground. Ludlow has always been a foodie town and our mission was to provide supplies for the rest of the weekend and to ‘curate’ a birthday cheeseboard.

Ludlow Farm Shop

Apart from a free-range chicken and some cooking chorizo - convincingly Spanish, though made in the attached butchery - I shall describe our purchases later, but I cannot resist the picture below.

Not your regular flavours of crisps

The flavours may seem unlikely, but the British Association for Shooting and Conservation (they claim there is no contradiction) are promoting the eating of game, and think this is an easy way in. I did taste one Grouse and Whinberry crisp – I found little game flavour and less whinberry, but perhaps I picked up the wrong crisp.

Job done, Lynne and I took the grandson into Ludlow while the others headed back to Morville.

Ludlow Castle and the Old Centre

I could write at length about parking in Ludlow on the first Bank Holiday Saturday after the end of lockdown, but I will settle for a one-word comment: Grrrrr.

Ludlow Castle was built by Walter de Lacy on a promontory above the River Teme around 1075. The town grew up around the castle, then spread down the hill and has now colonised the flat land to the east.

Having eventually found a berth in Tescos car park at the bottom of the hill, we made a couple of purchases, allowing us two hours ‘free’ parking and set off upwards. We emerged on Corve Street, the main approach from the north, near the 17th century Feathers Hotel. Once called ‘The Most Handsome Inn in the World’ by the New York Times, we stayed there when we first visited Ludlow in 2005, but it now looks in need of some refurbishment. Being closed, like all such businesses for most of them last 15 months has been hard, so I have used a 2011 photo.

The Feathers Hotel, Ludlow (in 2011)

Ludlow’s old centre contains a market and a wealth of listed buildings (the town has over 500) lining medieval lanes and Georgian thoroughfares.

King Street, Ludlow

Like Skipton Castle, Ludlow Castle has a level entrance from the town and its far flank protected by a riverside cliff. The large outer bailey is where much of Ludlow’s business would once have been conducted.

Ludlow Castle, looking across the outer bailey

By late medieval times the town and church outside the wall would have been well established.

Looking across the inner bailey and Ludlow from Mortimor's tower on the curtain wall

Continually upgraded and enlarged, Ludlow was an important stronghold for 600 years. It changed hands several times during the 12th century wars between King Stephen and Empress Matilda. It was involved in the Second Barons' War (1264-67) between Henry III and Simon de Montfort and the Wars of the Roses when it was held by Richard of York

St George's Chapel, Inner Bailey, Ludlow Castle

When Richard’s son seized the throne as Edward IV in 1462 the castle became Crown Property. In Tudor times it was the seat of the Council in the Marches of Wales making Ludlow effectively capital of Wales. Prince Arthur, Henry VIII’s older brother spent his honeymoon with Catherine of Aragon in Ludlow in 1501 and died here in 1502. Whether the 15-year-old-prince consummated the marriage, became a major issue both when Henry VIII married Catherine in 1509 (only legal because the marriage was unconsummated) and then attempted to have the marriage annulled in 1533 (because the marriage had been consummated). The truth (whatever it may have been) remained largely irrelevant.

The entrance to Ludlow Castle's well-defended inner bailey

In the Civil War, Ludlow was held by the Royalists until being besieged and taken by the Parliamentarians in 1646.

Inside the tower, Ludlow Castle's inner bailey

After the Restoration of the Monarchy (1660), the castle no longer had a military use. In 1772 it was bought by Edward Clive, Earl of Powis, the son of Robert (‘Clive of India’) Clive and is still owned by the Powis Estate. After a period of neglect the 19th century invention of tourism prompted a clean-up and refurbishment.

During our visit the inner bailey was being used as a film set, it looked and smelt authentically medieval with grubby tents and an all-pervading aroma of horse manure – and worse. Unfortunately, the film company had forbidden photography and provided security to enforce their ban. Catherine, Called Birdy, based on Karen Cushman’s book and starring Billie Piper and Andrew Scott is a couple of months into shooting.

Inner ward tower, Ludlow Castle
Probably nothing to do with the film, but if it is - you saw it here first!

Leaving the castle. we popped into The Mousetrap, always a cheese shop to savour, and completed the cheeseboard.

Lunch and Other Goodies

The three of us arrived back in Morville predictably late for lunch.

Asparagus

Being in an asparagus growing region in the middle of the short asparagus season we had inevitably bought some in the farm shop. Green and purple asparagus were available, and as neither of us had seen purple before that was what we bought. It loses some of its colour in the cooking but the taste remains distinctive. ‘Nuttier and sweeter’ is the usual description, but for that I thought it sacrificed some of the unique asparagus flavour.

Purple Asparagus and a dippy egg - alfresco lunch

Asparagus has a remarkable affinity for egg – strange for a vegetable – whether as a dippy egg or as a soft-boiled egg chopped over the buttered spears.

And as I have moved onto food, here are the highlights (other than strange flavoured crisps) of our shopping expedition.

Pork Pie

The pork pie, with bacon and pheasant, made in the Farm Shop butchery, looked spectacular. It did not quite live up to expectation (I thought), there were different textures, but it did not bring out all the flavours.

