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We thought we’d venture forth to Ludlow next Sunday. Any advice/tips most welcome [even such tips as ‘don’t bother’].
moehat
Make sure you take the chance to view the racing (and surrounding countryside) from the roof of the stand at Ludlow. There aren’t many views to beat it in UK racing.
Rob
Thanks Rob; Mind you, if we’re planning to go it’ll probably be cancelled [which is what happened when we planned our last trip to Northumberland round a trip to Kelso].
I’d echo the roof recommendation; but racing apart if you have the time do have a wander around the town as it’s an architectural gem, and the castle is a splendid pile
Don’t know if you recall the ‘Six English Towns’ BBC series from the 1970s but the erudite if measured presenter Alec Clifton-Taylor was particularly enamoured of it, and rightly so
Lovely course and as already been said the voew from the roof is one of the best in racing.
If you check on their Claris Homepage c1999-style website you’ll see that the charge for day members is a highly amusing £21 as opposed to Grandstand entrance of £16. The extra fiver gives you access to a three-bar fire and a lot of people in tweed called Rodney.
In terms of facilities, the racecourse is basically a field with some antediluvian outbuildings (i.e. take your own lunch). They have great ‘character’ apparently.
Eating in the town ranges from pant-wettingly expensive Michelin-starred gaffs to dismal cutesie cupcake tearooms run by menopausal man-haters.
Ludlow is however generally extremely pleasant save for Shropshire’s unique breed of chemically-enhanced agri-yobs who wander around like a scene from
Deliverance
at closing time.
Enjoy.
Mike
I remember Alec Clifton Taylor standing in front of two terraced houses and pointing out how awful the one that had been pebble dashed etc was. Often wondered how the owners felt about that but he went up very highly in my estimation after that. [ps; we always take out own sandwiches, but please don’t tell anyone..]
If the weather’s nice and you get the chance, amble down to the river. It’s stunningly beautiful, and if you’re really daring, you can paddle
Funnily enough, I shall be in Ludlow myself next Sunday because my mother in law lives there and we’re visiting for her birthday.http://www.ors-racing.co.uk/PDF/Ludlow%20Final.pdf
I can only confirm what has already been said about the grandstand, although wrap up warm as the roof is exposed.
Eating in the town ranges from pant-wettingly expensive Michelin-starred gaffs to dismal cutesie cupcake tearooms run by menopausal man-haters.
Ah yes welsh rarebits all round at De Grey’s Tearooms and the rapid erosion of that hard-earnt 200/60: nice
However I would imagine Mr De Grey – like Miss Betty here in York – now employs underpaid but charming menopausal-man loving menorrhagic Eastern Europeans: nice
I’ll wave to you from the top of the grandstand!
I’d far rather be in the grandstand with you than with the mother in law
And some lovely views and scenery from the roof, both summer ….
http://www.ors-racing.co.uk/Images/General/LudlowScenicViewSmall01.jpg
and winter ……
http://www.ors-racing.co.uk/Images/General/LudlowScenicViewSmall02.jpg
I went a few years back and, as other have said, the view from the roof of the stand is superb and I went on a fine and warm autumn afternoon so not far off brilliant.
Crossing the course to the paddock area, there were a number of stalls around the paddock and it all seemed very rural and pleasant. Getting in and out a little haphazard with an interesting crossing to negotiate.
It is what it is and if you accept it as a country track, it’s not up to Taunton or Wincanton but stands up pretty well.
As the spiritual home of the Slow Food movement in the UK, do bring your tastebuds with you and go treat yourself to something exceptional in the town centre.
Alternatively, do as I did before attending the Ludlow Point-to-Point at neighbouring Bitterley the other week, and go fill the boot and cool-bag with locally produced goodies from the Ludlow Food Centre. Not as quaint and charming as the Cartmel equivalent, but no less well stocked:
http://www.ludlowfoodcentre.co.uk/Content.aspx?ID=1
gc
Adoptive father of two. The patron saint of lower-grade fare. A gently critical friend of point-to-pointing. Kindness is a political act.
I’m getting a bit concerned that I might not want to leave the place once I get there. And there’s me thinking my dream home would be Southwell. Hope no one tells me that Ludlow has Morris Dancing as well or I will be sorely tempted.
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