On the way to Ludlow we stopped at lovely pub called the Green Dragon for lunch.  It was about half an hour from the cottage and felt very welcoming to the three of us.  It was quite a busy spot in a little village just off the main road and the food was tasty.  That was a good recommendation from ChatGPT.

Rose Cottage was a little bit in the hills and it was quite a bit cooler there than when we’d left home.  The garden immediately got a 5* rating from Olaf who loved how quiet it was and how many smells there were to smell and corners there were to explore!  We settled in and spent the evening admiring the view from the living room of the Shropshire hills.

The next day the hot weather was due to continue so Olaf and I got up early and headed to Mortimer Forest on the south side of Ludlow before it got too warm. Paul was a bit braver and ventured out in the Shropshire Hills for a longer walk.  The walking was very pleasant in the forest and the quiet paths were acceptable to Olaf.  We got back to the cottage for garden time and lunch before it got too warm in the sun…  The breeze really helped to keep things comfortable throughout the day.

On Sunday the weather was much more temperate so we all headed out together for a longer walk.  We walked 12 miles up and around Brown Clee Hill.  It actually rained at the start of the walk (which was a bit of a shock after it being so warm and dry!) and as some of the paths weren’t well trodden, it meant for some hard, wet walking through long grass at the beginning of the walk.  Once we got up the hill though, things were much improved.  On our return to Rose Cottage we had more time to enjoy the views and the garden.

We set off for home on Monday morning and had a good journey which meant we got home in time to go and see a movie in the afternoon… Too bad “Disclosure Day”  didn’t quite live up to the high standard set by the weekend but the pick and mix just about made up for it.

As far as the Airbnb experiment went, it passed with flying colours. Thank you Rose Cottage – you are on most definitely our list for a revisit!

We arrived on Friday and had a little wander around the village to pick up some BBQ food and baked treats from the local butchers and bakers followed by some lunch (and unfortunately a rather disappointing ice cream which was adversely affected by freezer burn) on the square before heading to the campsite.  Brent and George weren’t far behind and after setting up and catching up we walked to the George and Dragon pub for our dinner.

The next day we walked out of the campsite to Ironbridge.  It was a really nice place – the bridge is very picturesque and the shops in the village are also lovely.  The ice cream was much better this time – from the Ironbridge Ice cream company – biscoff and mint chocolate chip.  We walked a lot on the Shropshire way and the Jack Mytton Way.  On the way back, we found a national trust property (Benthall Hall) and an old windmill not too far from Shadwell quarry.  We had planned on a BBQ when we got back but the dry weather had resulted in a ban on open flames on the campsite so we modified plans and had corn on the cob cooked on the hob in the van and chicken salad instead.

On Sunday we walked out from the village again and up along Wenlock Edge.  There was more of the Shropshire and Jack Mytton way and this time we stopped at the Priory in Much Wenlock before heading back to the campsite.  This time it was salad and toasties for dinner.

We packed up and said goodbye to Brent and George on Monday morning and drove 20 minutes or so to the Wrekin for a walk around there before heading home.  It wasn’t a long walk this time but it was very steep! The weather was about 99% dry over the weekend with a couple of showers on Sunday morning and it was warm enough to sit out and enjoy the evenings together.  A very successful weekend and plans are already in the works to do something similar next year!

On the way to Bishops Castle on St. Patrick’s day (aka our anniversary!) we stopped at Stiperstones National Nature Reserve and had a walk through some lovely, varied scenery.  The 8 miles we walked was a good warm up for the weekend ahead. We were pleased when we arrived at Cross Keys Cottage in Bishops Castle and found it to be as spacious, lovely and clean as it was advertised; it’s open plan living room, enclosed garden, wifi and off road parking were all perfectly suited for our 4 night stay.

We got settled and then headed out into the town for an anniversary pub meal at The Three Tuns Inn.  It was lovely there and we were all made to feel welcome – especially Stella who got spoiled with fusses and biscuits.  My fish and chips hit the spot for sure.  Paul’s Shropshire sausages and mash were also very palatable apparently!

Over the course of our stay, we walked mostly on parts of the Offa’s Dyke Path (total path distance 177 miles) and the Shropshire Way (total path distance 202 miles) which both passed not far from the cottage… In fact the Shropshire Way ran right along the side of it!  We also touched on a bit of the Jack Mytton Way (total path length 100 miles) and the Kerry Ridgeway (total path length 15 miles).  The Kerry Ridgeway is an ancient path that was used by drovers to drive livestock out of Wales into England.

One walk took us to the Bury Ditches – this is a iron age hill fort with great views in all directions.  Two of our walks started from the town of Clun with its castle dominating the sky line.  Another recommendation from Harriet to have cake at the Postcard Cafe in Clun was an excellent one.  The Italian lemon cake and the orange almond cake were two of the tastiest cakes I’ve had in a long time.

On the way home on Monday we stopped in the small town of Montgomery just one mile across the English border into Wales.  This little gem of a place was worth a wander.   The town square was really interesting with a prominent town hall and black and white timber framed pub that really caught your eye.  We walked up to the Norman castle and had the place to ourselves to explore.  When we got home we head to New Brighton for a spot of lunch at Prezzo down on the promenade before it was time for me to travel north for work the next day.

The weather was dry and sunny all weekend – in fact it was nice enough to stop for a drink in the beer garden at the Castle Hotel on the way back from a walk one day.  We remembered that we weren’t so lucky one of our anniversary weekends when we had camped and it was so cold Stella’s water bowl froze!

We all enjoyed the weekend very much.  Would we go and stay again?  Maybe not but not because we didn’t enjoy the cottage, village or the walks.  More just through a desire to explore a different place and stay somewhere different next time!

We stayed at Oxon Hall Touring Park which is right beside a “park and ride” service taking shoppers into the town centre.  We took advantage of this on Saturday and had a good explore around the town.  It is a very pleasant place to spend a few hours.  Pedestrianised streets, tudor buildings and interesting looking independent shops typified the place.

Despite the forecast, the weather stayed largely dry.  We walked back from town along the River Severn which twists around almost making the town centre an island.  We watched the rowers and their on shore coachers with megaphones in hand and tried to listen to the comings and goings at the Shrewsbury Agricultural Showground that we could hear on the loud speaker.

We had noticed Stella seeming a bit uncomfortable throughout the day – itching her feet and finding it difficult to get comfortable.  After some deductions, we ascertained that I had inadvertently exposed her to a field of nettles earlier in the day.  I began thinking a campervan could become a very small space at nightime for Paul and I and an uncomforable Stella…  Thankfully there was a vet within walking distance of the campsite and an anti-itch injection seemed to do the trick.  Sorry Stella!

On Sunday we headed north to Ellesmere which was a pretty little place with a couple of meres and the Llangolen canal running through it.  We walked around The Mere and back along the tow path.  There were some interesting sculptures around the Mere and I liked watching the boats pass on the canal.  It was very windy but we timed the walk just right to miss the rain.

This week is our “music week” with a trip to the Liverpool Philharmonic tomorrow evening to see Ludovico Einaudi.  I am hoping to be inspired to practice lots more myself after seeing this amazing pianist.  On Wednesday we’re going to see the Fratellis – also in Liverpool.

The week culminates with Brent’s arrival in the Bub on Friday. I always look forward to his visits.  Calm Down. 😉