Ludlow Farm shop Pork pie with bacon and pheasant

And then of course, there was:

The Cheeseboard

To those who do not approach cheese with the same delight and fascination that I do: you have my sympathy – and feel free to skip to the next section.

The Cheese Board

Clockwise from top left we have:-

St Agur - a soft blue cows’ milk cheese from the Auvergne. I am still excited by the rebirth of British artisan cheese-making, but when I visited The Mousetrap, this was the only soft blue on offer. The nice lady apologised, but the loosening of Covid restrictions and the bank holiday had produced considerably more than the expected bulge in trade and some cheeses had sold out. With abundant blue flavour balanced by soft creaminess, this did us fine.

Herefordshire Hop. A cheddar-style cheese rolled in toasted Herefordshire hops. First produced in 1990 by Charles Martell in Dymock in Gloucestershire. He makes a cheese and rolls it in hops, imitators tend to use minced and reformed cheddar and hop dust. I was not entirely convinced by this one.

Sheep Rustler. A semi-hard washed rind unpasteurised ewes’ milk cheese made by White Lake Dairy in Somerset. ‘Warm and nutty with a lingering hint of sweetness. Perfect for summer with notes of fresh grass and meadows.’ (The Cheese Society). I am convinced there is a greater depth of flavour in cheeses made with unpasteurised milk.

Sheep Rustler

Ragstone. A Goats’ milk cheese developed by Charlie Westhead at Neals Yard Creamery in Herefordshire. In traditional French goat-log style, it was inspired by Sainte Maure, but is ‘smoother, creamier… with less acidity and more complexity’ (Neals Yard Dairy).

Ragstone

Stinking Bishop, a soft cows’ milk washed rind cheese, is another Charles Martell creation. The cheese is immersed in perry made from Stinking Bishop pears every four weeks during the 3-month maturation process. The Stinking Bishop cultivar was first produced in the 1800s by Fred Bishop, a Herefordshire farmer renowned for his stinking temper, not his pungency. The same cannot be said of the cheese which has a powerful odour. The flavour is usually relatively mild, but not in this well-matured slice. It was, I thought, about as good as cheese gets.

Stinking Bishop

Rachel, made by the White Lake Dairy, is the sister of Sheep Rustler made using largely the same recipe but from goats’ milk rather than sheep’s. It is very pleasant, but hard and semi-hard goat cheeses never seem to capture the goatiness the way the soft cheeses do. Some may call that an advantage, but not me.

And to Drink

Recently, writing up the 2006 Staffordshire Way walk (as a Covid project) I had cause to mention the Halfpenny Green Wine Estate. Just before this trip I was browsing in Whitebridge Wines in Stone (I have been a customer for a long time - Francis, Kathy and the team deserve a free plug) and came across a bottle of Halfpenny Green late harvest, so I bought it…

Halfpenny Green Late Harvest

…and very good it was too. Lusciously sweet, it is a Huxelrebe/Bacchus blend with the distinctive Huxelrebe dominating. Well chilled it is excellent with blue cheese. Could this ray of sunshine really have been grown in cool, damp Staffordshire? Yes.

Benthall Hall (so good they name it 1½ times)

On Sunday, the actual birthday, we made the short drive to Benthall Hall a couple of miles north of Much Wenlock.

I like the older houses, and this one was built in 1580. It is still occupied by Benthalls, though it has been owned by the National Trust since 1958. Had the family been wealthier they would have torn the house down in the 18th century and replaced it with something grander - as Arthur Weaver did at Morville. They were prosperous enough to keep it though not replace it, inadvertently doing later generations a favour. Unfortunately, they tore down a 12th century manor house to build this, but you can’t keep everything.

Benthall Hall

The house was, of course closed for Covid (partially re-opening on the 17th May 2021) so we missed the wood panelled interior and elaborate 17th century staircase. The gardens were open, though, which suited the birthday girl’s interest (yes, I know she is 40, but she is still my little girl).

The garden is not huge, but it is nicely laid out with flower beds, rockeries, copses and flagged paths wandering through the sort of dark corners that appealed to the younger members of our party.

Acer, cherry tree (lovers of ericaceous soil) and bamboo in the background add a Japanese touch

Despite backing the wrong side in the civil war, the Benthall family hung on to the estate until they ran out of convenient heirs in the early 18th century and the house was sold. The new owner leased the house to tenants, two of whom created the garden

A place to hide, Benthall Hall

George Maw, a pottery manufacturer and crocus enthusiast developed the outline from 1865 onward..

A rather flashy tulip, Benthall Hall

…and Robert Bateman added the rockeries and terraces. Bateman, a painter, sculptor and follower of Edward Burne-Jones enjoyed some success as an artist, but a second generation of pre-Raphaelites was one more than was really needed. Fortunately, he was independently wealthy and devoted himself to philanthropy and horticulture. He was the son of James Bateman who built the larger and even more ambitious gardens at Biddulph Grange in Staffordshire – a place we have visited often, and should perhaps have its own blog post.

Skimmia japonica - further evidence of ericaceous soil

The Benthalls re-acquired the house in 1918 and still live here, though as tenants of the National Trust.

And so our visit to Benthall Hall ended – and so does this post.