Womens Thoughts

Stokesay Castle is actually a fortified manor built by Lawrence of Ludlow, a prominent wool merchant, and  is situated just north of Ludlow off the A49 in Shropshire. Stokesay has hardly been altered since the thirteenth century!

Having driven past so many times, my husband and I decided to make a special trip to visit this beautiful house.

We packed a picnic which we thoroughly enjoyed whilst sitting outside Stokesay Castle in the parking area at one of the picnic benches dotted round and about.

To get to the castle you must walk through the churchyard through the stone wall entrance into a grassed area, where you will find the shop.

The castle is surrounded by a small moat and entering is via a timber-framed gatehouse.

The castle consists of a great hall, this being the most important room in the castle for meals and entertainment in days gone by. An octagonal stone hearth can be seen that obviously marks the spot of the open fire that would have burned there.

The North tower which has a very large timber framed apartment and South Tower which is connected via the Passage block and Solar block, the latter being the private apartment of the lord and his family. 
Here the 17thcentury wood panelling is one of the main features of this room.

There is a coffee shop within the courtyard where you can enjoy tea and homemade cakes situated amidst the beautiful cottage garden.

For all that Stokesay is not a large castle to tour; sometimes the smaller historic buildings give a better insight into how people used to live within the local area.
 
It is certainly worth paying a visit, one that you can combine with a day out or stay in Ludlow.

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