DAYS
5
TOUR CODE
CHSH-27
COST
£1745
DAYS
5
TOUR CODE
CHSH-27
COST
£1745
From a base in the pretty medieval market town of Ludlow, our tour takes travellers on a journey around the idyllic countryside of these two counties, exploring a wealth of churches offering fascinating art, architecture and history.
Overview
On the border with Wales, the counties of Herefordshire and Shropshire are known for their idyllic countryside, which is dotted with a wealth of churches offering fascinating art, architecture and history.
“There might be elongated, entangled mystical animals reminiscent of Scandinavian and Celtic art or military figures mingling with dragons”
– Tour Director Imogen Corrigan
Our explorations begin in the medieval market town of Ludlow with a visit to St Laurence’s Church with its hexagonal porch. The building is notable for featuring the remains of the only known example in England of a ‘Ten Commandments’ window, dating from the 15th century. It is also home to a 16th century Baldacchino, a very rare surviving English altar hood, usually associated with Roman Catholicism, decorated with pomegranates.
Highlights of our itinerary will include St Mary Magdalene in Eardisley, containing a fine Norman font by the famous Herefordshire School of Architecture, and the church at Leominster, founded around 660 CE by St Edfrith, a missionary from Lindisfarne. Refounded as a priory in 1125 and dedicated to St Peter and St Paul, this church underwent many changes across the following centuries, including a restoration by the preeminent church architect George Gilbert Scott in Victorian times.
Shobdon Church has been described as “a wonderful building, of unique architectural interest” by His Majesty King Charles III and “a complete masterpiece” by Simon Jenkins. Its delightful interior provides an exceptional example of church design in the Walpolean ‘Strawberry Hill Gothic’ style, blending the Rococo and Gothic, and the decoration and furnishings remain remarkably well preserved today. The church’s original Romanesque interior arches, carved by the Herefordshire School, were removed and repurposed as an outdoor folly in 1756.
On a day excursion to Shrewsbury, we will explore the Abbey, originally founded in 1083 by Sir Roger de Montgomery as a Benedictine Monastery, as well as St Mary’s Church, dating from Saxon times with additions from the 12th century onwards. Cared for by the Churches Conservation Trust, St Mary’s features exquisite stained glass and one of the tallest spires in England, whilst the ceiling of its nave, carved in oak in the 15th century, features “a profusion of animals, birds and angels”.
The present-day Church of St Chad was built in the round at the end of the 18th century by George Steuart, upon a site where there had been a church dedicated to the saint since early medieval times. It nods towards Shropshire’s role in the incipient Industrial Revolution in the form of busts of the ironmaster William Hazledine and master builder and stonemason John Simpson, both of whom were involved in the church’s construction. St Chad’s is also notable for having been the site of Charles Darwin’s baptism in 1809.
We will also pay a visit to Hereford Cathedral, built in the Gothic style from the 11th century, and home to the medieval Mappa Mundi. The Church of St Mary & St David in Kilpeck, meanwhile, was described by Pevsner as “one of the most perfect Norman churches in England” and contains fine carvings in local red sandstone as well as a remarkable corbel tray.
“The Herefordshire School is characterised by sometimes bizarre images and shapes. There might be elongated, entangled mystical animals reminiscent of Scandinavian and Celtic art or military figures mingling with dragons. It can be overtly religious but might also be comical, not to mention lewd in a couple of instances.
These intriguing sites will be woven into the tour alongside what might be termed more ‘normal’ churches, all of which have aspects to attract the visitor. That might be the history, the glass, the carvings, memorials, or possibly – in one case – an example of treason.”
– Tour Director Imogen Corrigan
Tour Director
Imogen Corrigan
Imogen Corrigan is a medieval historian and proficient lecturer with a life-long interest in Anglo-Saxon and medieval history.
Imogen Corrigan, BA, MPhil, FRHistS, FRSA, spent nearly 20 years in the British Army and retired in the rank of Major before turning to a life-long interest in Anglo-Saxon and medieval history, which she studied at the University of Kent. A proficient lecturer on medieval history and particularly church art and architecture, and accredited with the Arts Society, Imogen has also gained an MPhil from the University of Birmingham. Her book Stone on Stone: The Men Who Built the Cathedrals was published in 2019 and The Green Man: Myth & Reality was published in 2025. In 2022 Imogen was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society. Imogen is the Memorials and Monuments Specialist for the Diocesan Advisory Committee for Canterbury.
– ACE customer on a 2026 tour led by Imogen Corrigan
Our Accommodation
Our base for this tour will be the delightful Feathers Hotel & Restaurant, occupying a Grade I listed property in the heart of the pretty medieval market town of Ludlow. Behind its Tudor half-timbered façade, the hotel enjoys recently refurbished rooms, as well as an AA Rosette award-winning restaurant.
