Ludlow

Medieval, Georgian, and Victorian buildings jostle for attention in pretty Ludlow, which has a finer display of black-and-white half-timber buildings than even Shrewsbury. Dominating the center is the Church of St. Laurence, its extravagant size a testimony to the town's prosperous medieval wool trade. Cross the River Teme and climb Whitcliffe Common for a spectacular view of the church and the Norman castle.

Several outstanding restaurants have given the town of just 11,000 a reputation as a culinary hot spot. Ludlow is a proponent of the Slow Food movement, which focuses on food traditions and responsible production with the aim of protecting forgotten foods, such as the Shropshire prune, from being lost forever.