Charlton Arms Hotel, Ludlow

A bit of walk downhill out of town, but if visiting, you really should see the ancient bridge and the River Teme. The pub is on the opposite side. A sticker on the door marked it as a Top 50 Gastropub from some awards organisation. Inside, it was a decent experience for a drinker. A top, sparsley furnished bar area. Comgy sofas down below, where most people were having a pre-dinner drink before being summonsed to the restaurant. The Ludlow Gold was in fine condition and nice views from the bay window across the river to town.

A return the other night to what is a restaurant with modern interior rather than traditional pub, albeit one with a lovely view over the Teme. The car park has to be one of the most chaotic ever devised, with at peak times absolutely no space to manoeuvre and customers who think it’s acceptable to park their car in such a manner that your departure cannot be guaranteed. The staff are lovely, the food’s decent – at a price – but there are better ‘real’ pubs in the town centre – though Ludlow is hardly a hotbed of quality hostelries – but if you’re thinking of driving with a Friday or Saturday night visit planned, park in the town centre where it’s free after 18.00.