Itinerary
Day 1
Tour assembles 1330 at The Feathers Hotel & Restaurant, Ludlow, for four nights. Welcome and lecture introducing the Herefordshire School of Architecture, followed by afternoon visit to St Laurence’s Church (hexagonal porch, stained glass, misericord carvings) and some free time to explore historical Ludlow.
Day 2
Morning: St Peter’s Church, Rowlstone (12th century chancel arch) and Church of St Mary & St David, Kilpeck (intricate carvings and remarkable corbel tray). Afternoon: Hereford Cathedral (11th century; Mappa Mundi and Chained Library Museum) and St Michael & All Angels’ Church, Castle Frome (extraordinary 12th century font by the Herefordshire School).
Day 3
Morning: St John the Evangelist Church, Shobdon (Rococo Georgian church) and Arches followed by St Mary Magdalene Church, Eardisley (famous 12th century font by the Herefordshire School). Afternoon: Church of St Michael & All Angels, Moccas (12th century church with rounded apse) and St George’s Church, Brinsop (Herefordshire School details).
Day 4
Battlefield for St Mary Magdalene Church (built to commemorate the Battle of Shrewsbury) followed by Shrewsbury for visits to St Chad’s Church (unusual round late 18th century church), St Mary’s Church (stained glass, interesting memorials) and Shrewsbury Abbey (memorial of Roger de Montgomery, second in command at Hastings).
Day 5
Visits to St Peter’s Church, Diddlebury and Leominster Priory Church of St Peter & St Paul. Tour disperses approx 1430 at Ludlow Station followed by the hotel. We recommend organising onward trains departing after 1445.
Frequently Asked Questions
To read our full list of frequently asked questions please visit our general FAQs here.
What is the maximum group size of this tour?
What is the deposit cost for this tour?
What tour staff will be on this tour?
Am I fit enough to travel on this tour?
Fitness Requirements
The majority of ACE Cultural Tours are active in nature. To make the most of our time in a destination and provide excellent value for money, they are busy – there are often several visits included each day. As such, our tours require a certain minimum level of physical and mental fitness, mobility and stamina.
Many visits will involve navigating several steps, uneven ground, steep ascents and descents, and could involve embarking and disembarking aircraft, coaches, trains and cruise vessels. Plenty of walking, punctuated by lengthy periods of standing, is the norm. Some tours may involve long coach journeys.
It is essential that all customers are sufficiently fit and able enough to fully participate. Furthermore, every tour comprises a group of guests. We cannot allow the entire group to be negatively impacted by one participant, either holding up the pace we reasonably need to maintain or disproportionately requiring the attention and support of the tour staff.
We carefully consider the intensity, fitness and other requirements of each itinerary and describe them on the tour pages of our brochures and website. Please study these descriptions closely. When you call to book, we will reiterate those requirements and ask you to confirm that all group members are indeed fit enough and otherwise able to meet the criteria. It is your responsibility to answer fully and honestly. If it transpires that you are not able to keep pace with the tour and/or it reasonably appears you are negatively impacting (or are reasonably likely to negatively impact) the enjoyment of the rest of the group (including their ability to complete all scheduled visits), we may ask you to sit out certain days/visits, take a taxi at your own expense (if available in the location), or even, if we consider there is no other reasonable alternative, ask you to leave the tour and make your own way home.
This tour requires a good level of fitness and mobility, and participants should meet ACE’s usual fitness criteria as outlined in our Booking Terms & Conditions. Due to narrow lanes, the coach is not usually able to drop off the group directly outside the churches, so some walking will be involved to access them, including over tracks and up and down grassy slopes. Furthermore, the ground can be uneven underfoot (including inside the churches). In particular, the walk to Shobdon Arches is uphill and can be muddy; at Moccas it is necessary to climb a grassy bank to access the church; and Shrewsbury is hilly. Participants should also be prepared for navigating steps (sometimes steep or without handrails), as well as dimly lit areas. Please also be aware that not all of the churches have facilities.
As a minimum, participants should be able to successfully complete the following self- assessment tests:
- Walk for one hour at a reasonable pace and without needing to take a break to rest
- Climb at least two flights of stairs at a reasonable pace
- Stand unaided for at least 30 minutes
- Stand up and sit down ten times in one minute
- Carry or otherwise move your own luggage
Please ensure you have read and understand our full fitness requirements as described in our terms and conditions.
UK Government Travel Advice
For additional travel information from the UK government please consult the following pages.
Cost Details
Churches of Herefordshire and Shropshire
April 12 - 16, 2027
Included: accommodation based on sharing a twin or double bedded room, four breakfasts, four dinners with wine, water & coffee, excursions & admissions, gratuities & all taxes.
Not Included: travel insurance, double room for single use supplement £295.
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