Stokesay Castle & Church, Ludlow Castle & Church

Stokesay Castle is perhaps my favourite castle in England. It isn't really a castle but a fortified manor house constructed at the end of the 13th century by Laurence of Ludlow one of the richest wool merchants in England. The picturesque gatehouse is 17th century. 

The nearby church, St John the Baptist was rebuilt during the commonwealth.

Then onto Ludlow a thriving market town. The castle is perhaps most famous for the place where Prince Arthur (Henry VIII elder brother died in 1502). It was probably founded by Walter de Lacy around 1075, I think the earliest part today is the great tower which dates to the mid 12th century.

The church of St John the Baptist is one of the finest in England. It has a plenty of Victorian glass but also some excellent medieval glass. The church has Norman roots but major works occurred between 1433 and 1471 when the town grew rich on the wool trade.

The Saint John's Chapel on the north side was the chapel of the Palmers' Guild, which thrived in the Late Middle Ages. The Palmers' Window within St John's Chapel illustrates the legend of King Edward the Confessor and St John the Evangelist by eight panels and was inspired by the Ludlow Palmers’ 13th century pilgrimage to the Holy Land.

Prince Arthur's heart is buried within the church. Although he is buried in Worcester Cathedral.